Kato RS-2 Version 2

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


This is an alternative installation for the HO-Scale Kato RS-2 using a TCS WOW101-Diesel Decoder, KA4 with Keep Alive® and UNIV-SH4-C WOWSpeaker kit. 

HO-Scale Kato RS-2 prior to installation.
HO-Scale Kato RS-2 prior to installation.
To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear couplers and their housings as highlighted above in red. Once that is complete, the shell will lift off of the chassis. Do this by holding the fuel tank with one hand and lifting the shell off by pressing up underneath the end platforms with your other hand
To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear couplers and their housings as highlighted above in red. Once that is complete, the shell will lift off of the chassis. Do this by holding the fuel tank with one hand and lifting the shell off by pressing up underneath the end platforms with your other hand
With the shell off, remove the two screws on top of the board as highlighted above in blue.
With the shell off, remove the two screws on top of the board as highlighted above in blue.
Next, remove the wires and the original lighting board while retaining the lights for reuse. Trim, tin or lengthen the wires as necessary.
Next, remove the wires and the original lighting board while retaining the lights for reuse. Trim, tin or lengthen the wires as necessary.
Remove the front weight screw (highlighted in red in the small photo above) and remove the front weight.In this installation, we chose to trim this weight to just beyond the screw hole (shown as a blue bar in the above photo) and reinstall it into the shell to retain as much weight as possible.
Remove the front weight screw (highlighted in red in the small photo above) and remove the front weight.In this installation, we chose to trim this weight to just beyond the screw hole (shown as a blue bar in the above photo) and reinstall it into the shell to retain as much weight as possible.
We also shortened the original lighting leads, added a 1/6w 1K ohm resistor soldered inline to the cathode, and then hot glued them in place onto the end of the existing light tubes. Next, mount the KA4 in the shell, directly behind the LED, using hot glue or double sided foam tape to firmly affix it in place.
We also shortened the original lighting leads, added a 1/6w 1K ohm resistor soldered inline to the cathode, and then hot glued them in place onto the end of the existing light tubes. Next, mount the KA4 in the shell, directly behind the LED, using hot glue or double sided foam tape to firmly affix it in place.
Now that the KA4 in place, insert the 25mm X 14mm speaker into the UNIV-SH4-C enclosure and using double-sided foam tape, mount the speaker enclosure to the top of the shell. With the KA4 and speaker assembly in place we can wire them both to the rear WOWSound harness. 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.
Now that the KA4 in place, insert the 25mm X 14mm speaker into the UNIV-SH4-C enclosure and using double-sided foam tape, mount the speaker enclosure to the top of the shell. With the KA4 and speaker assembly in place we can wire them both to the rear WOWSound harness. 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.
Plug the KA4 into the WOW101 and using double-sided foam tape, securely mount the WOW101 decoder to the top of the shell.
Plug the KA4 into the WOW101 and using double-sided foam tape, securely mount the WOW101 decoder to the top of the shell.
Solder the track, motor, and lighting wires to the WOW101 harness, insulating as necessary as well as mounting and wiring gluing the rear LED just like we did the front LED (including the 1/6W 1K ohm resistor on the cathode). See the included wiring diagram provided in the decoder literature for complete wiring instructions. We chose to add Kapton tape over the motor leads to hold the wires in place and to insure proper insulation.
Solder the track, motor, and lighting wires to the WOW101 harness, insulating as necessary as well as mounting and wiring gluing the rear LED just like we did the front LED (including the 1/6W 1K ohm resistor on the cathode). See the included wiring diagram provided in the decoder literature for complete wiring instructions. We chose to add Kapton tape over the motor leads to hold the wires in place and to insure proper insulation.
Lastly, in order to keep the wires neat and prevent possible shorts, lace the wires into a bundle using lacing cord. Replace the shell and coupler boxes and your WOWSound equipped Kato RS-2 is ready to roll!
Lastly, in order to keep the wires neat and prevent possible shorts, lace the wires into a bundle using lacing cord. Replace the shell and coupler boxes and your WOWSound equipped Kato RS-2 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

Lacing Cord

In order to keep the wires neat and prevent possible shorts, we recommend lacing the wires into a bundle using lacing cord. Lacing cord is a wax impregnated string used for wire bundling and making harnesses. There are many choices of lacing cord available from Digikey www.digikey.com. 
We use part number 802534B BK032-ND