Walthers Trainline GE Dash 8-40BW

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

T1



This installation of TCS T1 Decoder is for HO Scale Walthers Trainline GE Dash 8-40BW and was performed by A.G.

Here is a picture of the locomotive with its shell on prior to the decoder installation.
Here is a picture of the locomotive with its shell on prior to the decoder installation.
Gently remove the shell. The picture above shows the original light board prior to the TCS decoder installation.
Gently remove the shell. The picture above shows the original light board prior to the TCS decoder installation.
Remove the Scotch tape that was originally used to hold the wires together to the light board.
Remove the Scotch tape that was originally used to hold the wires together to the light board.
Unsolder all wires that are connected to the original light board as shown in the picture above.
Unsolder all wires that are connected to the original light board as shown in the picture above.
Unscrew two Phillips screws and remove the original light board.
Unscrew two Phillips screws and remove the original light board.
Use the harness that comes with TCS T1 decoder to perform all connections and make sure you isolate all solder points. We used electrical tape in this example. Bridge two, right power pick-up wires and solder them to the red wire of the decoder harness (as shown in the picture above).
Use the harness that comes with TCS T1 decoder to perform all connections and make sure you isolate all solder points. We used electrical tape in this example. Bridge two, right power pick-up wires and solder them to the red wire of the decoder harness (as shown in the picture above).
Bridge two, left power pick-up wires and solder them to the black wire of the decoder harness (as shown in the picture above).
Bridge two, left power pick-up wires and solder them to the black wire of the decoder harness (as shown in the picture above).
Solder both orange and gray wires of the decoder harness to the motor pick-up wires as shown in the picture above. Make sure you isolate all solder points.
Solder both orange and gray wires of the decoder harness to the motor pick-up wires as shown in the picture above. Make sure you isolate all solder points.
Here is a picture of "almost finished" installation. This engine comes with forward, and reverse lights which is the reason 2 function decoder was used (T1). All bulbs (2) are 12V so no resistors to decrease the voltage are needed. Bulbs used in this locomotive are not "electrically directional" so you can pick one end as either positive or negative. One wire that comes from the forward light was soldered to the white wire of the decoder's harness, and the other was left alone for now. The reverse light was hooked-up in similar way using yellow wire that comes from the decoder's harness. The blue wire that comes from the decoder's harness is the common, positive wire for all lights so all those bulbs wires that were left alone earlier need to be connected to the blue wire of the decoder's harness. We pretty much followed the wiring diagram that comes with the decoder. As mentioned earlier, make sure you isolate all wires' solder points with either electrical or Kapton tape.
Here is a picture of "almost finished" installation. This engine comes with forward, and reverse lights which is the reason 2 function decoder was used (T1). All bulbs (2) are 12V so no resistors to decrease the voltage are needed. Bulbs used in this locomotive are not "electrically directional" so you can pick one end as either positive or negative. One wire that comes from the forward light was soldered to the white wire of the decoder's harness, and the other was left alone for now. The reverse light was hooked-up in similar way using yellow wire that comes from the decoder's harness. The blue wire that comes from the decoder's harness is the common, positive wire for all lights so all those bulbs wires that were left alone earlier need to be connected to the blue wire of the decoder's harness. We pretty much followed the wiring diagram that comes with the decoder. As mentioned earlier, make sure you isolate all wires' solder points with either electrical or Kapton tape.
All wires were neatly placed under the light board and some electrical tape was used to keep them organized.
All wires were neatly placed under the light board and some electrical tape was used to keep them organized.
Here is a picture of the installation's final step where you can see TCS T1 decoder being fixed with electrical tape to the light's wires so that it does not get into the motor drive.
Here is a picture of the installation's final step where you can see TCS T1 decoder being fixed with electrical tape to the light's wires so that it does not get into the motor drive.

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