# Old life like



## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

Looking at my old life like diesel it looks easy to put a decoder in
is that motor isolate inside the truck??

if needed i'll take pics tonight


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Buddy,
We have to have a serious chat!
Decoding an old Life Like.
Don't they sell newer ones than that up there in Canada!
The cold must have gotten to you!

Just messing with ya!:laugh:
All this from a guy that Chipped his gandy dancer!

Seriously Need pics some pics to give you a good answer.
I don't have one to compare too. 
I'll sell you a really nice tyco though!


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

How in the $%#@ did you fit a decoder into a Gandy Dancer? Did you use an n-scale decoder? I want to decode my 4 yr olds Thomas engines, but I'm unsure if I've got the room to do it.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

There are 2 that work great for tiny decoding jobs they are Z decoders.
Not for the faint at heart!
NCE Z14SR
and 
Digitrax DZ125
and they are both 4 function.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Now I just need a teeny tiny speaker.


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

they are my grampas old bc rail m-630


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

i'll load pics of the inners later


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

sstlaure said:


> How in the $%#@ did you fit a decoder into a Gandy Dancer? Did you use an n-scale decoder? I want to decode my 4 yr olds Thomas engines, but I'm unsure if I've got the room to do it.


If you just want a standard DH123D decoder, it'll fit in there (assuming you're talking about the Bachmann HO Thomas). The black top comes off and the small circuit board has all four of the wires you need access to. The board is also labelled with Track +/- and Motor +/- so you dont have to trace wires. If you want sound, you could put the decoder and speaker into Annie or Clarabel and wire them to Thomas.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

Not to "derail" this thread, but here's a video on how to install a decoder into Thomas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDSbVQgVfec

Watch the whole thing cuz he tells you the easy way at the end.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

TONOFFUN80
You do know to go real slow and careful with the old body they get brittle with age!
cabledawg,
I can put everything including sound in just Thomas! I can even make him talk!


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> TONOFFUN80
> You do know to go real slow and careful with the old body they get brittle with age!
> cabledawg,
> I can put everything including sound in just Thomas! I can even make him talk!


Jealousy...You can make him talk...Now i must have one. how would you fit a speaker and a sound decoder into that small an engine? put it in the passenger car I would guess?


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

ya sean the body already off
the engine are in rough shape 
my grampa ran these along with his two sons and
five grandson to say they have taken a few rides 
off the track would be an understament


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> TONOFFUN80
> You do know to go real slow and careful with the old body they get brittle with age!
> cabledawg,
> I can put everything including sound in just Thomas! I can even make him talk!


Ok Mr Hotshot, you've piqued my interest. You're using N or Z scale decoders arent you? BUt that still brings up the question on how you got a speaker in there. I just dont see enough room for one.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Have you seen the speakers for N? Or even Z? or T? OK, lets not go into the T.
For those that have never seen a T Scale train.







The speakers for N are about the size of dime and 1/4 in thick. You can get them to fit into a HO with little problem for most. Some times you can even get 2 to fit in there and get an excellent sound!
On the flip side you can fit a really good speaker in S and O. and G lets just say that you can make a G sound like a concert hall!
The most challenging Install I've ever done was a N Scale Plymouth 







DCC with Headlight; white LED, Back light; white LED, Beacon; yellow LED, No weight removed, and Decoder or Wires not visible threw cab!
Being able to install decoders into really small places just takes allot of Patience, practice and a really great set of tools!
A really good shot of whiskey every now and then doesn't hurt either! :laugh:


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

heres the inners


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Well it look's like you're in compleate luck!
It just gets it's power from the rear undriven truck.
There is no power pick up on the front driven wheels. 
Just cut/desolder the blue/red and The two blacks from the light from the motor brush leads That Isolates the motor from track power.Then solder your decoder motor outputs Orange/gray to the motor brush leads and connect decoder power Red /Black to the Blue & Red from the back truck.
One black light wire to blue one black light to white. :thumbsup:
You've done much harder installs than this!


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

WARNING: That light looks like it mounts to the weights which means that it might also get power from the weights as well so make sure that is not the case to save your deocder from frying.


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

naa! those weights are sitting on a plastic frame. they are insulated.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm just going by the pic, but I thought that the frame was plastic too.
Two wires off the truck and two wires off the light made me think so too!


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## x_doug_x (Jun 21, 2010)

look at the 2 black wires going to the motor leads. those are the positive/negative for the light. everything on that engine is insulated. i have never installed a decoder in anything, but if they don't come shrinkwrapped shrink wrap it or wrap it in tape so the circuits on the board don't short out on the weights.


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

The weights are mounted to a plastic frame so that should be fine 
and i'm not sure what decoder is going in this one. It may be the last 
MRC AD315 or i may find something newer. Now that i think about it 
i'll put the AD315 inthis one and find a dh123d or NCE one for the 
SD40-2 athearn that i had planned on putting it in.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Good choice!:thumbsup: Use the newer decoders in newer, beefier engines!
From experience I've found that the NCE D13SR is an excellent, powerfull, safe, and cheap decoder for wiring in Athern Engines.


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

Well it's in there and seems to work fine other than i think that the 
pickups behind the wheels or the inner wheel is toast as i cleaned them but 
still has the odd hickup when i tested on a short run


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