DCC Decoder Wiring Diagrams for Non-DCC Ready Locomotives

We’re working on a short tutorial looking at DCC decoder installation in older locomotives, such as Lima and Hornby, that are powered by ringfield/pancake-style motors.

To accompany the tutorial, we’ve produced a PDF containing a series of basic wiring diagrams to help with the installation process. They cover the more modern can-style motors (as found in Bachmann, Heljan, Dapol etc.) as well as the older ringfield ones (similar to those found in many Hornby and Lima models).

 

There’s also a basic diagram for directional lighting and a single Aux channel, such as the Aux 1/green wire available on most low/mid-range decoders, such as Hornby’s entry level R8249 8-pin variety.

The wiring principles would be the same for older ‘grain of wheat’ bulbs, although the resistor value would need to be altered to suit the bulb and track voltage.

You can download the PDF by clicking here.