Athearn PA-1

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

T1



This installation of TCS T1 Digital Decoder is for HO Scale Athearn PA-1 and was performed by Jean Lacroix, Canada.

The upper picture shows the beautiful Athearn PA-1 with its shell on prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation. First, pull out the skirt of the locomotive on both sides just over the fuel tank and lift out the body.
The upper picture shows the beautiful Athearn PA-1 with its shell on prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation. First, pull out the skirt of the locomotive on both sides just over the fuel tank and lift out the body.
Remove the top metal motor clip, the light clip and discard them because we are not going to use it after. The motor will have to be pulled out and you can remove also the plastic clips that hold the motor. The tabs on the copper clip located at the bottom of the motor should be bent back or cut away.
Remove the top metal motor clip, the light clip and discard them because we are not going to use it after. The motor will have to be pulled out and you can remove also the plastic clips that hold the motor. The tabs on the copper clip located at the bottom of the motor should be bent back or cut away.
Place electrical tape on the slot on the frame where the motor was sitting. It is important that the bottom of the motor is isolated from the frame; otherwise it will create a short circuit and/or burn your decoder!
Place electrical tape on the slot on the frame where the motor was sitting. It is important that the bottom of the motor is isolated from the frame; otherwise it will create a short circuit and/or burn your decoder!
The grey and orange wires from the harness of the T1 should be soldered to the top and bottom copper clips of the motor.
The grey and orange wires from the harness of the T1 should be soldered to the top and bottom copper clips of the motor.
Replace the plastic clip and replace the motor where it first was. The black wire should be soldered to the metal tab in the front of the frame. The red one will be soldered on the metal tab on either the front or rear truck. A wire should be soldered between the front and the rear truck to insure good electrical contact.
Replace the plastic clip and replace the motor where it first was. The black wire should be soldered to the metal tab in the front of the frame. The red one will be soldered on the metal tab on either the front or rear truck. A wire should be soldered between the front and the rear truck to insure good electrical contact.
Next, connect the leds and blue, white and yellow wire as per instructions that came with your T1. You can cut back the green and violet wire and cover their end with heat shrink tubing or liquid tape. Please note that covering all soldered joints with heat shrink tubing or liquid tape is a must to avoid short circuit. You are almost done! Just put back the body. The locomotive is now ready to go on the track.
Next, connect the leds and blue, white and yellow wire as per instructions that came with your T1. You can cut back the green and violet wire and cover their end with heat shrink tubing or liquid tape. Please note that covering all soldered joints with heat shrink tubing or liquid tape is a must to avoid short circuit. You are almost done! Just put back the body. The locomotive is now ready to go on the track.

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