# Proto 2000 brown box DCC install question



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Hi
I've installed DCC in a variety of engines but it's been a while.
I've got 2 brown box Proto 2000 GP18s that I'm working on.

1- I thought I remember having to take off the copper strips on the top and bottom of the motor- but maybe that was on an Athearn BB. There's a spring under them. Do I just isolate these from the frame?

2- And... I read somewhere on here that the factory bulbs in these can be too much draw for the decoder -I'm using a DH126D Digitrax decoder. Is that true? I plan to go to LED but at a later time.

3- What is this little pod of things soldered together in the factory setup? They all seem to be soldered together with the wires.

Thank you.

























http://www.modeltrainforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=37572&stc=1&d=1408670997


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## Northern Route (May 12, 2014)

I have 4 of those that bought for projects when they came out. I decided against doing those projects due to a change in time period of my layout. A couple months ago I was looking at some Front Range SF zebra stripe GP7 and GP9 shells I acquired years ago and wondered how they would work on those GP18 drives converted to DCC. I opened the box and took one apart, then I put back together and put it back in the box. I decided that I will think about them some more and I had other projects that were higher on my modeling list. More project than I was looking for.


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## Northern Route (May 12, 2014)

Those had the Athearn drive copy motor and parts. The motor isn't grounded to the frame by the brush clips, but I usually put some black tape under them anyway. I don't think the upper brush clip has that metal strip like Athearn and other Proto engines of that period. Get rid of the diode circuit for the lights, but they may be 3 volt bulbs, I started putting in LEDs anyway. Mine were low short hood and the shells I am planning to use are high hood which means plenty of room for a decoder. If your engines are short hood you may have to use a small N scale decoder. Check the motor current, some times I have had problems with that style of motor drawing too much current. Most of the time they seem to run better than that same style of Athearn motor.


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## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

They are high hood Lehigh Valley GP18s.
Thanks for the tips, I'll check the draw on the motor.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

If I'm not mistaken even the brown box protos got the better motor (guts) most of the time you can tell by the shaft which will be smaller in diameter athearn flywheels will be sloppy on the proto shaft..

If you got it apart that far why not do the leds while in there?


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## Northern Route (May 12, 2014)

In my opinion the Life Like motors are superior to the same style Athearn motor and I purchased models in the brown box, blue box and grey box new from my dealer when they were produced. Many are on the layout running and I still have a number of them that has never been out of the box. Having said that I have had a problem with a couple of the motors, which were newer than the brown box, drawing too much current, I discovered that by checking the amperage draw on the motor with my multi meter after the smoke generator in the decoder was activated. I don't care to model the diesel smoke and it seems to be a one time deal that doesn't last long. Since then, I always check those motors and I recommend to others to check those motors, especially since the warranty is long gone on a 15 to 20 year old model, no matter how new the box looks or where you bought it from. The brown box was the first box design for the Proto 2000 models, followed by a few variations of the blue box and the first grey boxes were introduced before Walthers acquired Life Like.


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## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

I guess I don't really know how to check the draw properly and what it should be.
I thought the bluebox ones were newer and better. I've got one that's a SD9 I better check.

Also I don't mind going to LED, but I don't know exactly what I need, and the LEDs I have found from somewhere like modeltrainstuff.com doesn't come pre-wired with the resistor.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

I got a lot suggestions on lighting that gp18 but a 680 1/4 watt resistor will be fine for it.

What decoder you using?

Brown blue proto 1000 then walthers proto 2000 was the release order btw


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## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

I'm using DH126D Digitrax decoders. Just basic ones.


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## Northern Route (May 12, 2014)

You can check the motor current draw on a dc track with an ammeter before changing the engine to DCC. My multi meter has one built into it, but a lot of multi meters don't have that option. As far as the motor my hobby dealer at the time told me that they had a problem with some of the motors from one or two of the manufacturing production runs, and most of the motors were still good.


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