Athearn GP40X

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

T1



This installation of TCS T1 Digital Decoder is for HO Scale Athearn GP40X and was performed by Jean Lacroix, Canada.

The upper picture shows the beautiful Athearn GP40X with its shell on prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation.
The upper picture shows the beautiful Athearn GP40X with its shell on prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation.
First, gently place your locomotive upside down on a piece of foam or a towel so you do not damage the paint or small details located on top. Remove the two screws that hold the coupler boxes and the two others that are underneath the walkway near the back of the locomotive. Hold the body where it is more solid in one hand and the fuel tank in your other hand and pull gently, the body should come off. Inside you will see the motor and an electronic circuit board that sit on top of it.
First, gently place your locomotive upside down on a piece of foam or a towel so you do not damage the paint or small details located on top. Remove the two screws that hold the coupler boxes and the two others that are underneath the walkway near the back of the locomotive. Hold the body where it is more solid in one hand and the fuel tank in your other hand and pull gently, the body should come off. Inside you will see the motor and an electronic circuit board that sit on top of it.
At the front end, there is a DCC “dummy” plug at the end of a harness that you will remove.
At the front end, there is a DCC “dummy” plug at the end of a harness that you will remove.
Remove the "dummy" plug.
Remove the "dummy" plug.
You will then put in its place the TCS T1 decoder in place of the “dummy."
You will then put in its place the TCS T1 decoder in place of the “dummy."
You are almost done! Just put back the body, the coupler boxes and the screws. The locomotive is now ready to go on the track.
You are almost done! Just put back the body, the coupler boxes and the screws. The locomotive is now ready to go on the track.

Important Soldering Tip

Please do not use any flux either liquid or paste on the mother board. Over time, the acidic properties of liquid or paste flux will begin eating away at the fiberglass PCB and will damage it. Use only Rosin-core solder or no-clean flux approved for electronics use.

TCS recommends the use of Kester "44" Sn63 Pb37, .015" diameter Rosin-core solder. Kester part number 24-6337-0007.

You can order this solder from the following retailers:
Digikey - PN:KE1110-ND
Techni-Tool - PN:488SO6775

Other solder tips

When stripping wire, only strip a tiny little bit of the insulation. Strip no more than a 1/32 of an inch. When the wire gets tinned with solder, the insulation will shrink back more. Try to not expose any more wire than half the length of the solder pad at most. In no case should solder or exposed wire wire ever be outside the boundary of the the solder pad you are attaching a wire to.
Click here for important information on properly Stripping and Tinning wire