Bachmann Spectrum Consolidation Install
Parts Required:
1 appropriate decoder - e.g. Digitrax DZ125
1
Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation locomotive
Tools Required:
Needlenose Tweezers
Needlenose Pliers
Soldering
iron & solder
Jeweller's screwdrivers
Electrical tape
Small
metal file
Multimeter
Instructions:
1) Separate the tender from the body of the locomotive by rotating the tender 90 degrees.
2) Remove the shell from the body by removing the two wire grab rails at the back of the body, removing the two ladders at the smokebox and lifting the shell up and forwards. You should be left with something that looks like this;
3) Using the multimeter, ensure that there is no electrical conductivity between the motor contacts and any part of the frame.
4) Remove the silver weight just behind the light board and the plastic cradle it is in. Then remove the black plastic clip holding the wires to the frame. You should just be able to pull the wires out of the frame. Next, remove the lightboard by sliding it forward. The wires provided in the locomotive have the same colours as those coming from the decoder, however the wires on the locomotive are the wrong way around. With this in mind, trim the blue and white wires from the decoder to 1/2-inch, and solder the white wire to the blue wire from the light board, and the blue wire from the decoder to the white wire from the light board;
5) Trim the black and red wires from the decoder to approximately 1/3 of an inch. Strip and tin the ends, then set the decoder aside for the moment. Use the file to clean up the two tabs in the frame where the wires were originally connected. This needs to be reflective silver, as this is where the power pickup wires from the decoder will be soldered;
6) Put a blob of solder on each of these tabs - this will take a few attempts. Place a piece of electrical tape across the bottom of the light board and re-insert it, then fit the decoder into the gap between the lightboard and the power pickup tabs. Once this has been done, solder the red decoder pickup wire to the right tab and the black decoder wire to the left tab.
7) Trim and connect the orange wire from the decoder to the grey wire from the motor, and vice-versa. Use the electrical tape to isolate the connections between the wires. Your locomotive should now look like this;
8) Put the shell back on the locomotive, by putting the smokebox over the front of the chassis and sliding backwards. Re-insert the grab rails at the back and the ladders at the front, and re-connect the tender. All that's left is to program the locomotive and enjoy!