This project actually began about a year and a half ago. Too little time to finish (life happens) and a little intimidated too. Finally dove in during this wonderful Christmas break we are blessed with in the field of education.
As many of you, I have long been a fan of Rich Yoder Models. I've owned a few of his 44-tonners over the years, and originally bought his GE 25-tonner in brass, before selling it and purchasing the painted version.
I decided to go with the ESU LokSound Micro (58823). This comes with an 8-pin DCC board attached (for locos which are designed to be plug and play with this board) and another board with 11 wires pre-soldered.
After gently slicing the protective shrink wrap, I pulled it back just far enough to expose the pre-installed snap-in connection (left above) and replacing with the optional connection (right above).
I found the ESU directions a little confusing with regard to wire colors, but I just followed what I think are NMRA standards: red to right rail; black to left rail; orange to motor right; gray to motor left; blue (split) to headlight positive; white to front headlight negative; yellow to rear headlight negative; brown x 2 to speaker (did not use green or purple).
I also decided to add a power-pack, but I didn't have any of the ESU PowerPacks laying around (54671), but I did have a couple Train-O-Matic Smart Power Packs, which basically work the same way (and I believe it has the same voltage/capacitance). The pads where the power pack leads get soldered are very small and not pre-soldered, and I really butchered that part of the job.
(Luckily the rest of my horrendous soldering is hidden by shrink tube!)
So, after connecting track power, motor power, both lights (including 1k resistors), speaker, and power pack, I had a beautiful mess!
Mind you, at every step of the way I was checking functionality (because of my inexperience with all of this): connect track power and motor power, test; connect speaker, test; connect lights, test; connect power pack, test.
Then it was time to try to get it all put back together. I originally thought I could get it all under the hood, and with a little organization I think I still can. But for now, I have the power pack and speaker in the cab.
Here is the semi-finished result (at the end I check the power pack):
Here are a couple other short clips showing the operational doors on this little critter:
So, the next step is to paint it similar to this fine model (can't remember the modeler, but it was part of the model contest at the 2022 March Meet in Chicago)...
Except I'd like to try to match this Kennecott Mining 25-tonner on display at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum.
Any ideas where I can find this lettering, either as a decal or dry transfer? Roll my own?
Anyways, thanks for looking!
