Mainline Railways was a British model railway brand that operated between 1976 and 1983, introduced by Palitoy, the...
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What was the Mainline Railways company?Read more -
What is a Wickham Trolley?Read moreA Wickham Trolley is a small railway maintenance vehicle once widely used across Britain's railways. Built by D...
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What was the Bachmann 'Blue Riband' subbrand ?Read moreThe Blue Riband subbrand was a significant step in the evolution of Bachmann Branchline, the UK division of Bachmann...
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Do I need to apply a camber to a tight curve of track on my layout?Read moreApplying a camber to a tight curve of track on your model railway layout can help improve the realism and operation...
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Avoiding the "Toy Train Look": Realistic Track ArrangementsRead moreA well-designed model railway is more than just a collection of tracks and trains: itās a miniature world that...
Can a non DCC ready engine be converted to DCC?
In theory, any analogue model railway locomotive can be converted to DCC, but instead of having a socket to plug a decoder into (like you would on a DCC-ready loco) you will need to hardwire the decoder directly to the locomotive yourself.
But before you rush off to buy a conversion kit or a decoder, make sure you can identify the function of all the wires inside your model because you will be required to patch into them. Good soldering skills would be an advantage too.
Another challenge is space. Don't forget that any additional wiring and the decoder must all be able to fit somewhere inside your locomotive's bodyshell. This is probably the biggest challenge most modellers face when converting their engines to DCC. Fortunately, decoders are becoming smaller as the technology evolves, but even then, some models of smaller tank engines or engines of smaller gauges struggle tremendously for space. So make sure you have some before deciding to convert.
Converting your engines to DCC can be very rewarding, and with every model you convert, the job gets easier. But don't forget to check for space first!
Posted in: Model Railway
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