# DC to DCC Conversions



## steamtrain95993 (Feb 21, 2008)

We would like to convert our Bman On30 2-6-0 and 0-4-0 Porter to DCC. We are electronically challenged when it comes to these conversions. Can anyone point us to directions and photos of these conversions? We would also like to add sound. Thanks in advance for all of your help and advice.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Did you want to learn how to understand DCC installations? This includes understanding the basic wiring on a loco. If you want to learn this, you can do all your installs and pretty easily. 

You do have to learn/understand simple electrical details, and use a volt/ohm meter. 

I'm happy to go through basically an online tutorial. This is time well spent. The only requirement is patience and the will to learn. 

If you want just a "receipe" of what wire goes where, with no knowledge, then that will be harder to find, and if something goes wrong, you will not know why. 

In this second case, there's probably some people here that will help you, but it's not my "deal"... years of experience have proven to me that this is a frustrating path, for both the helper and helpee. 

Regards, Greg


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

Most of the Bmann On30 stuff comes with an 8 pin DCC socket. Many decoders will plug right in. There will be a jumper plug in the socket for DC.


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## steamtrain95993 (Feb 21, 2008)

Greg, Thanks for the offer. I would like to learn through one of your tutorials. If I can understand the basics, I should be ok. I'll check out your site. Any preference on decoders for these loco's? 
George, These are older loco's that are not DDC ready. They are straight DC, without a DDC socket, and that's where my problem is. I'm going to have to cut some wires. I just need to know which ones!!! And what to do after that. 
Thank you both for your help and responses.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Step 1 is to see if you can get the diagrams from Bachmann, they are sort of a "pictorial" that shows the boards and wires.. usually there is one for a "DCC" conversion, though often there are errors in them. 

This should be available from the Bachmann site. 

Greg


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

The steps are pretty simple. 

1) locate the motor terminals and figure out which one goes to the fireman's side pickups 
2) isolate the motor terminals from all other wiring. If you can the wires that used to go to the motor are very useful 
3) hook those wires (or the connections that represent them) to the red and black wires on the decoder. The black wire goes to the fireman's side 
4) hook the orange and gray decoder wires back to the motor, the gray wire goes were the fireman's side wire went. 

The headlights are a little more complicated, but get as far as getting the motor running first. 

ALWAYS put a newly wired loco on your programming track and read back the 2 digit address. If it reads back, you haven't messed up the wiring and it is usually safe to put it on powered track. The programming track won't blow up a misfired decoder. 

Put it on DCC power track and try to run the loco at address 03 (the decoder default) 

- gws


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

Greetings,

First let's talk about the 2-6-0. 

1. Remove the boiler from the frame, sounds easier than it is. The boiler is held to the frame by two snap clips, the front one is under the smoke box and is hard to see and part of the cylinder saddle. With this one you need to slide a small screw driver between the saddle and the clip and pry the clip forward, the other one is below the rear of the cab and is pretty easy to see.


2. Once you get the boiler off of the frame you will see a small circuit board, remove it and replace with the DCC decoder, I used a N scale decoder in this locomotive. If you want to install sound then you have to completely rebuild the locomotive as the tender does not have any pickup or connections to the locomotive.


3. Rewire the light from the contacts to the decoder, this part is fairly easy and straight forward.


4. Reinstall the boiler on the locomotive and you are done.

Now onto the Porter, this one is not for the feint of heart. Actually I would wait for Bachmann to release the DCC version this fall. It took three locomotives before I was successful, PM me if you want instructions on this one.


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