N-scale late-model diesel DCC equipped/ready?


C

chimmike

UP and BNSF freelancer
I'm lookin at picking up a late model UP diesel, preferably DCC equipped, or DCC ready.

What are some good brands to look at that don't entail too much work to throw in a decoder?

I've been looking at a Kato model on fifer hobby that is DCC ready, but I've heard horror stories about some models not even safe for dcc!
 
I don't kow enough about either N scale or Kato to say if your fears are well founded but Atlas was one of the pioneers in DCC in N scale and any of their DCC ready or equipped engines should be a good bet.
 
Kato is number 1 for their diesels and for decoder installation. They are the easiest one out there with simply sliding out the light board, adding a little kapton tape supplied with the decoder and sliding in the decoder. The only thing you need to watch since Digitrax is the only drop in decoder is you need to lightly tin the contact pads and trim off the excess board by the contacts to ensure a good solid contact with the engine frame but don't let that scare you away. Atlas is the next best for running locos and decoders but with them you need to loosen the frame screws and open the frame slightly to remove the light board and install the decoder and you still tin the digitrax board if that's what you are using.
 
Welp, I bit the bullet and orderd a Kato diesel from Fifer Hobby

Now, what do you mean by "tin" the contact pads?
 
tin = solder. Just a common term used of soldering a single piece before attaching it to something then soldering. ie: you tin the wire before you solder it to the rail. BTW what engine did you order.
 
Very nice. Good looking engine, great puller. I've got 6 in my fleet and love them but just watch them on any kind of sharp radius as of course because of their size they don't like them. And of course you will be getting the DN163K2 decoder. One thing I have done with these decoders is change the LED. The K2 fits the RS2's and SD90/SD80's which are very different sized engines so on the SD90/SD80's the LED isn't as close to the light tubes as the factory light board so the light can be really dim for the head/ditchlights and rear light. Just a personal thing. If you are happy without modifying the decoder then I would just leave it.
 
glad to hear they're good pullers. They'll be for my long intermodals and coal trains.

I'll probably pick up a couple more of these, and I'd like to get a couple SD-40's as road switchers.

Also since I'm doing BNSF on the line, I'll probably get a few BNSF locos, maybe an Atlas VO-1000 as an early tribute yard switcher or occasional road-goer.

I like the modern diesels, but I'll probably intermingle some older road stuff just for flavor, as my proto is more freelanced and not line-specific but more region specific.
 
I'm the same. I only have modern diesels and prefer them. I have a lot of SD40's and SD40-2's but still love my AC4400's and SD70M/MAC's. Again great pullers and since they are Kato great runners. I only have a handful of Atlas just because I don't think they are as good of pullers as the Kato's and don't run as well, not to mention they don't do any of the big modern diesels. I'm hoping Kato is working on a SD70Ace/M-2 model as I'm rather fond of them too but that's a little bias as I use to build the cabs for them.
 
I'll just be getting the locos slowly, DCC locos are expensive, but I'm hoping that changes!

In the meantime I've got a lot of track to be buying, haha
 
I don't know if it will change that much. I know that they have dropped over the years but haven't seen any noticable drop in the last few years. I remember paying for the first SD40-2's around $130 for each engine, now if I pay over $80 at the local shop I just won't be buying it or go to ebay.

Yeah track is a good thing so you can get those engines out of the cases and rolling...
 
Wow, so Fifer shipped out my SD90MAC (got to me in 2 days from NM! Not bad!), and I quickly took the shell off and replaced the board with the drop in decoder.

WOW. Talk about a difference. Never going back to DC again! I can set the speed on 128 step to "1" and the loco will move along quietly, slowly, and smoothly. And the headlights! WOW! Not to mention that Kato builds a VERY nice model, I'm thoroughly impressed.

So glad I decided to invest in DCC before completing the layout......
 
LOL, glad you are happy with the whole process. I agree with you on DCC specially when you are just starting out it's a little easier but well worth it. Just think too that the engine isn't even broken in yet and you already love it.
 
it's a HUGE loco. If I get another large loco like that, it'll be an SD80 or something. I don't think my layout will be large enough to support a 3 loco consist of SD90s hahaha. But I might just for the fun of it.

I'm going to be trying to stock up on road switchers and a couple yard switchers in the meantime. And I have to build up my rolling stock of intermodal and iron ore cars, too.

So much to buy, so little money......:(
 
Well actually the SD80's are the same size as the SD90's. The next engine that is shorter then those are the SD70's whether it be the MAC's, or M's.

I haven't bought any road switchers even though they are still used in some modern yards but went with more of the GP38's, 35's type of engines for yard work. Mostly because of what I see working around where I live.

I know the feeling, but it's not like you need it all at once and can slowly build up everything over time watching for deals when you can get them like a few months ago when Walthers was blowing out all their well cars. They had the 5 unit articulated for $9.99 and then had the 4, 3, and single car sets on sale as well. Needless to say I bought a few of the 5 unit to fill up the fleet even if they are the same road numbers who cares. Then you can have trains like this running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d_sdRqWbIU
or a nice coal like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJGDXF0Z8TY
 
Mavrick, how many cars can your SD90MAC pull? Seems like mine is some sort of mutant...I mean.....I could probably tack on more than 50 cars and it wouldn't break a sweat. Any idea?
 
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