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Figure 5 shows a 1995-vintage Atlas N-scale locomotive. I
was most successful using DCC-Ready frames
) from Aztec Manufacturing. This
involved breaking the loco down to the two pieces of metal
that make up the frame. These two pieces get sent to Aztec,
where they are exchanged for pre-machined parts that they
stock. The loco is then rebuilt from the ground up. This
makes for a very complicated installation, and adds time and
money to the process.
Where there is an issue, the market builds a solution. With
smaller electronic parts, TCS designed their CN series decoders
to replace the light boards on both ends of many N-scale diesel
locos. This removes the need for machining the frame, but still
requires that the loco be completely disassembled to isolate
the motor from the split frame. Figure 6 shows one such
installation in an Atlas RS3.
The Kato HO-scale NW2 is a prime example of one designed
before DCC became popular. The installation of sound in this
loco was the subject of my January column
) and
a companion video.
5: Atlas N-scale GP9 with a Lenz LE0521 decoder.
5
DCC Impulses Column - 5
MRH-Apr 2013
