C57-1 (Imperial version) 4-6-2 MicroAce A9908 DCC Conversion

The Class C57 (C57形) is a type of 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in Japan from 1937 to 1947. A total of 201 Class C57 locomotives were built as an improved locomotive from C55. The imperial version was used to pull from the imperial coaches.

I bought this locomotive as second hand, but as it had a Japanese owner, looks like brand new.

As other steam locomotive models from Microace, you have to unscrew ONE screw from the bottom, the one near the front under the first wheel. I insist there's just ONE screw fixing the shell, and is the one near the front. If you unscrew the others, you are opening the gear assembly and you will have to put again each gear and connecting roods in place.

To open the tender unscrew both bogies and pull the top plastic piece simulating the coal.

Before soldering any wire I just put decoder (D&H DH10) in place and see if it fits and it's possible to close again the tender. I drilled a hole in the front of the tender to cross wires for the motor and front light. Make the hole in the lowest possible position.

 

As it closes without problem (there is plenty of space for just one simple decoder), I started soldering the current wires. You can unclip the piece fixing the cooper strips in place and solder it out of the tender. 

You can put the lead piece on place, while pooling from the red and black wires so the excess remains in the top. Remember to isolate the decoder so it isn't directly in touch with metallic parts.

And that's the easy part, tender finished and closed.

The engine is a bit difficult, and I was so concentrated and stressed while trying to cut wires at the right length and soldering them while holding the locomotive and tender, and the motor, and tin with two fingers, soldering iron in the other hand... that I didn't make detailed photos of the process!!! Sorry!!

But you can pull from the motor to the back and turn it to access the cooper plates that take the current when in touch with the body. Motor is fixed to the gear assembly though a plastic and flexible tube, so probably you can pull the engine backwards enough to turn it and work on it without disassemble something. I cut those cooper plates to make them shorter and soldered the motor wires (gray and orange). Isolate it with Kapton tape, and put it in place again.

Cross white wire as you can see and connect it to one of the legs of the bulb light, isolating previously this leg from the frame.

And that's more or less everything, enjoy!!!!

Kato 3038 EF58 61 Electric Loyal Locomotive DCC Digitalization

Owned by JR East and based at Tabata Depot in Tokyo, this locomotive was built in 1953 by Hitachi specially for use as the official Imperial Train locomotive, a role it performs to the present day. While other locos had chrome-plated “whiskers” on the cab ends, this loco was built with stainless steel whiskers extending as a thin band along the body sides. The loco remains in its original brown livery, and is maintained in immaculate condition. In 1988, EF58 61 was used for Orient Express, and that's one of the reasons I decided to buy it. It is a versatile locomotive and I can combine it with different compositions I have, like Yutori Joyful train, Orient Express, or Imperial Train.

EF58 61

EF58 and Yutori train

EF58, Yutori and EF65

EF58 61 pulling the Imperial Train

EF58 61 and Orient Express

Another view of EF58 61 and Orient Express

EF58 behind D51 in Orient Express

And that's the model from Kato, reference number 3038, very beautiful and well detailed:

When you open it you can see there is a board that can be directly replaced by Digitrax drop-in decoder DN163KOa, but at least in Spàin this is an expensive and hard to find decoder, so I will use a D&H DH05.

This D&H decoder is small enough to fit in the space that already exists under the roof of the carriage:

First thing to do is to isolate the motor current shafts. Check where motor shaft is in contact with the cooper current pick up strip and isolate the strip in the contact zone with the motor using Kapton tape. Once isolated, you can place the board again and clip again the small plastic piece holding the motor shafts:

Then check the polarity of the led lights. It's very easy using the multimeter in the diode checking position. When you touch the positive leg of the led with the positive (red) tip of the tester, and the negative leg with the negative (black) tip, the led will slightly glow. But you can check the following photo and diagram also:

I want to keep the light board as it is, with the resistor and capacitor calculated for those led. So I'll keep the positive leg of led connected to the board, and negative leg will be connected to decoder (white and yellow wire). I just cut the cathode to isolate it and solder the white and yellow wire in each led:

Finally, solder the motor wires (gray and orange) to the already isolated motor shafts, and current pick up wires (red and black) to the cooper strips.

Fix decoder with Kapton tape so when you close the shell it fits inside the space under it.

But before closing it, always check everything is ok to avoid burning the decoder. First with the multimeter to make sure motor is completely isolated from the rail current. Then, put it on rails to see everything works as expected:

Finally, it is ready to run!!!!

Kato 3024-1 EF64-1000 DCC Digitalization

Quoting wikipedia: 

"The Class EF65 (EF65形) is a 6-axle (Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement) DC electric locomotive type operated on passenger and freight services in Japan since 1965.

As of 1 April 2009, JR Freight operated 77 locomotives, JR East operated 8 (EF65-1000), and JR West operated 10 (EF65-1000) locomotives."

I saw this locomotive travelling from Tokyo to the Fuji 5 lakes zones, arriving to Kawaguchiko. This one was pulling a long composition of Taki 43000 tanks.

And this is the Kato model, really well reproduced. I just miss red lights in the back, as it only has white lights in both sides.

Open it pulling up the canopy, use a little screwdriver or toothpicks to help opening as it is clipped to the frame as most prototypes. There is a small plastic piece in the middle of the board that you have also to pull out to then slide the board to one side. 

I plan to use a DH05 decoder, from Doehler&Haas, and drill a hole in the case to fit it inside. There is a vent or fan box that can be removed and cut or drill a hole under it to hide the decoder. But you will see with this decoder finally is not needed to cut anything if wires are well placed, not crossing one over another.

I checked the polarity of led to modify the board, not having to remove and turn any of the led if possible. White and yellow wires provide the negative pole, so the negative track going to each led has to be isolated. Positive track will continue providing the positive pole taking current from the rails. This is a common practice when decoders haven't the blue wire (function common wire).

All capacitors must be also removed if they are in the current pick up tracks or can interfere the decoder proper operation. I plan also to keep the led resistor, so I will need to bridge the resistor track and the positive track of one of the led.

You can see here the decoder installed on place. Red arrows show the point where you have to cut the cooper path, and the green arrow points the needed bridge to keep using the single resistor of the board for both led.

Once everything is soldered in place, test the board and lights connecting it directly to the track:

Finally, mount the board again but not bending the motor cooper stips under the board. If you let the strips straight, they pass through the board being isolated from the track current. Solder the motor wires and bend them again but on the top of the board, not under it as it originally is. Isolate with kapton tape near cooper tracks to avoid any short circuit.

Just a test before closing it, and job done!!

Nice locomotive, smooth and reliable. And never looses contact with track and can cross any switch at very slow speeds:

There are many details to add to the locomotive, like handrails, GPS unit, antennas and horns. This is the model finished with all detail parts: