Bachmann N Gauge Thomas The Tank Engine DCC Conversion

Mistakes may damage your locomotive, controller or other accessories. Use a multimeter to make absolutely sure you have completely isolated the motor from the track before testing. Always use the Programming Track for testing. Our guides are provided for reference only, and you proceed entirely at your own risk. Unsure about something - try our DCC Conversion Service instead.

The conversion is fairly straightforward but requires a very small decoder, as space inside the body is tight. Here, we have used a Zimo MX615.

Step 1 - Remove body

Remove the screws from the underside of the loco, and gently remove the body.

Step 2 - Remove PCB

Desolder all four wires from the PCB. Remove the PCB and discard it, the space created will be used for the decoder.

Step 3 - Fit decoder

Solder the black wires to pins 3 and 4 of your decoder, these are your track power connections. Solder the blue and red wires to pins 1 and 2, these are your motor connections. Add some Kapton tape to make sure the decoder cannot short against the metal parts of the body.

Step 4 - Test direction

Place the loco on your test track and make sure it runs in the correct direction. If not, swap the red and blue wires around.

Step 5 - Refit body

Refit the body, and you are done.

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