Bowser RS-12

Scale:
HO Scale


WOWKit used in this installation

WDK-BOW-1

Which includes the following items:

Decoder
Speaker Kit
Keep Alive®

KA4

Accessories


Installation

This installation is for a HO-Scale Bowser RS-12 using a TCS WOW121-Diesel Decoder, KA4 Keep Alive® and IB-SH1 WOWSpeaker Kit.

HO-Scale Bowser RS-12 prior to installation.
HO-Scale Bowser RS-12 prior to installation.
To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear couplers and their housings. Once that is complete, the shell will lift off of the chassis.
To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear couplers and their housings. Once that is complete, the shell will lift off of the chassis.
With the shell off, we can now remove the factory light board so we can attach the KA4 Keep Alive® to the underside of the board. First disconnect the wire harnesses from the board. Once the wire harnesses are loose, the factory light board can easily be unscrewed from the motor mount.
With the shell off, we can now remove the factory light board so we can attach the KA4 Keep Alive® to the underside of the board. First disconnect the wire harnesses from the board. Once the wire harnesses are loose, the factory light board can easily be unscrewed from the motor mount.
Tip the original lighting board up on its side so you have access to the bottom of the board. Solder the black with white stripe wire from the KA4 Keep Alive® to the side of the R4 resistor as shown in the image below. Now solder the blue lead from the KA4 Keep Alive® to the 12v+ Common hole from the 8-pin NMRA plug as shown below.
Tip the original lighting board up on its side so you have access to the bottom of the board. Solder the black with white stripe wire from the KA4 Keep Alive® to the side of the R4 resistor as shown in the image below. Now solder the blue lead from the KA4 Keep Alive® to the 12v+ Common hole from the 8-pin NMRA plug as shown below.
With the the ground wire connected, replace the original lighting board and screw it back down to the plastic holder. Mount the KA4 Keep Alive® on top of the rear gear tower using hot glue or double sided foam tape.
With the the ground wire connected, replace the original lighting board and screw it back down to the plastic holder. Mount the KA4 Keep Alive® on top of the rear gear tower using hot glue or double sided foam tape.
Next remove the factory provided speaker enclosure.
Next remove the factory provided speaker enclosure.
Solder the 2-Pin JST connector with wires to your speaker, mount the WOWSpeaker in the enclosure provided with your WOWKit, and use two of the screws from the original speaker enclosure to mount your speaker and enclosure in the frame. 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. Next, remove the 21-Pin dummy plug from the original lighting board.
Solder the 2-Pin JST connector with wires to your speaker, mount the WOWSpeaker in the enclosure provided with your WOWKit, and use two of the screws from the original speaker enclosure to mount your speaker and enclosure in the frame. 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. Next, remove the 21-Pin dummy plug from the original lighting board.
Finally, plug in the WOW121-Diesel decoder (with the pins from the lighting board passing up through the bottom of the decoder and into the connector), replace the shell, reattach the couplers and your WOWSound equipped RS-12 is ready to run! Be sure to be mindful of wire routing during reassembly of the shell as to not damage or foul the installation.
Finally, plug in the WOW121-Diesel decoder (with the pins from the lighting board passing up through the bottom of the decoder and into the connector), replace the shell, reattach the couplers and your WOWSound equipped RS-12 is ready to run! Be sure to be mindful of wire routing during reassembly of the shell as to not damage or foul the installation.

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