Model Railroading > Adding DCC to old school Athearn SW1500

Is  this 1 of the engines you have to solder leads to the Left trucks for pickup, TIA,

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Yes, and isolate the motor from the frame.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

First of all, get that motor isolated from the frame. Bend those bottom pins on the bottom copper strip up and out of the way or swap it with the flat top strip. Put a piece of tape on the frame under the motor.

Newer Athearn production uses a pin into the frame with a wire from that to the left rail connection on the decoder. You could drill and tap the frame and use a 2-56 or 1-72 screw with a wire to make the same connection.

I have found i get the best electrical connections if I solder wires to both sides of both trucks and skip the frame connections entirely.

http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Athearn/SW1500/athearn_sw1500.htm

Check this out. Should answer all your questions.  Bruce

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is  this 1 of the engines you have to solder
> leads to the Left trucks for pickup, TIA,

Thanks All, Really appreciated

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

You will note in the photo Bruce linked to the strip on the top of the motor is the one which was on the bottom with the spring tabs Athearn used to connect the motor from the frame. Those strips hold the springs which hold the brushes against the armature which will leap out when the strip is removed if you are not careful.

Soldering the left wire to the post which once supported the light will work. The problem is with the steel post and the zink frame carrying an electrical current bimetalic corrosion can be a problem over time. Your choice on that one.

I would run wires for left and right, using the frame for power is less than great..........Joe

So Black from the decoder and wire from Left truck's go to unused light post now ?, TIA

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

The black wire from the decoder goes to the light post if you do not solder a wire to the truck. If you do put a wire to the truck then it goes directly to the black wire connection on the decoder bypassing the light post completely.

Thanks fbe, will try tomorrow, off to the club tonight

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL