This thread will contain information gained from members personal experiences of fitting different decoders to different brands and types of locomotive. Some appear to work much better with certain models than others. If you say a certain combination works then we will take it that it works in all respects to your total satisfaction. If there is some aspect that is not satisfactory, slow running for example, then please point this out. It will also have to be assumed that the model you are referring to is actually capable, in it's condition at the time of testing, of performing faultlessly. Otherwise the information you give will be flawed by the model itself.

Bachmann A4 Split frame chassis

A TCS T1 decoder fits into the A4 fine its hard wired and there is enough space near the cab and also if your wires are long enough there is enough room at the front of the body as well .
This decoder performs well at all speeds and with its Back emf as standard on these decoders now slow running is very good as well.

cheers Brian

Hornby Black 5     5 pole motor type dcc ready

Ztc 4007 this is extremely easy to fit true plug and play loco runs very well at all speeds back emf makes good slow running.

cheers Brian

Bachmann Pannier tank dcc ready version

Tcs M2 decoder fits into space at the side provided by bachmann you need to buy the harness with the 8 pin plug on it.
The loco works very well at all speeds with good running at slow speeds as back emf is standard on this decoder

cheers Brian

Triang Blue Pullman motor Bogie
!960s version.

Although very old does dcc ok
I used a TCS T1 obviously it has to be hard wired and is not difficult to see what to solder where.
It runs fine under dcc but i do intend to add extra pick ups on the trailing bogies for smoother running i will edit this post to update it when i have done this
cheers Brian

Hornby J94 0-6-0

Decoder used lenz Standard

If you remove the large weight all you need to do is saw off a semi circular section that sticks out this will be obvious when you see it there is enough space to fit the decoder into the void that the part of the weight went into.
It has to be hard wired removing the motor makes it a lot easier certainly not a difficult loco to fit a decoder in.
works fine with that decoder
cheers Brian

Hornby J94 0-6-0

Decoder used lenz Standard

If you remove the large weight all you need to do is saw off a semi circular section that sticks out this will be obvious when you see it there is enough space to fit the decoder into the void that the part of the weight went into.
It has to be hard wired removing the motor makes it a lot easier certainly not a difficult loco to fit a decoder in.
works fine with that decoder
cheers Brian

Bachmann B1 Kudu

Split Frame chassis

Decoder used TCS M2

Non dcc ready loco extremely limited space inside so it needs some of the chassis sawn off at the front The M2 is very small so this cuts down the amount needed to be sawn off.
The decoder runs well in this loco eunning correctly at all speeds.

cheers Brian

Bachmann Crab

Decoder used TCS M2

This is a dcc ready loco but it has a very limited space for the decoder it fits at the front up against the smokebox door a decoder only slightly bigger than the M2 would not fit.
Loco runs correctly at all speeds.

Cheers Brian

In the past I posted a note about the Lenz silver direct decoder ref 10330. Whilst it is probably a brilliant decoder the buyer should beware. It is designed just to plug into the socket in the loco without trailing wires. The problem however is that the plug is at right angles to the pcb and was therefore too wide to go into a castle class loco. It is of course not possible to trim it down and I must therefore try it in future locos with wider bodies. Picture below.



And just for fun, below is a picture of a decoder I cooked earlier. Not sure of the make but it had been operating ok in a castle class loco when one day the loco went "jerky" and I saw the hated blue smoke coming from under the boiler. I thought I'd post it for those of you who wondered what a cooked one looked like.



The pcb is half melted and the wires are burned. :evil:  :evil:  :evil:

DCC is great but we need to be careful.

Les

Bachmann class 37/0  William Cookworthy KMRC Limited edition

Over the last 6 months Bachmann have been supplying differant versions of class 37 with either 8 pin sockets or sometimes 21 pin sockets.
This version is 21 pin and you cannot use a 8 pin to 21 pin adapter,as there is not enough space to replace the body. So you have to have a 21 pin decoder i have used the Bachman 3 function 21 pin which works fine
all motor functions directional lights and cab lights work fine.
cheers Brian

John Russell has provided us with this information:

Have just added instructions for fitting sound decoders to Hornby class 56 and 60 diesel locos at http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/decoderinstallation4mm.htm

Now added Heljan Class 58 instructions for plug and play decoder at http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/helcl58dccinstr.htm

Please don't ask questions in this thread as this is an information only thread. Your questions can be put in the DCC section under an appropriate heading. Thanks everybody.

New Hornby 2-6-2T Stanier4mt class p   Tank

dcc ready loco there is a dcc on board version with a hornby decoder installed if you prefer that route.

Very easy to remove the body single screw at rear under bunker.

The space is not as limited as Model rail magazine implies i manadged easily to fit a Lenz standard above the gearbox area all i did was move the suppressor to one side there is plenty of room.

Nice loco under dcc good slow running characteristics.

cheers Brian.W

Hornby GWR Railcar # R2525 - used TCS MC2 & sat the decoder with the passengers - painted the heat shrink cover with a tan acrylic to match the seats. Capacitor to be removed.

Heljan Class 35 Hymek  # 3505.   removed lights as they are so weak anyway, removed capacitor & plugged TCS MC2.

Bachmann 57xx class pannier #32-210, removed existing PCB & plus the two metal supports for the PCB- hard wired in a TCS T1.

Bachmann Class 25 #32-413 took a TCS MC2 in about 3 minutes - followed the Electric Nose article which indicated Pin 1 as the Bachmann diagram sheet does not.

electricnose.co.uk


Hornby Hardwick Grange R2402 - fitted TCS MC2 decoder without any problems as per
http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/hornbygrangedccreadyinstr.htm

Hornby M7 R2625 Loco #111.

Fitted TCS M1P-UK - cut off capacitor & located the decoder with some double sided tape on the LHS chassis opposite a cutout in the body.
Re-programmmed road number to 111 OK, travelled good ( so I thought), got the body back without any problems, then found forward went in reverse.
I know what happened when I tested it, I thought the 4 wheel pony/bogie was at the rear but of course it is in the front. I will learn one day!

I could have fixed it by reversing the plug on the socket but did not want to pull it apart again so I re-programmed the Direction Bit - easy.

Sol wrote

I thought the 4 wheel pony/bogie was at the rear but of course it is in the front

Now I'm confused.

I have the same loco awaiting chipping when my Lenz 90 gets back from the menders.



I too would have thought that it was at the rear so why is the rear bogie at the front? :?  :?  :?

Les

Les

you are right the bogies are at the rear I think what Ron meant to say was you normally expect bogies at the front not at the rear.

cheers Brian.W