I successfully installed a Digitrax DN136D today, thanks for the great help.

I like the challenge of getting the old guys running well with as many stock parts as I can.

I just enable the captions (auto-generated - hopefully they're not to strange. I might fix some errors in the speech-to-text when I have time in the future)

The wheels on one side of the trucks have an electrical connection to the frame, and the wheels on the other side connect to the strap. All 8 wheels pick up off the track, 4 from each rail.

It's often more effort than it's worth trying to line up both clips on the Helping Hands and getting them to stay where I want them.

1/4 watt will be fine. I think that's what I used. The % is just an accuracy number. 5% is not going to be a problem. (I happened to use a 1%, but only because that's what I had handy) You could use anything from 800 to 1500 ohms and it would work fine with no damage. The brightness would change slightly, more ohms = less brightness..

I was also confused by this. To clarify...I think you meant: he should have soldered the white and yellow wires from the decoder to the cathodes (the ends with the resistors attached) of the LEDs, and then the blue wire from the decoder to the anodes of the LEDs (would have to splice off one time for one of the LEDs. That way you don't need to run that black common to the frame, as he did. Am I correct?

gracias

I don't remember exactly who I bought the LEDs and resistors from. It would have been the cheapest seller I could find on e-bay. Try a search like this one : www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&LH_FS=1&_nkw=3mm+led+warm+white&_sop=15 www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=resistor+kit+assortment&_sop=15&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xresistor+kit+assortment+30+values.TRS1&_nkw=resistor+kit+assortment+30+values&_sacat=0

The decoder that I used should fit in most N scale and larger locomotives. These are generic decoders. They aren't made to fit specific locomotives. On smaller locomotives you might have to be a bit creative on placement - possibly removing a bit of one of the weights or sneaking it into the cab.

My usual "tune up" is 90% cleaning and lubricating. Clean the wheel treads, any electrical connections between the wheels and the motor, etc. Open up the gearbox and get any crusty crud out, re-lube. After that just make sure the motor is securely mounted and the driveshafts are straight. Check that everything moves smoothly and adjust until it does. I don't think I have ever owned a Tyco. Not sure what goes on under the hood of those. I would probably troll through used tables at a train show to find a "parts donor" and transplant parts from there. If the brushes are sparking, try to clean the commutator (if it is an open frame motor that lets you get at it) with a q-tip and alcohol. Might save you a lot of hunting for parts.

Mark Teague, here is an NMRA article on tuning up an Athearn locomotive: www.mcor-nmra.org/Publications/Articles/Athearn_TuneUp.php Hope it helps!

....and years later, finding them, randomly.

Yeah, that is probably what happened. Its surprisingly easy to confuse myself when i'm thinking too much about making the video, and not what I'm actually doing.

but front is actually the long hood on a high nose loco

I just changed the position, not the value.

Absolutely. Most of the people I know locally use SoundTraxx brand decoders. The installation is very similar. The hard part is finding room inside the locomotive shell for the speaker.

They were still making that style in the late '90s. When DCC became mainstream was around the time they ended that chassis design. Not sure when they started, but it was considered an old design by that time. Still pretty reliable, though

Possibly, but I wanted to flatten down the little spikes and not worry if they were going to poke thru the tape.

There is a plastic clip on top of the worm hear that holds the entire assembly together.

That's interesting. Any Athearns that I remember have had an almost identical chassis to this. The only differences that I have seen are for wheelbase length or number of axles. Then again, I haven't seen an Athearn that is less than 15 years old.

pileofstuff thanks. This one is probably from late 1979. I have two like this. The trucks have the Metal outsides and the axles ride in bearings in them. The handrails on the old one are round with a hole punched in them for the handrail. I also have a new old stock Athearn blue box gp9 that has the modern trucks, flywheels, narrow motor and the open top square stanctions. Point is there is a lot of really ancient blue box stuff out there and anyone buying should check the trucks, rails, and motor before buying. My old stuff runs ok, draws .32 amps and pulls well after cleaning.

Some insist the "growling" is created by the flywheels not being true (either brass or steel) and they manage to rub the inside of the shell (on scale not wide hood older models). I have a difficult time believing they can be that "untrue" they rotate out of round enough to do that but people have ponted to Model Railroader studies that document the flywheels are not true. Sure way to tell that is being done would be to put something on the flywheels to be able to make a mark on the inside of the shell should they rub against it and then put the shell back on, run and see what happens. What you then do about the flywheels, I don't know (not everyone has a lathe at their disposal). I would say more likely that not, the motor is shifting bc the mounts are 1) old or 2) and when the motor starts to "toruque" w/the shell on, it shift left or right enought to hit the inside of the shell.

The only thing to watch out for is the current (amps) rating of the decoder and how much current the motor uses. Any modern locomotive in HO should be fine with any decoder that can do 1 amp or more. (most N scale decoders that I've seen are 1amp to 1.5 amps). Check the spec sheet for the decoder you want to use, and then check the stall current of your locomotive (using a multimeter). As long as the loco uses less current than the cedoder's maximum you'l be fine.

I use the DN123 digitrax decoders for my Athearn SW7's, S12, and SW1500 locos provided they have the newer drives with brass flywheels. I also add wire contacts to the trucks so they can get current better.

Actually, swapping the trucks (move the back one to the front) is probably what you need to do. If you have a multimeter, you can test that theory before you put it back on the track.

I'm not sure what someone would charge for a decoder installation. Sometimes local hobby shops will have a list of locate people who do custom work for ther people. But I don't have the time to take on work for other people.

It's a lot more simple than you think. I explain it (and a few other things) here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ibZnpaeYmaebo5c.html

@@pileofstuff thank you!

Not really. As long as it's pointing in the right direction

I'm in Winnipeg, Canada. Thanks for watching!

pileofstuff I'm from Cape Town South Africa and I'm in the process to relocate to Canada in this year. If all goes well I would like to meet you someday.

Good luck on the move. Don't forget to buy some warm clothes!

pileofstuff Thank you very much.

Kapton tape: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapton Electrically insulating, temperature resistant, flexible, thin. Very handy stuff.

Thanks. I wasn't aware of that.

Yup. Started in broadcast back in the '80s. Did a bunch of live sound, and in telecom now.