A head ache but well worth it!!

While surfing eBay I came across the new release of the Intermountain F7 in Milwaukee Road,, thinking,,Hmmmmm.

So I pulled the trigger!! 2 F7A's and 1 F7B. I am could see the other kinds of consists in my minds eye, GP30-F7B-GP9,,, GP9-F7B-F7A. Well you get the idea. To make sure that these units would fit my era I did some internet research and found these were still around in 1980 and maybe a little longer.

I received the decoders in the mail first, and I was excited to get the locomotives. So now I have the locos and decoders,, thinking this looks easy,, solder 4 wires in the A's and 2 wires in the B's,, then BAM done.

Wrong,, ended up being a little head ache. These decoders are the DN166i1d, which are the new series of chips from Digitrax.  To make a long story short,, you need to apply kapton tape to the frame anywhere where the motor or the decoder could possibly come in contact with, or the locomotive will not function properly.

The first A unit,, well that was frustrating,, first the wanna be MT 1015 was hard to get out, then proceeded to fall apart, ( no where did that little spring go???!!!!???). No Kapton tape the first try,, decoder took programming,, but nothing from the motor. I hooked up test leads straight to the decoder,, hmmm motor works now,, what the hey!!!!

After applying kapton tape to the inside of the motor frame where the motor might touch and putting tape in the bed where the decoder sits,, BINGO,, we have movement!!! So the A took about 4-5 times of dis-assembly to get right. The B unit took 3 times,, and the other A unit took one time!!!! See I can learn.

I would not have known to kapton tape the entire universe if it were not for Allen Heimsoth, and various internet forums.

Well I have more updates to post, just need to sit down in front of the laptop to get them done.

My next big project is to replace the backdrop in the torn down area. Might get that done this coming week, see ya'll later

Greg