gunrunnerjohn posted:Why not use the standard connectors used by Lionel for all their TMCC stuff? They use JST-EH (2.5mm) and JST-PH (2.0mm) for most TMCC stuff, once in a while you'll find the smaller JST-ZH (1.5mm) connectors. Legacy mostly uses JST-ZH and Molex PicoBlade (1.25mm), though there is still some JST-PH connectors in some models.
You can get all of this stuff from Digikey, and I use the Engineer PA-09 or IWS-2820M AWG 28-20 crimp tool, both available on Amazon.
John, I put JST plugs on the end of the harness inside the loco at the boards. I bought 1000 pins and 100 each 2, 3, 4 & 5 conductor plugs when I first started converting my conventional loco collection. I have been buying used boards both TMCC and PS2 and 3 usually they come with a bunch of plugs if not a complete harness so I haven't had to make any 2 or 3 pin plugs but have made some 4 and 5 pin. I don't have a crimp tool however and have been soldering the pins on. Since I don't do work for others I am not bound by many of the constraints that you are. When I made these plugs I did not want to cut holes in the bodies and did not have a proper Lionel or MTH plug on hand. All I had were 90 degree and I wanted to go straight across the top of the couplers. It turned out neat and functional and to be truthful I get a kick out of non conventional solutions. I took the year off so far from twisting and soldering wires to do some painting and build an interior for a MTH diner that had no interior. I was about to post some shots of the diner interior when someone posted a drop dead gorgeous UP dome diner. Made me want to plug in the soldering iron and breath some resin core fumes. Much less painfull than painting 48th scale patrons for my diner. j
