# DCC instal tip for easy troubleshooting........



## Peter Herron (Jun 30, 2015)

I recently installed DCC sound in an O scale NWSL 2-8-2T "Minaret" * which I had previously made modifications to the driveline as well as doing a complete paint job. As I was doing the mods and paint I frequently checked the running characteristics by connecting leads to the motor with DC. When I do any DCC install I always put plugs on the motor and track power leads alternating male and female plugs. This way if I have any issues such as a short, I can unplug the decoder and convert the motor back to DC by plugging the red/black power pickup wires to the orange/grey motor lead wires. This way I can find shorts in the chassis/motor/pickups/brake shoes etc. without putting the decoder at risk. This particular unit ran fine on the rollers but developed a short running on the layout on curves. Once I have the decoder out of the circuit I can safely play with it until I find the short. (most likely a brake shoe issue)

DCC









PLUGS









DC









This system works in any scale, diesels as well.

Peter

*While everyone calls the popular 2-8-2T by Alco a Minaret, the only "true" Minaret was the lone 2-10-2T built in 1927 for the Sugar Pine Lumber Co and actually called a Minaret by Alco.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Good idea Peter, I guess you would need to find the smallest possible plugs for HO.

Thanks for the Alco tutorial. And I thought minarets were things you saw over Mosques!


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## Peter Herron (Jun 30, 2015)

Cyclops, you are funny!! Actually these locomotives were named and misnamed by railfans after the Minaret Mountains.................

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minarets_(California)

I make my own plugs using Digikey parts and heat shrink tubing. These are pretty small but they do make smaller. I can get you the part number if you need it.

Peter


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I do a similar thing in HO. For all of my locomotives I have installed an 9 pin DCC plug. This allows me to do a few things for trouble shooting. 1. I keep a spare NCE decoder set to factory defaults that I can plug in and verify if it is a decoder issue. This decoder is one with a high stall amp rating so it works with all my locomotives. The other item I have is a DC jumper board from a Walther Proto locomotive that I bought. I have found that placing this into any 9 pin socket will allow the locomotive to run on DC to verify that there is not a mechanical issue.

The jumper board is basically the same idea as the original poster's one, just works for me in HO where there is even less space.


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## Peter Herron (Jun 30, 2015)

*Anything that allows you to...............*

...............disconnect that 100 dollar decoder from harms way and revert to DC is a good thing. The goal is to to be able to do this w/o cutting wires or removing a hard wired decoder from the locomotive. Thanks for contributing, Tkruger. I'm not very familiar with all the newest plug in abilities in HO as I have all my decoders in O scale Brass engines. When I see how simple some of those look in videos and articles I cry!!

Peter


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Peter Herron said:


> ...............disconnect that 100 dollar decoder from harms way and revert to DC is a good thing. The goal is to to be able to do this w/o cutting wires or removing a hard wired decoder from the locomotive. Thanks for contributing, Tkruger. I'm not very familiar with all the newest plug in abilities in HO as I have all my decoders in O scale Brass engines. When I see how simple some of those look in videos and articles I cry!!
> 
> Peter


Within the last year and a half I started converting to DCC. Luckilly anything I converted I did in a uniform system to minimize parts. Anything I purchase new I try to get to use the maintenance system I have or convert it to use the same plugs. I am a true believer in streamlining maintenance activities.


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