Kato Mikado and DCC?

[Arob]

Can a decoder be hardwired into a Kato Mikado?  Has anyone written up an article on how to accomplish this task.

Thanks for the feed back!

-Arob

[mmyers]

Short answer, Yes.

It's been written up and resided for some time on Trainboard. That is until the whole article was published in N-Scale magazine.
Can't recall the exact issue, but I seem to believe it was in an early 2007 edition. 
Its author "Powersteamguy1790" wrote a second "how to" using a Loksound decoder. That article was published in the July/August 2007 edition of N-Scale magazine.
He's a member of this forum so hopefully will see this thread.

Martin Myers

[Arob]

Martin,

Thanks, I will have to see if I can track down that article if I do not see a post from Powersteamguy1790.

-Arob

[seusscaboose]

i followed the n scale magazine article and it was very straight forward...and i had my reservations, but it was really easy...   I would reccomend the lok sound decoder if you are gonna go the decoder direction...

cons = you probably got wires between the cab and tender (not sure), cost of the sound decoder vs dz125....
pros = if you're gonna tear up the mikado... might as well get sound out of it...  and you can paint and hide the wires if ya do it right...

my 2 cents...

[Arob]

Thanks for the feedback. Can I ask was series Lok Sound decoder did you install?

-Arob

[wm3798]

There's a How To at Tony's Train Exchange...
Google it.
Lee

[seusscaboose]

thanks lee...

yes, google it @ Tony's is what i would have suggested...

as i said, i have seen the lok sound used... i personally used a one of the newer DZ's from Digitrax...



EP

[bsoplinger]

I've put both a Loksound mini and a Tsunami mini in Mikados with no real problems other than those inherent in the design. Watch out if you have a used loco that the draw bar hasn't been bent and that the loco runs well in DC before you do the install. Otherwise you'll be trying to fix 2 things at once, a bad running loco and a bad install and you won't know which is which when you try to troubleshoot. I believe that you can order back issues of N-scale if you don't have the one you need.

I use the ultra fine ultra flexible wire that Litchfield station sells for all my steam loco installs. I just leave it its natural black. Not sure if this URL will work for it or not:
http://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/product.php?productid=410120&cat=171&page=1

If not, just go to litchfieldstation.com and search for "Decoder Wire 29 AWG Extra Flexible"

If that isn't an option if you have a LHS that is a Walthers deal they can order the flexible wire Ngineering sells "Super flexible wire" in both #29 and #32, I generally use the #29 but I like the wire Litchfieldstation offers better. http://ngineering.com/accessories.htm Walthers numbers: 514-N5029 514-N5032

The way the loco is designed really doesn't lend itself to a tiny under the boiler type installation so I agree with the others who've said if you're going to the trouble to do an install, do a sound install.