Rivarossi Big Boy

Scale:
N Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

M1



Rivarossi N Gauge BigBoy TCS M1 Decoder Installation. This installation was performed by Ian Craddy.

Remove screw in chimney, and remove body.
Remove screw in chimney, and remove body.
Remove front light connection. Remove motor connection.
Remove front light connection. Remove motor connection.
Remove lead motor retainer. Remove metal from rear top of chassis to make space for M1 decoder.
Remove lead motor retainer. Remove metal from rear top of chassis to make space for M1 decoder.
Remove 10mm from rear of lead weight/motor retainer.
Remove 10mm from rear of lead weight/motor retainer.
Cut bottom motor contact, solder grey wire to it and place some Kaptron tape to prevent shorts.
Cut bottom motor contact, solder grey wire to it and place some Kaptron tape to prevent shorts.
Thread decoder through lead weight and attach decoder to rear of chassis.
Thread decoder through lead weight and attach decoder to rear of chassis.
Attach Orange wire to motor contact. Join red wire to Black wire in front of motor (put heat shrink on wire to insulate it). Join Black wire to tag on front of chassis. Join White wire, with some heat shrink, to the Head Light wire.
Attach Orange wire to motor contact. Join red wire to Black wire in front of motor (put heat shrink on wire to insulate it). Join Black wire to tag on front of chassis. Join White wire, with some heat shrink, to the Head Light wire.
Put tape over wires to prevent them catching and getting broken.
Put tape over wires to prevent them catching and getting broken.
Test chassis and then replace body.
Test chassis and then replace body.
The newer version is converted much the same way. The motor has been changed but is wired the same, and the lead weight has been changed to two plastic pieces that do not need to be modified.
The newer version is converted much the same way. The motor has been changed but is wired the same, and the lead weight has been changed to two plastic pieces that do not need to be modified.

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