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--- Digitrax DZ123 Decoders In 3 N Scale Con-Cor U50's---

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This is a decoder install in 3 Con-Cor U50's. I model UP but have some SP as you often saw them running together in the same consist. I'm hooked for some reason on these U50's. I found one UP on Ebay for a fair price and then found a SP U50 shell for less than $30 also on Ebay. Only Union Pacific and Southern Pacific had these engines but Con-Cor made some for different roads for some reason. The UP ones are usually pretty expensive but I found a Conrail and a Chessie for good prices. Then I found a UP for a really good price so bought it.

I put the SP body on the Conrail frame and kept the Chessie for parts down the road. What follows is the decoder install using Digitrax's DZ123 2 function decoder in the two UP's and the one SP. These are big locos so finding room for the decoder was easy. I did do some milling for wire clearance but that was pretty straight forward.

The following pictures pretty much tell the story of the install. .

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I have two mills. One is a very large Bridgeport size clone and the other a table model. I was using them to mill frames but I'm now totally happy with the speed and ease that I can mill a frame using a $20 Wen 2305 flex drive rotary tool. This is all one needs.

I have a video up using the rotary cutter ( HERE ).

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I used the method shown in the pictures above for the forward light on one loco and for the other two used the following option.

The SMD resistor above and in the next image is a 152 (1500 ohm). Use a value that you like for the light intensity.

I already had the printed circuit board cut for ties but if you aren't making turnouts you can find printed circuit board cheap on Ebay. What I used is .031 double sided board. Cut it with tin snips. A link to making PCB ties ( HERE ).

Note: Resistor above looks like it might be 251 but it is a 152 as it is turned upside down in the image.

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I find these to be nice running engines. You aren't going to creep around the yard with them but on the mainline they seem to be right at home. There is a nice writeup on these engines on Spookshow ( HERE ) where they are given a B.

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