Athearn RTR, DCC Ready?

[BNSF_Denali_Sub]

Hi guys, i just won to Athearn RTR Engines off e-bay, one is a CSX GP38-2 in the Dark Future Paint and the other is a BNSF GP35 in the new Swoosh Paint.

Im wondering, are these DCC Ready? According to the product pages on Athearn's web site, the BNSF one is DCC Ready but the CSX GP38-2 Does not say if it is DCC Ready or not....

BNSF GP35:

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH94226

CSX GP38-2:

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH8008

Anyone have the CSX one? Is it DCC Ready? Thanks in advance

 

[jerrytbirdsc]

The GP35 will have a circuit board for the lights and NMRA 9 Pin DCC "Quick Plug.". I use NCE D13SRJ decoders on my Athearn RTR, they work good for me and are around $15 discounted, there is even a guy selling these for around that shipped. Basically any deooder witha 9 pin socket will work. TCS website has a how to install a decoder on a GP35 RTR .

The GP38-2 is basically the same as the old Blue Box kit. No circuit board and not DCC ready. There is a lot more involved in this to make it DCC compatible. Here is another how to from TCS website on a GP38-2 decoder install.

 

[BNSF_Denali_Sub]

Thanks for the reply and links Jerry, this answers my questions

I was trying to stay away from locos that were not DCC ready, i guess this will be an exception lol and ill have to do this one to make it DCC cuz i really liked this little loco