Life Like Proto 2000 Heritage USRA 0-6-0

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

LL8



This installation of TCS LL8 Decoder is for HO Scale LifeLike Proto 2000 Heritage USRA 0-6-0 and was performed by A.G.

The three upper pictures show the beautiful Lifelike Proto 2000 Heritage USRA 0-6-0 with its shell on prior to the LL8 Decoder installation.
The three upper pictures show the beautiful Lifelike Proto 2000 Heritage USRA 0-6-0 with its shell on prior to the LL8 Decoder installation.
Locomotive's tender close-up picture. The decoder will be installed here.
Locomotive's tender close-up picture. The decoder will be installed here.
Here is a picture of the tender's bottom. Four phillips screws need to be removed. See two pictures below for details.
Here is a picture of the tender's bottom. Four phillips screws need to be removed. See two pictures below for details.
Remove the two rear phillips screws that are marked in red.
Remove the two rear phillips screws that are marked in red.
Remove the two front phillips screws that are circled in red.
Remove the two front phillips screws that are circled in red.
Gently, remove the tender's shell. The picture above shows the original light board.
Gently, remove the tender's shell. The picture above shows the original light board.
Lift the dummy plug off of the original light board exactly as shown in the picture above.
Lift the dummy plug off of the original light board exactly as shown in the picture above.
Here we installed the TCS LL8 decoder using the original screws. Then we flipped the NMRA socket so that Pin #1 of the decoder is lined up with the orange wire of the NMRA socket.
Here we installed the TCS LL8 decoder using the original screws. Then we flipped the NMRA socket so that Pin #1 of the decoder is lined up with the orange wire of the NMRA socket.
Here is the picture of the TCS LL8 decoder installed in the locomotive's tender. Locomotive is ready to run!
Here is the picture of the TCS LL8 decoder installed in the locomotive's tender. Locomotive is ready to run!

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