Stewart Early Locomotive

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

T1



TCS T1 Digital Decoder Installation in early Stewart locomotives with light board.

by:
Carl Lester MMR 356
February, 2007

STEWART LOCOMOTIVE: TCS T1 DECODER INSTALLATION
STEWART LOCOMOTIVE: TCS T1 DECODER INSTALLATION
1. Remove the light power board, save the screws and the light pipe. 2. Notice the truck power leads, front and rear of locomotive. 3. Notice the motor power leads, top and bottom. 4. Front of locomotive is to the left.
1. Remove the light power board, save the screws and the light pipe. 2. Notice the truck power leads, front and rear of locomotive. 3. Notice the motor power leads, top and bottom. 4. Front of locomotive is to the left.
Cut the light board into two pieces as shown. Discard the center section. Remove the protrusions on the under side of the board. File smooth. If not removed they will rub on the fly-wheel. Reinstall the sections as shown. FRONT OF ENGINE | REAR OF ENGINE
Cut the light board into two pieces as shown. Discard the center section. Remove the protrusions on the under side of the board. File smooth. If not removed they will rub on the fly-wheel. Reinstall the sections as shown. FRONT OF ENGINE | REAR OF ENGINE
The front section houses the light pipe, the rear section provides a resting place for the decoder. The truck power leads are shown in this picture front and rear. The copper motor leads are also shown, top copper lead (left side of motor), Bottom copper lead (right side of motor).
The front section houses the light pipe, the rear section provides a resting place for the decoder. The truck power leads are shown in this picture front and rear. The copper motor leads are also shown, top copper lead (left side of motor), Bottom copper lead (right side of motor).
Motor leads, top and bottom, and truck power pick-ups front and rear are connected. All connections protected with Shrink Tubing The excess wiring is enclosed in a plastic straw, using the flex portion of the straw. The leads for the front head light (LED Golden White 3mm) are shown and ready to be connected to the LED.
Motor leads, top and bottom, and truck power pick-ups front and rear are connected. All connections protected with Shrink Tubing The excess wiring is enclosed in a plastic straw, using the flex portion of the straw. The leads for the front head light (LED Golden White 3mm) are shown and ready to be connected to the LED.
The LED for the front headlight has been installed and inserted into the light pipe. The light pipe holds the front board up away from the motor flywheel. All that is left is to secure the wire bundle with electrical tape and install the locomotive shell. Decoder installation completed.
The LED for the front headlight has been installed and inserted into the light pipe. The light pipe holds the front board up away from the motor flywheel. All that is left is to secure the wire bundle with electrical tape and install the locomotive shell. Decoder installation completed.

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