WESTPORT TERMINAL RR

BLT Aug 200

CB&Q 173

Pictures are linked to a larger view, click on them.

I've got at e-bay two engines. CB&Q 173 got some weathering. Engine 187 will get older, too. But later. Now comes installing sound decoder.

CB&Q 173 weatherd and CB&Q 187 new

But I got a problem with removing the hood. I took a few trials.


hood

 

First step, the dynamic brake cover will get the speaker. But the speaker is bigger, so I had to mill. I worked on the cover and on the speaker!

mill job
measuring speaker and  cover

At last, the speaker will snap in its place.

speaker fits

Speaker box and decoder doesn't fit in the place, Atlas has provided. So I removed the print board. Same procedure as with Kato's GP 35. Then I glued the decoder. The speaker would fit in the middle.

decoder installed

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Then I soldered the wires to the decoder. With the spaker wires soldered, too, I could test run the engine.


soldering wires    close up

You can see that I replaced the bulbs with white LEDs. The engine did run well and I could

test running without hood

install the hood. Here're two views with open dynamic brake cover. Still, you have a chance to adjust wires. The flywheels should run free!

look at the decoder and wires from above   look without dynamic brake cover

And now the engine went into service:

big rock curve  3'bridge

 

Here's the first train, Extra 173 east. The extra has arrived at Third Street Industrial District and the first block with this destination is set out.

Third Street District  switchiing  bocar WT 238  picking up cars

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© Wolfgang Dudler