Intermountain F Units

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


TCS DP2X Decoder Installation for HO-Scale Intermountain F Unit locomotive. It was performed by Paul Brown of Indianapolis, IN.

Shown with the shell on.
Shown with the shell on.
Before the DP2X decoder is installed.
Before the DP2X decoder is installed.
After the DP2X decoder is installed. Technical note: This loco uses 4 light bulbs in parallel in the front. They are connected to function zero (headlight) of the decoder. Older DP2X (formerly TH150DP) decoders could not handle the power needed for lighting all four bulbs at once. However all DP2X decoders shipping since the fall of 2004 have the power ability to power all four bulbs. If you try a DP2X decoder in this unit and the lights do not work please return the decoder to TCS for repair/upgrade. This service is covered under warranty. Should you need to return a DP2X decoder, please use a small box to avoid damage to the decoder.
After the DP2X decoder is installed. Technical note: This loco uses 4 light bulbs in parallel in the front. They are connected to function zero (headlight) of the decoder. Older DP2X (formerly TH150DP) decoders could not handle the power needed for lighting all four bulbs at once. However all DP2X decoders shipping since the fall of 2004 have the power ability to power all four bulbs. If you try a DP2X decoder in this unit and the lights do not work please return the decoder to TCS for repair/upgrade. This service is covered under warranty. Should you need to return a DP2X decoder, please use a small box to avoid damage to the decoder.

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