Bachmann On30 2 Truck Shay

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


This installation documentation is for the Bachmann On30 Shay. This installation uses the WOW101-Steam decoder with KA3 Keep Alive® and 28mm WOWSpeaker, and was performed by TCS.

Bachmann Shay ON30 prior to installation.
Bachmann Shay ON30 prior to installation.
To begin this installation, we must remove the tender shell. After lifting the small top knob at the top of the box on the tender, locate and remove the two screws underneath the frame on left and right sides of the locomotive as highlighted in red above.
To begin this installation, we must remove the tender shell. After lifting the small top knob at the top of the box on the tender, locate and remove the two screws underneath the frame on left and right sides of the locomotive as highlighted in red above.
Next remove the third screw located at the center rear of the locomotive, as highlighted in red above, and the coal tender is now free to lift off.
Next remove the third screw located at the center rear of the locomotive, as highlighted in red above, and the coal tender is now free to lift off.
Carefully remove the 3 screws, as highlighted above in red, from the original lighting board and remove the lighting board from the frame.
Carefully remove the 3 screws, as highlighted above in red, from the original lighting board and remove the lighting board from the frame.
With this board removed, identify, organize, trim, tin or lengthen the wires as necessary.
With this board removed, identify, organize, trim, tin or lengthen the wires as necessary.
Using hot melt glue, insert the 28mm speaker into UNIV-SH2-C housing and then mount this face down onto the frame over the speaker holes. To fit this assembly, we found it necessary to cut a small vertical notch into the housing to accommodate the coal tender screw receiver upon reinstallation. If your speaker enclosure installation covers the portholes on the enclosure, we recommend adding new port hole(s) similar to the original porting. Be sure that the new portholes are the same size and amount of the original and are vented freely into the locomotive We have found introducing a port of the correct size greatly increases the volume and sound quality of the installation. Too much or too little porting decreases the sound quality.
Using hot melt glue, insert the 28mm speaker into UNIV-SH2-C housing and then mount this face down onto the frame over the speaker holes. To fit this assembly, we found it necessary to cut a small vertical notch into the housing to accommodate the coal tender screw receiver upon reinstallation. If your speaker enclosure installation covers the portholes on the enclosure, we recommend adding new port hole(s) similar to the original porting. Be sure that the new portholes are the same size and amount of the original and are vented freely into the locomotive We have found introducing a port of the correct size greatly increases the volume and sound quality of the installation. Too much or too little porting decreases the sound quality.
To visually minimize the speaker assembly when completed, we painted the housing black on the exposed side.
To visually minimize the speaker assembly when completed, we painted the housing black on the exposed side.
At this point, solder the track and motor wires to the corresponding wire on the 9-pin JST connector according to the included wiring diagram.
At this point, solder the track and motor wires to the corresponding wire on the 9-pin JST connector according to the included wiring diagram.
Plug in the WOW101 Steam decoder and using double sided foam tape, install this and the KA3 onto the top of the speaker assembly.
Plug in the WOW101 Steam decoder and using double sided foam tape, install this and the KA3 onto the top of the speaker assembly.
Wire the front light according to the included wiring diagram. This locomotive uses an LED for the headlight so we will need to add a 1/6w 1K ohm resistor onto the cathode side of the lighting leads as shown above.
Wire the front light according to the included wiring diagram. This locomotive uses an LED for the headlight so we will need to add a 1/6w 1K ohm resistor onto the cathode side of the lighting leads as shown above.
As the space is minimal within the coal tender box, gently roll and lay the wires on top and secure with Kapton tape. Reset the tender shell onto the frame, reinserting the bottom screws and place the box back on top and your Bachmann Shay ON30 WOWSound equipped locomotive is ready to roll!
As the space is minimal within the coal tender box, gently roll and lay the wires on top and secure with Kapton tape. Reset the tender shell onto the frame, reinserting the bottom screws and place the box back on top and your Bachmann Shay ON30 WOWSound equipped locomotive is ready to roll!

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