Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific with Vandy Tender

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

T1



This installation of TCS T1 Decoder is for HO Scale Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific with Vandy Tender and was performed by A.G.

The locomotive showed up here as a courtesy of Jack Irwin, MI.

The three upper pictures show beautiful Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific with Vandy Tender prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation.
The three upper pictures show beautiful Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific with Vandy Tender prior to the TCS T1 Decoder Installation.
First off, locate the tender at the rear of the locomotive cab. This tender will slide off from the cab away from the locomotive rearward as show in the second image. TCS T1 Decoder will be installed in this engine.
First off, locate the tender at the rear of the locomotive cab. This tender will slide off from the cab away from the locomotive rearward as show in the second image. TCS T1 Decoder will be installed in this engine.
The upper image shows the tender removed and the wiring harness with the factory installed connector/pcb board.
The upper image shows the tender removed and the wiring harness with the factory installed connector/pcb board.
Unplug the pcb board from the connector as shown below.
Unplug the pcb board from the connector as shown below.
Plug the TCS T1 Decoder as seen in the picture above. Before reinstalling the tender test the decoder install on your test track. If all is well reinstall the tender, it will just cover the decoder without any interference. Reinstallation is the exact opposite of the removal. It is that easy, just press back together gently making sure everything is aligned as you do.
Plug the TCS T1 Decoder as seen in the picture above. Before reinstalling the tender test the decoder install on your test track. If all is well reinstall the tender, it will just cover the decoder without any interference. Reinstallation is the exact opposite of the removal. It is that easy, just press back together gently making sure everything is aligned as you do.

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