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OK, the part I hate…installing a decoder.
I used aTsunami2 Model TSU-1100 P.N. 885001 for EMD.
Following the instructions on the small fold over sheet that came with the decoder I wired everything up but when I put it on the track….nothing. Rechecked my wiring and couldn’t figure out what I did wrong. Finally called George at Soundtraxx (who models the Mopac in HO but lives out in Colorado in DRGW narrow gauge country) and found out that the P2K GP-18 has the electrical pickup on the same side for both trucks. George said to scrape a place on the opposite side in the rear of the locomotive and solder the black wire there…leaving the red wire from the decoder soldered to the front pickup. So you now have pickup on the left and right sides like a real manufacturer would do. After I did this “…it’s alive…! to paraphrase Dr. Frankenstein.
Called Bill Herbert about his choice of couplers as he’s doing the two bicentennial units and he recommended Kadee 35’s. Got them today and they are the perfect length. Even after adding the snow plow.
One more tidbit. The pickup on the P2K GP’s are terrible so George recommended soldering a wire from the rear trucks to the front on the left side and from the right rail pickup to the rear right truck so all eight wheels are making contact. This made a huge difference in running. Plus I replaced the bronze wheels with NWSL plated ones.
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