Fitting DCC to GWR 2800 with smoke and firebox glow

[cedric_fairweather]

Happy Christmas everyone.

Have any of you added a decoder to the GWR 2800 please? Would really be helpful if there is any info available to wire this one please.

[Going Spare]

Can you confirm that the loco is a Hornby tender-driven ringfield motor model with the factory-fitted plastic smoke unit and firebox glow as per service sheet 155.

[cedric_fairweather]

It is the one you describe but I can`t find the service sheet to confirm. SS 277B looks very familiar.

[Going Spare]

Service sheet 155 is viewable within the 'Useful Links' post pinned to the top of the General Discussion forum section. It covers the UK-made version with electrical conductivity through the loco chassis and tender motor block, whereas 277/B is its Chinese successor with more complex wiring due to it having pick-ups on both the loco driving and tender driven wheelsets.

Are you seeking to have the smoke unit and firebox glow controlled by the decoder?

I will now hand over to those who are competent with DCC operation.

[cedric_fairweather]

Thanks very much for your help, I have found the SS155 but now confusion reigns so will have to wait until I`m home to check out which one is correct.

[ColinB]

Yes, I did a conversion for one of these. I must admit I removed the smoke unit in mine as I found it was distorting the body. The Ringfield when I tested it had a stall current of about 0.8 amps, so I used a Zimo MX600R which has a higher current rating than a Hornby decoder and very many others. It is about £25.00. It also has current limit on its ports/function outputs and will drive your smoke unit. You can use function 1 for smoke and function 2 for firebox flicker, or vice versa.

[ColinB]

Thinking about this a bit more you are going to have issues with the placement of the decoder, for the firebox flicker and smoke the decoder needs to be in the loco but the motor is in the tender. You are going to have to consider running the motor wires to the tender. What I did on mine was to use the Hornby 4 way connector or a suitable alternative.