Relocating decoder

[NormanQ4]

I have a Princess class loco with the decoder located in the tender presumably to enable sound installation which I won’t be utilising.

 

One of the fine wires to the connecting plug has broken, so I’m intending relocating the decoder from the tender to the loco to eliminate use of this plug and avoid possible future breakages.

 

There is a small reddish brown disc (suppressor?) with the numbers 104 written on it attached to the wiring.  It shows on the service sheet but doesn’t have a name or a purpose identified.  Can this be removed?

 

I’m hoping that the loss of the six pickups on the tender will not be a major loss and I would appreciate any comments regarding this.

[96RAF]

Norman look at the service sheet and see if the decoder socket mount is still in the loco. If so you could easily relocate the socket back into the loco, but in my mind the work involved is likely to be more arduous than that to repair the broken wire, even if you have to fit a new plug and wires assembly.

 

Edit: SS362 shows the socket in the loco, so reconfigure it to that layout. Note the SS shows both the 4-pin plug and socket as well as the springy finger and post arrangement to pass power between the loco and tender. Obviously its one or the other not both.

 

You can leave out the brown capacitor.

 

Rob

[2e0dtoeric]

Just beware - the broken brown wire might also be a feed from a tender wheel-pickup.

[NormanQ4]

@RAF96

I don't want to keep the wires running to the tender as the draw bar is not fixed to the loco so any separation of the two parts puts strain on the wires.

Putting the socket in the loco doesn't seem too difficult a task.

My main query is with the reddish brown disk and thoughts on the removal of six of the twelve pickups.

@Ericm0hff

All four wires are black and yes two of them go to the tender pickups.

[Chrissaf]

The 104 code on the component defines it as 0.1uF capacitor. Probably for suppression.

.

Personally, I think that you can never have too many wheel pickups. If it was me I would be replacing the four wire X6113 Wired Plug

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And to prevent the wires breaking again, obtain the correct X6468 Plug Extraction Tool

 

[NormanQ4]

Thanks for that Chris.

Looking at that part on Peters web site it looks much more substantial than what is fitted to this loco.

My wiring looks like the equivalent of six strands of human hair sprayed with black lacquer for insulation.

Just in general usage the insulation wears off and shorts against the adjacent wire, I painted it to prolong its life, which is saying something since the loco was brand new about two years ago.

The wire didn't break due to improper plug removal, (I hadn't removed it prior to today) it broke going around the track because there was no substance to it.

Designed to fail.

[Chrissaf]

You mentioned 6 wires. The X6113 loco to tender link cable is four wires. Is it possible that your particular loco uses a different part to the X6113.

[NormanQ4]

Not six wires, just four wires, each consisting of six very fine strands of wire, lacquer coated.

Can I remove the capicitor?

[Rog RJ]

The capacitor can be removed.  

[WilliamDavid]

If you are not happy with the plug assembly,  replace it with four 30 AWG silicon wires direct. 

I secure the loose tie bar with a piece of suitable diameter heat shrink (pushed on the taper, not shrunk).

[St1ngr4y]

You mentioned 6 wires. The X6113 loco to tender link cable is four wires. Is it possible that your particular loco uses a different part to the X6113.

 

Hi Chris,

The X6113 seems to be one half of the connector - the half wired to the loco. Do you know the part number for the tender socket part of the connection?

 

Ray

[Chrissaf]

Not six wires, just four wires, each consisting of six very fine strands of wire, lacquer coated.

Can I remove the capicitor?

.

Ahh I see....six strands, not six wires....my mistake.

.

The X6113 part has PVC insulated wires and not Lacquer so should be far more robust. I have a Hornby A4 with this X6113 plug wires and have had absolutely no issues with wires being stressed or broken.

.

In general and as a 'rule of thumb' suppression capacitors can be safely removed.

.

@St1ngr4y

Hi Chris,

The X6113 seems to be one half of the connector - the half wired to the loco. Do you know the part number for the tender socket part of the connection?

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It has been reported more than once on the forum that if you order a X6113 plug, you get the corresponding socket in the packet. However, if for any reason it is not in the packet, then the corresponding socket is X9958.

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It has also been reported on the forum that if you order X9958, then you get a X6113 in that product packet too.

.

Whether this cross pollination of products is a Hornby error of a change of policy, I do not know. But I would check package contents with your potential supplier before ordering.

[96RAF]

I did say in my initial reply that you could ditch the brown capacitor.

Rob

[Fishmanoz]

I agree better running is most likely with the tender pickups still being used. I’m with Chris on this. 

[NormanQ4]

@william David

That seems like a good solution.  I couldn't think of a method of retaining the draw bar on the post.

 

@RAF96

You can leave out the brown capacitor.

Sorry Rob I don't know how I missed that.

 

I thought that retaining the tender pickups would be the consensus.

 

I've attached a photo showing how flimsy the wiring to the plug and loco pickups is compared to the wiring on the socket and tender pickups.

 

Thanks to all for your advice./media/tinymce_upload/6360014af3dd88ba384feb0a948cd638.JPG

[96RAF]

Going back to the drawbar, it appears it is the instantly removable method - i.e. tender post dropping into a link on the loco, rather than a fixed drawbar (screw fixed at each end) usually seen with the 4-pin plug and socket power transfer method. If so then the DCC socket may be a straight wired addition not a standard fit.

 

The link below is how I did it on my A4 but the wires of my plug are passing TTS speaker feeds across into the tender and tender pickups the other way. In your case the wires coming from the motor join to the socket and the wires from the loco pickups connect to the tender pickups then to the socket, all via a 4-pin plug and socket. Convention is pickup wires go to the outer pins of the plug matching side to side and motor wires go to the inner pins of the plug.

http://myweb.cytanet.com.cy/honnor/page15.html

 

I post the link so you can see how I ditched the detachable drawbar power arrangement in favour of the plug and socket method. I hope it helps.

Rob

[NormanQ4]

Thanks for that Rob but I had already completed the rewiring before seeing your post.