Walthers Fairbanks-Morse H-10-44

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

MC2



This installation documentation is for the HO Scale Walthers Fairbanks-Morse H-10-44 and was performed by Larry Platt of Arizona. This installation uses the TCS MC2 decoder, as well as a 3mm Sunny White LED Kit with included Resistors.

The H-10-44 shell is attached to the frame with the screws through the font and rear coupler boxes. Remove the front and rear coupler boxes and the shell will pull right off. Remove the shell and set it aside.
The H-10-44 shell is attached to the frame with the screws through the font and rear coupler boxes. Remove the front and rear coupler boxes and the shell will pull right off. Remove the shell and set it aside.
Unsolder the four wires from the trucks to the circuit board. Remove the screw holding the circuit board and top weight to the motor. Remove the circuit board and top weight and set them aside. Remove the worm gear cover from the top of each truck and take the worm gear out. Remove the drive shafts along with the worm gear. Remove each screw attaching the front and rear truck to the frame. Be careful not to loose the springs that are on the truck screws. Set the trucks aside and put the screws and springs in a small zip-lock bag. If the clips holding the wheel wipers to the truck side frame are broken, repair them at this time. Remove the screw in the bottom of the frame holding the motor to the frame and remove the motor. Apply Kapton tape to the entire motor frame to insulate it from the under frame and top weight. Get tape just wide enough to curve up onto the sides of the motor frame. Do not put tape over the top motor contact. See above.
Unsolder the four wires from the trucks to the circuit board. Remove the screw holding the circuit board and top weight to the motor. Remove the circuit board and top weight and set them aside. Remove the worm gear cover from the top of each truck and take the worm gear out. Remove the drive shafts along with the worm gear. Remove each screw attaching the front and rear truck to the frame. Be careful not to loose the springs that are on the truck screws. Set the trucks aside and put the screws and springs in a small zip-lock bag. If the clips holding the wheel wipers to the truck side frame are broken, repair them at this time. Remove the screw in the bottom of the frame holding the motor to the frame and remove the motor. Apply Kapton tape to the entire motor frame to insulate it from the under frame and top weight. Get tape just wide enough to curve up onto the sides of the motor frame. Do not put tape over the top motor contact. See above.
At the screw holes in the top and bottom of the motor frame make a slit in the tape in an X pattern. Reattach the insulated motor to the frame with a 2MM insulating (plastic) screw trimmed to the length of the original screw. 2MM insulating screws are available from Northwest Shortline (PT# 5205-5). Reinstall the trucks, drive shafts, worm gears and covers.Modify the etching on the circuit board as seen above.
At the screw holes in the top and bottom of the motor frame make a slit in the tape in an X pattern. Reattach the insulated motor to the frame with a 2MM insulating (plastic) screw trimmed to the length of the original screw. 2MM insulating screws are available from Northwest Shortline (PT# 5205-5). Reinstall the trucks, drive shafts, worm gears and covers.Modify the etching on the circuit board as seen above.
Remove a small amount of metal from each inside edge at the front of the top weight as seen above.
Remove a small amount of metal from each inside edge at the front of the top weight as seen above.
Put some Kapton tape on the top of each of the four risers the top weight sits on and trim to fit.
Put some Kapton tape on the top of each of the four risers the top weight sits on and trim to fit.
Put the top weight and circuit board back on top of the motor and attach with the original metal screw. Using 3M double-sided tape, mount the MC-2 decoder in the front of the top weight where the excess metal was removed. Wire the decoder leads as shown.
Put the top weight and circuit board back on top of the motor and attach with the original metal screw. Using 3M double-sided tape, mount the MC-2 decoder in the front of the top weight where the excess metal was removed. Wire the decoder leads as shown.
Use 3MM white LEDs for the front and read headlights. Wire the Cathode of the front LED to the white wire using a resisor, the Cathode of the rear LED to the yellow wire with a resistor, and both Anodes to the blue decoder wire. Remove the plastic headlight inserts and put the LEDs right in the headlight holes the plastic lenses were removed from. See above and below.
Use 3MM white LEDs for the front and read headlights. Wire the Cathode of the front LED to the white wire using a resisor, the Cathode of the rear LED to the yellow wire with a resistor, and both Anodes to the blue decoder wire. Remove the plastic headlight inserts and put the LEDs right in the headlight holes the plastic lenses were removed from. See above and below.
Reattach the shell making sure no decoder wires are pinched. Program the unit and it's ready to go!
Reattach the shell making sure no decoder wires are pinched. Program the unit and it's ready to go!

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