Athearn AC4400

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:




This installation of TCS DP2X Decoder is for HO Scale Athearn AC4400 and was performed by A.G.

Shown with the shell on.
Shown with the shell on.
Front view of the locomotive.
Front view of the locomotive.
Rear view of the locomotive.
Rear view of the locomotive.
Remove the front screw (circled in red) that holds the coupler pocket to the chassis and remove the front coupler pocket.
Remove the front screw (circled in red) that holds the coupler pocket to the chassis and remove the front coupler pocket.
Remove the rear screw (circled in red) that holds the coupler pocket to the chassis and remove the rear coupler pocket.
Remove the rear screw (circled in red) that holds the coupler pocket to the chassis and remove the rear coupler pocket.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Be careful not to break the wires for the lights. If you decide to use the 8-PIN NMRA socket, make sure you remove the plug that is marked in red. NOTE: If you install the DP2X decoder without prior removal of the JST plug , you will damage the decoder.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Be careful not to break the wires for the lights. If you decide to use the 8-PIN NMRA socket, make sure you remove the plug that is marked in red. NOTE: If you install the DP2X decoder without prior removal of the JST plug , you will damage the decoder.
JST Plug removed.
JST Plug removed.
Plug our DP2X decoder as shown in the picture above. Hold the shell in one hand and the chassis in your other hand. Lining up the front of both pieces, lower the shell onto the chassis, keeping the lower edge of the shell parallel with the chassis. Finally, Do not forget to re-attach both couplers.
Plug our DP2X decoder as shown in the picture above. Hold the shell in one hand and the chassis in your other hand. Lining up the front of both pieces, lower the shell onto the chassis, keeping the lower edge of the shell parallel with the chassis. Finally, Do not forget to re-attach both couplers.

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