Has anyone installed a decoder in this thing? Con-Cor doesn't provide a parts explosion so it's tough to even figure out how to take the thing apart. Geez, is it teeny. ...Tom
Here's some instructions from the NDCC yahoo list. Quoted from Gerry Kuhn: [FONT="]"The motor and power pick-up for the Goose are in the freight car and its pretty straightforward to remove the shell from the freight car.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Carefully insert a small jeweler's screwdriver between the chassis and the shell of the freight car by the wheels and slightly pry the shell away from the chassis. Slide something in between the shell and chassis to keep them separated. I used the clipped ends off of wire ties but I've used flat wooden toothpicks in the past for this sort of thing as well. (Look at 1.jpg and 2.jpg).[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]There's a circuit board mounted over the motor and trucks that has wires for power pick up, the motor and the front light connected to it. The chassis appears DCC-ready, the wires are even DCC-color-coded already (red & black for power pick up, orange & gray for the motor and blue & white for the front LED). There is one set of power pick up wires per truck and these are wired separately to the PCB. (Look at 3.jpg and 4.jpg).[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]It looked to me like the LED wires were connected directly to the power pick up traces on the PCB, which means the LED's current limiting resistor should be in the cab as well, which is good news. From an electrical standpoint, it looks like all it takes to put a decoder in the Goose is to disconnect the wires from the PCB and wire them to the same colored wires on a wired decoder (like a Digitrax DZ123). Now to see where there might be room to mount the decoder![/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]I had a DZ123 not connected to anything yet, so I tried a dry fit of it in my Goose. I tried over the front truck, sitting on top of the PCB first. This did not work (the shell would not fit back on properly). There are surface mount components on the PCB in that area and one of them is rather tall, so I figured it might get in the way. Next I tried over the motor. This was more promising, but still not quite enough room to get the shell back on properly.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]At this point, I stopped because I'm not ready to do surgery on my Goose yet. (I have yet to run it as-is, under DC control, to get a feel for its running characteristics. I want to do that before converting it).[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Here are my thoughts for probably next steps:[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]* it looks like the PCB provides some physical containment for the parts attached to the front truck and perhaps the motor, but it could be worthwhile to try removing it. Then there should be enough room over the front truck for a decoder.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]* remove the surface mount components from the PCB and try fitting the decoder over the front truck again. This might provide enough clearance. Some milling of the PCB may be needed to get the decoder to sit as flat as possible. In this case, I would keep the Goose's power-pick up wires connected to the PCB and wire the decoder's red and black wires to the PCB as well. The other wires in the Goose I would connect direct to the decoder." The pics are available here: [/FONT]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ndcc/files/Decoder Installs/Concor Galloping Goose/
Would someone please post of picture of how they mounted the decoder. Wiring is easy. Fitment is tough.
PIctures http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Cont.../Galloping_Goose/con_cor_Galloping_Goose.html Actually pretty simple. I used Google search. Rich
I went by the OP's question. Did not see N scale. Logic says decoder in the box car and use #30 flexible decoder wire. I have use the DZ125 in small locos. Just followed the decoder instructions. Couple times I used magnet wire from a small relay coil. Might have been about #36 I think. Been a long time. Rich
