My German crocodile has arrived! The Fleischmann FL-739401 E94
The E94 with the new decoder installed. I used an ESU LocPilot Micro 3.0 with a 6 pin plug on a wire harness. Fitting a decoder with the plug mounted on the decoder body is impossible with this engine. Even with the plug harness, it's a tight fit because of the length of the wires, but it works. I could have trimmed them down and soldered them back onto the plug but carefully squishing it in there proved much easier.
It's a smooth runner though mechanically rather noisy. Perhaps all those gears needed to drive 8 wheels on a three part articulated body? When running at speed there are vibration noises, as well as substantial gear noise.
Happily, all that noise seems to fit the engine, it being a 1930's electrical behemoth! Note the light weathering on the trucks and grills. If you look at my images posted earlier you will see these were previously all black. I like to dry brush some grey highlights and then spot some grimly black on the lower surfaces, nothing too extreme, but I like to bring out the details.
The trouble with weathering is once I start I tend to get carried away. I have a brush in hand and just look for something else to paint! When you have a hammer every problem looks like a nail... This poor little boxcar took the brunt of my creative enthusiasm.
The weathering looks great. An awesome looking locomotive! The trick with the decoder is frustrating, I needed to use the same type of decoder for my Fleischmann Re 485! Which makes it difficult to have the right decoders on hand to convert these things to DCC quickly!
ReplyDeleteI agree! I like to keep one on hand but this is the third time now I've been stymied by an engine with special needs. My Roco 8/6 and my Fleischmann 4/4 both needed decoders with plugs on harnesses as well. It's a pitfall of online shopping, I don't know what I need till I open it up.
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