Intermountain AC-12 4-8-8-2

Scale:
N Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


  TCS DP2X Decoder Installation for N-Scale Intermountain AC-12 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward Articulated Steam Locomotive. It was performed J.M. at TCS.

First Remove the shell of the tender by gently slipping a flathead screwdriver between the shell and the frame LIGHTLY prying the shell up. Please note that the underside of this tender has a lot of detail and should therefore be treated with the upmost care to avoid damage.
First Remove the shell of the tender by gently slipping a flathead screwdriver between the shell and the frame LIGHTLY prying the shell up. Please note that the underside of this tender has a lot of detail and should therefore be treated with the upmost care to avoid damage.
Inside the tender you will find the circuit board and the dummy plug (connected to the NMRA plug on the circuit board). Remove this dummy plug by pulling it straight out of the socket. If you need a bit more leverage you may slip a flat head screwdriver between the socket and the dummy plug and gently pry it upward.
Inside the tender you will find the circuit board and the dummy plug (connected to the NMRA plug on the circuit board). Remove this dummy plug by pulling it straight out of the socket. If you need a bit more leverage you may slip a flat head screwdriver between the socket and the dummy plug and gently pry it upward.
Next insert the DP2X decoder into the 8 pins of the NMRA socket oriented to the top of the image above. It is important that you only use the upper 8 holes, and that the decoder is oriented properly in accordance with the image above.
Next insert the DP2X decoder into the 8 pins of the NMRA socket oriented to the top of the image above. It is important that you only use the upper 8 holes, and that the decoder is oriented properly in accordance with the image above.
Finally, you may slip the shell of the tender back on and your locomotive is ready for operation!
Finally, you may slip the shell of the tender back on and your locomotive is ready for operation!

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