Roco 4154 BR290

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

M4



This installation of TCS M4 Decoder is for HO Scale Roco 4154 BR290 and was performed by Ric Bogart of Osborne Park  W A,  Australia.

Although this is a fairly large diesel there is very little room inside this model. I had intended to install a T1 decoder but it was about 2mm too long. A TCS M4 was used instead. An M1 decoder could be used as well.

First, remove the cover off the loco (as per the operating instructions for the service of the unit) Lift the locomotive casing and remove. At this point the original wiring and components can be unsoldered .Removing the diodes isolates the lights from one side of the track power pickup. Removing the RF chokes isolates the motor.
First, remove the cover off the loco (as per the operating instructions for the service of the unit) Lift the locomotive casing and remove. At this point the original wiring and components can be unsoldered .Removing the diodes isolates the lights from one side of the track power pickup. Removing the RF chokes isolates the motor.
Following the decoders instructions the red wire -----to the right side rail pickup orange wire -----to the motor circuit where the choke was black wire ---- to the left side rail pickup grey wire ------to the motor circuit where the choke was ----- yellow to the rear headlight -------white to front headlight (the lights were connected in half wave mode powered from the track).
Following the decoders instructions the red wire -----to the right side rail pickup orange wire -----to the motor circuit where the choke was black wire ---- to the left side rail pickup grey wire ------to the motor circuit where the choke was ----- yellow to the rear headlight -------white to front headlight (the lights were connected in half wave mode powered from the track).
The decoder is held in place with a small amount double-sided tape. Re-assemble.
The decoder is held in place with a small amount double-sided tape. Re-assemble.

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