Atlas NRE Genset

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


This DP2X or DP5 Decoder installation is for the HO Scale Atlas NRE Genset and was performed by ACE.

Important note. You must cut the capacitor wires for this installation. See the last two photos at the bottom for this information. You must cut them in order to get proper speed control and to avoid possible damage to the decoder. We are not sure of the purpose that these capacitors are in the circuit in the first place but they are not needed. If they are not removed the loco will run to fast and there will not be good slow speed control. Also, you need to add a value of one to CV29 to get the loco to operate in the correct direction.

Remove couplers from both ends.
Next carefully remove the shell. Tip; hold on to fuel tank pry up from underneath of the steps. Work front and back a little bit each time. Once the shell is removed, remove the shorting plug from the 8 pin NMRA socket.
Next install the DP2X decoder as shown below.
This shows the DP2X decoder fully inserted into the NMRA socket.
An alternative decoder to use is the DP5. Photo below shows DP5 installed in the Genset. The DP5 decoder can be used if you want to add extra lighting functions for example a Rotary Beacon. The gold pads seen on the DP5 are for soldering wires to for the extra lighting functions.
You must cut the wires for the capacitor circuit. Cut both the black and red wire that lead to the capacitors which or located above the rear truck. Be careful not to cut the motor wire leads which come up from the motor. See next two photos. Photo below is cutting the black wire.
Photo below is cutting the red wire from the capacitor.
In order to get the locomotive to run in the correct direction we had to add a value of 1 to CV29. Carefully put the shell and couplers back on. We did have trouble getting the couplers back in because they were a very tight fit. We actually had to trim a bit of the plastic on the bottom of the coupler pocket to get the couplers back in.

Important Soldering Tip

Please do not use any flux either liquid or paste on the mother board. Over time, the acidic properties of liquid or paste flux will begin eating away at the fiberglass PCB and will damage it. Use only Rosin-core solder or no-clean flux approved for electronics use.

TCS recommends the use of Kester "44" Sn63 Pb37, .015" diameter Rosin-core solder. Kester part number 24-6337-0007.

You can order this solder from the following retailers:
Digikey - PN:KE1110-ND
Techni-Tool - PN:488SO6775

Other solder tips

When stripping wire, only strip a tiny little bit of the insulation. Strip no more than a 1/32 of an inch. When the wire gets tinned with solder, the insulation will shrink back more. Try to not expose any more wire than half the length of the solder pad at most. In no case should solder or exposed wire wire ever be outside the boundary of the the solder pad you are attaching a wire to.
Click here for important information on properly Stripping and Tinning wire