[Robert Stokes]

Hello everyone. I have just joined the forum today and I have put an introduction in the appropriate section. I hope that you won't mind me posting a question here immediately.

I recently bought a Bachmann EZ digital controller and two loco decoders. I took the body off a Hornby 8F which I bought last week as DCC ready. I fitted the chip and everything works as expected. I then tried to replace the body and found that I couldn't. There doesn't seem to be room inside for the decoder! Has anyone done this so they can give me advice? Would a Hornby decoder be smaller and is it their way of forcing you to buy one? I am now going to try to fit the other decoder into a Bachmann Jubilee also bought last week. If I have the same problem getting a Bachmann decoder into a Bachmann engine then I will really be annoyed (previous alternative word deleted).

 

[Stephen]

Hi Rob,

Personally I haven't had experience of the Bachmann decoder, however I have used the TCS MI UK as recommended by Bromsgrove Models for this loco, see http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/hornby8fdccreadyinstr.htm

I haven't fitted at TCS MI UK into an 8F either but I have fitted them to two Hornby Class Fives with no problem, you just snip off the capacitors (the brownish blobs) taking care not to cut the wire from the plug to the motor all the way through, and then just plug the decoder in.

John at Bromsgrove Models sells the TCS MI UK for about £19, not cheap when you compare to the price of the Bachmann ones but you get what you pay for, particularly when it comes to size of decoders, cheap ones tend to be big!

Also Johns site is very good for his guides on fixing decoders to popular types of loco's, look at the link at the bottom.

Good luck

Steve

 

[zachariah]

Hornby ones cost less than £10 are very small and work very well!

 

[hoonsou]

Yep, had the same problem with a Lenz Silver

I finished up putting the decoder in the tender, connecting the red and black wires to the tender pick up's under the weight, and running wires and plugs through to the motor. Hope this helps

 

[BromsMods]

Hello Robert

I'm afraid that in most cases with decoders you get what you pay for. There are a number of small decoders on the market that fit into very small spaces. Steam locos are by far the most difficult in terms of space.

If money is no object and you want a true plug-and-play decoder then you can't really go far wrong with a Zimo MX620R - I have not yet had to adjust any settings on these decoders. They perform superbly straight from the box. With the TCS M1UK, although it is cheaper, you will probably find you have to adjust some of the settings to get the best performance for each loco. Whether it is possible to adjust all of the possible settings using the Bachmann EZ system, I don't know.

Regards

John R
Bromsgrove Models

 

[davidw]

I too had to put a TCS M1 into an 8F. But it is an outstanding decoder.

 

[Robert Stokes]

Thanks for the advice. I found that it nearly fitted under the chimney; with it there the chassis wouldn't quite go back into the body. I've nearly decided that the best thing might be to cut of the DCC fitting and the plug on the end of the decoder and solder the wires. This should leave room for it to fit. Thanks once again.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Robert Stokes @ 3 Mar 2007, 09:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've nearly decided that the best thing might be to cut of the DCC fitting and the plug on the end of the decoder and solder the wires. This should leave room for it to fit. Thanks once again.

That seems to be quite a common way to get round the space issue - be a good idea to fully test the decoder installation with the body off before doing a "hard wired" job.

BTW - on quite a few Fleischmann OHE locos with the central motor that I have DCC'ed (with Lenz & ESU decoders) for customers I have had to relieve the side of the 8-pin plug, otherwise it fouls the body underside, so the problem is not confined to OO/UK outline !

 

[Doug]

I wonder sometimes what goes through a manufacturers mind when he's designing the interior of some of these locos. They put in a plug, but don't think of placement for a decoder and wires.

When Bachmann released the locos with DCC Sound, they had to redesign the chassis because for one, the old chassis made fitting the decoder impossible and for two, they were supplying the decoder fitted. To fit the decoder, parts of the chassis had to be milled down.

That's an extreme example, but I've cut away parts of a chassis or ballast before to fit a decoder. If it has to be done, then I do it.

 

[21C1]

Although being logged in I am unable to access that jpg. I get the following: Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature. If you are not logged in, you may do so using the form below if available. What???

 

[Howzatt]

Me too. The jpg filename may be the problem as it has spaces in it.

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (21C1 @ 3 Mar 2007, 20:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Although being logged in I am unable to access that jpg. I get the following: Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature. If you are not logged in, you may do so using the form below if available. What???
Sorry, permissions were not properly set since the upgrade. It should be fine now.