Stewart Baldwin AS-16

Scale:
HO Scale


WOWKit used in this installation

Kit Coming Soon

Which includes the following items:



DXI Installation

This was performed by our friends from DCC Xpress installations. 
They offer high quality WOWSound installations for a flat rate complete with free return shipping! 
You can find them at: www.dxinstalls.com

 

This installation is for a HO Scale Stewart Baldwin AS-16 using a TCS WOW121 Diesel Decoder, AK-MB1 Motherboard with built in Keep Alive®, motor mount and UNIV-SH1-C WOWSpeaker kit.

HO-Scale Stewart Baldwin AS-16 shown prior to installation. To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear coupler screws and their housings. With the couplers removed, while gently pulling outwards at each end and along each side of the frame, lift the shell off of the frame. Take care to release the handrails as you lift off the shell so they don't break.
The Stewart Baldwin AS-16 shown with the shell off. Remove the two screws highlighted above in and as well as the wires from the original lighting board and remove it from the chassis.
Trim, tin or lengthen the wire leads as needed and using small lengths of TCS 3/32" and 3/64" shrink tubing, insulate these solder leads.
To create space for the new components, the original board mounts need to be trimmed. Clip off the posts and then trim the edge so they round the curved profile of the motor itself.
Add new solder points for the motor to the original metal tabs. Shown ready to accept the new motherboard.
Attach the AK-MB1 to the motor mount and set this on top of the motor. Using a small bead of hot melt glue, secure this assembly to the top of the motor and solder the motor and track pickup wires according to the included wiring diagram. Be sure to space the motherboard to just clear the rear weight, but to allow a rear light wiring path. This will also allow space for the front speaker and lighting.
Remove the two weights found in the top of the shell. In this installation, we added a rear LED and replaced the original bulb in the front with a LED as well. This is the rear weight. With the wires pre-fed through the hole, using hot melt glue, put a small dab into the light hole and pull the wire leads until the LED is set to the proper depth. TCS motherboards include on board current limit resistors for LED use. There is no need to apply external resistors for LED use.
The rear LED shown from the back side.
With the 35mm x 16mm WOWSound speaker inserted into the UNIV-SH1C enclosure, using the same hot melt glue, mount the front LED to this enclosure as shown. If your speaker enclosure installation covers the portholes on the enclosure, we recommend adding new port hole(s) similar to the original porting. Be sure that the new portholes are the same size and amount of the original and are vented freely into the locomotive We have found introducing a port of the correct size greatly increases the volume and sound quality of the installation. Too much or too little porting decreases the sound quality.
Using foam, double sided tape, mount this assembly into the front top of the shell so the LED faces out the headlight lens.
Solder the speaker and LED lighting leads to the motherboard according to the included wiring diagram.
You can now plug in your WOW121 decoder. Lastly, in order to keep the wires neat and prevent possible shorts, lace the wires into a bundle using lacing cord, which is a wax impregnated string  used for wire bundling and making harnesses. There are many choices of lacing cord available from Digikey www.digikey.com. We use part number 802534B BK032-ND Close up the locomotive and reinstall the coupler assemblies. Be sure to be mindful of wire routing and reassembly of the shell as to not damage or foul the installation. Your Stewart Baldwin AS-16 is now WOWSound equipped and ready to roll!

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