Model Railroading > Question for a 20 plus year old loco...

I have 2 Atlas ho scale GP7's (China) for GTW.I was going to put 2 DH165AO boards in. After taking off the shell I noticed a thing on the side where the motor wires go. The red wire goes to one connector and the black the other. There is also another black wire on each. They have a black 3/8" long rubber thing in the middle. I called Atlas and he said it
is a add on part. This was bought new. On the TCS website they show it. I'm not good on a computer so I don't know how to attach it to show you a picture. What is it and does it also go on the new board?
The picture on the GP7 Aberdeen & Rockfish RR Co.has a great picture of it.


Thank you
Steve H.

This will make my decision on the 16th. of Oct. so damn easy to make regarding this post...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/20 13:10 by hartrick24.

Hi Steve,
I looked at the TC'S and the Digitrax websites and I think I saw the thing you were referring to.  Looking at the pictures on the TCS website I presume this is the DC board that came with your locomotive.  The black thing looks like it might be a connection for the lights, it has shrink tubing on it so maybe there is resisters or a capacitor in there it is not clear to me.  But it looks like the dcc decoder you want to use is the same configuration as the one that came with your locomotive.  I didn't see ditch lights on the TC'S model so I assume yours doesn't either.  The wiring should be straight forward.  There is 10 wires: black/red for the motor, 1+ and 1- wire from each truck, and 1+ and 1common wire from the front head light and rear head light.  The only thing you have to worry about is what type of headlights you are using.  LED have different voltages than actual light bulbs so you might need a resistor.  Otherwise the following pictures of TCS and Digitrax installation guides have it covered.  I am no expert but I hope that helps.
Rodney.

Thank you Rodney, for taking the time to help me. Atlas told me it wasn't a part they put on. I didn't know what it was. I don't think the Hobby store would do it either. So I will put it on when I put it back together. Some here on T.O, that I thought would help me but didn't , oh well. I know I wasn't doing a very good job to describe it either...


Thank you so much...

Steve H.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/20 07:54 by hartrick24.

I looked at the photo on the TCS web site.  The picuture isn't super clear, but I suspect the item in question is a capacitor, encased in head shrink tubing.  It looks like the two wires coming out of it go to the postive and negative motor terminals, which is where eleictronic noise fitering capacitors are connected.  IIRC, they are required in European Union countries.  They can cause problems with DCC, so don'r renistall it when installing your decoder.  Just connetc the motor wires to the motor terminals of the decoder.

165IP