Good article, Questionable Practices
Hello;
I do appreciate very much the focus that this article is likely to engender, bringing attention to many of those modelers who have caches of fine operating brass steam locomotives; but are also like deer caught in the headlights contemplating conversion to DCC. I also like very much the care that the author takes with his wiring, shaming me to improve some of my own less-than-perfect wiring habits.
At the same time, however, I do disagree with some of practices prescribed; and in this regard, I also agree with Richard Stern's thoughtful critique.
My own bona fides are that of the conversion to my own DCC/DCC-Sound operation standards of about 20 of my own cache of brass steam locomotives over the past 15 years (since 1999). These same locomotives seem to substantiate my own practices by operating routinely, mechanically-silent, and reliably for many years on my own layout while at the same time pulling substantially near-prototype, or even prototype-length trains.
1) Boiler weight: Space for added engine weight trumps space for a decoder. Sacrificing any boiler weight for decoder space is counterproductive, and in my experience is unnecessary, and almost never required. These locomotives need every bit of OEM weight that they already have, plus much more (another subject). In a majority of instances, the decoders can fit above the motors or drive line -especially round can motors-, either on a simple brass armature, or a torque arm. "Micro" decoders can commonly be dropped into the space between the frame halves beneath the motor. A few decoders can fit behind the smoke box door in front of the weight, where the space cannot be used for added weight because of balance problems. Only after these three primary potential spaces have been ruled out, is the tender chosen.
2) Painted locomotives: Although I have had some considerable distressing experience installing sound decoders and otherwise, in some critically-painted premium locomotives, I would not in any way recommend it as a routine practice. Despite one's best efforts, too much -way too much- handling damage can and will occur, and often too much important gets left undone in the fear of doing yet more damage. My own best practice is install, AND then both bench and track test the unpainted locomotive and tender with everything required -decoder install, lighting, wiring, added pickups, motor replacement, new driveline, etc. Only after being satisfied with the test results will I then carefully take it all down (or mask it when feasible), and lay it out to await its reinstall after painting. This sounds tedious, and sometimes it is- but the neat results absolutely pay the bill.
3) Pick-ups: As alluded to in another good comment, a good decoder install can be utterly frustrated without the addition of additional electrical track pickups. As reported, a practical goal is to add pickups to the left-handed tender wheels and the right handed locomotive drive wheels. I have gotten away on a few by just adding pickups to the driving wheels- not ideal, but expedient. A good ready-to-install pickup for this use is the Grandt Line #7005.
4) Hard-wiring everything is an easy practice, is expedient, is reliable, and saves a lot of work. However, all of these good practices are as nothing as to the handling damage, frustration, and irritation that results when servicing and repairs are necessary, when parts that commonly need to be taken apart, simply cannot. IC wire connectors and some of the new TCS and Soundtraxx connectors can be challenging at times to install and keep out of the way, but the time, effort, and acquired skills to do so seem well worth the effort.
5) I agree that open frame motors -as a general rule- can safely and very commonly used with most decoders; and I and others have been doing so for many years. Reasons to keep them: they are original, operate smoothly, silently and well, and draw less than 1 amp slipping with full weighted locomotive. A surprising number of these motors meet these parameters. Reasons to replace them with modern can motors: slip current draw 1 amp or above, poor operation, excessive noise, excessive RPMs, loss of magnetism (common in many early Japanese Pittman motor copies, and some early Sagami can motors using permag magnets), and the occupying of excessive space best freed-up for the new decoder. Sadly, a lot of the currently-ubiquitous flat can motors occupy about the same space, placing a premium on the smaller true round can motors still in inventory.
Added note: the higher stall (vs. operating or slip) current of some, if not most open-frame motors, is not a de facto deterrent for decoder install: the late Don Crano (Digitrax List) a true DCC wizard and great teacher, pointed out authoritatively in 2002 that true stall current situations- to the point of failure- were almost never to be realized, especially with modern decoders. Personally, though, I am still very cautionary with sound decoders in this regard, but I do also keep an open mind.
