Potential PRR H3 offering

[EdKap2]

John,
The conversion is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.  I've had the consol since MDC, not Athern, brought it out (maybe shoulda sent you one of those!) and wanted to make the engine into the Pennsy Class R.  The tender was always a bit of a distraction, but you solved that problem.  Is there room in the modified tender for a decoder?  There was article in 2005 NScale magazine about converting the consol to DCC by removing the OEM flywheel and stuffing in Z scale decoder (DZ123) and changing the blue-white  to warm white headlight, that prompts my question. 
I can't wait until this is available to work my other consols!!!  Probably means looking for MORE. 
I may even try using it to modify the mogul to a Pennsy F1; the MP mogul looks more like the F3 (ref the "small steam thread").  Thank you so much for this kit.

Ed Kapuscinski2

[peteski]

DZ123 is rather large as far as decoders go nowadays.  You should likely have no problems fitting a DZ126T (T for tiny), or TCS Z2 (although I had some bad experiences with that one).  Both those decoders are shaped like long skinny rectangles - I think they might fit vertically resting on their long side, along the side of the motor.  Just speculating here.

[reinhardtjh]

ESU LokPilot 5 DCC Micro!   



Sorry for the size. I keep forgetting what the tags are to make is smaller.

[Lemosteam]

John,
The conversion is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.  I've had the consol since MDC, not Athern, brought it out (maybe shoulda sent you one of those!) and wanted to make the engine into the Pennsy Class R.  The tender was always a bit of a distraction, but you solved that problem.  Is there room in the modified tender for a decoder?  There was article in 2005 NScale magazine about converting the consol to DCC by removing the OEM flywheel and stuffing in Z scale decoder (DZ123) and changing the blue-white  to warm white headlight, that prompts my question. 
I can't wait until this is available to work my other consols!!!  Probably means looking for MORE. 
I may even try using it to modify the mogul to a Pennsy F1; the MP mogul looks more like the F3 (ref the "small steam thread").  Thank you so much for this kit.

Ed Kapuscinski2

@EdKap2 , thanks, I am glad you like it.  It is after all for you!
"
Here is a cross section of the current design  @nstars mentioned on Facebook a 6mm x 6mm x 2mm thick decoder is out there, the "CT Elektronik DCX65/5V" discussed here.  If one were to remove the flywheel from the Bachmann motor, there is 7+mm to the front face of the rear riser of the OEM tender chassis, and if that were completely milled away it would be 10mm+.  So it might be possible to fit a decoder in behind the end of the motor.  There is 7mm+ from the back face of the flywheel to the back inner wall of the tender shell. I would need to know the exact size and decoder  to tell you for sure.  Wires could route to either side of the motor and the same electrical connections above would need to be made to the decoder instead of the motor.

The decoders mentioned by Pete and John might be a very difficult fit as compared to the CT Elektronik DCX65/5V.



As far as this working on an MDC, it might be more of a kitbash than a retrofit.

I have one more test fit coming, and it will be available after confirmation of that kit (a couple weeks away, @glakedylan ).

[peteski]

Here are some small decoder sizes in inches.
 L     W     H
0.27  0.24  0.07   $-   CT Elektronik DCX76zD/F
0.42  0.34  0.11   $21   DIGITRAX DZ125
0.43  0.35  0.11   $44   LENZ GOLD MINI
0.46  0.37  0.13   $-   DIGITRAX DZ126
0.47  0.33  0.09   $40   ZIMO MX621 (4-funct)
0.49  0.27  0.10   $24   DIGITRAX DZ126T
0.51  0.26  0.11   $30   TCS Z2

Wouldn't the last 2 on the list fit (installed vertically on their long side) between the motor and the side of the shell?

[Lemosteam]

Here are some small decoder sizes in inches.
 L     W     H
0.27  0.24  0.07   $-   CT Elektronik DCX76zD/F
0.42  0.34  0.11   $21   DIGITRAX DZ125
0.43  0.35  0.11   $44   LENZ GOLD MINI
0.46  0.37  0.13   $-   DIGITRAX DZ126
0.47  0.33  0.09   $40   ZIMO MX621 (4-funct)
0.49  0.27  0.10   $24   DIGITRAX DZ126T
0.51  0.26  0.11   $30   TCS Z2

Wouldn't the last 2 on the list fit (installed vertically on their long side) between the motor and the side of the shell?

@peteski, thanks for the sizes, I can todo a package study it I do have ribs and motor supports aside the motor and snap features for the shell that might prevent that.

Regardless, it will be handy to have cad models of each small decoder.

[peteski]

You're welcome John.  That list if couple years old. Both ZIMO and ESU came out with even smaller decoders. I need to update my list.

[Lemosteam]

@peteski , is that list accurate then or are there still smaller ones?

[peteski]

@peteski , is that list accurate then or are there still smaller ones?

It was accurate when I compiled few years ago.  I'll have to dig up the info on the latest ZIMO and ESU decoder and include them in the list.  But for this model (if they can be places along the motor), the DZ126T and TCS Z2 are still the only ones which have that long rectangular shape.