MTH 20-3079-1 PS3 conversion

Lou1985 posted:

I just purchased a MTH 20-3079-1 Santa Fe "Blue Goose" Hudson https://ogrforum.com/...62#88717484123966662

The locomotive has no wiring harness or PS2 5V boards. I have a couple questions before I go about installing the PS3 upgrade kit in it.

1. The locomotive has all the lights in the boiler. Currently they are wired to the bridge rectifier that allows the locomotive to run in forward only. I'd like to wire them to get a constant 6 volts DC, like they would connected to the factory boards. Is there a small AC to DC buck converter I can mount in the boiler that would turn 18v track AC power to 6v DC to power the lights and marker LEDs? If not what is my best option to turn 18v AC to 6v DC for the lights? I also will have to add an inductor to the power feed to the lights as part of the PS3 kit.

2. I have a couple of PS2 smoke units. Can I use these unmodified with the PS3 kit?

Thanks for any help.

I took a RK Nabisco with Steam & Whistle.  Your Steam Upgrade kit should have bulbs for the headlight, markers and the boiler.  They are not LEDs.  The PS3 Steam Upgrade is a variant of the PS2.

I recommend starting at page 1 and going through the whole installation.  At the end you will have your lights working as they are meant to.  If I don't understand the technical part of your question, my apology.

Don't know much about your smoke unit.  I cut the 3 traces and soldered the pads as per instruction. 

The engine is one of my bulletproof pieces on the layout.  Well worth the upgrade.

PS/2 smoke units are the same as PS/3 smoke units, no modification necessary.  Drop me a line to my profile email and I can fix you up with the stock regulator board that comes in many of the PS/1 steamers, I have a few of them left over from upgrades.  The board takes track power and gives you 6VDC for lights.  It also has a special output that's current limited for class lights/markers.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

PS/2 smoke units are the same as PS/3 smoke units, no modification necessary.  Drop me a line to my profile email and I can fix you up with the stock regulator board that comes in many of the PS/1 steamers, I have a few of them left over from upgrades.  The board takes track power and gives you 6VDC for lights.  It also has a special output that's current limited for class lights/markers.

That's good to know about the smoke unit. 

I've decided while I'm in the locomotive to upgrade the lighting to LEDs. I'll replace the grain of wheat bulbs with 3mm LEDs. Do you happen to know how I can wire the little green ceramic LEDs used for the marker lights to track power? I'm brain cramping on what diode/resistor combo to use for them (I've attached a picture of the LEDs). 

If I run the LEDs off track power will I still need to use the inductor in the kit between the power wire for the LEDs and the center rail roller? Since they are not connected to a capacitor the inductor might be redundant. 

No inductor needed if you're just using a resistor and the LED's.  I'd start with a series 1K resistor and see about the brightness.  You can go from around 750 or higher to adjust the brightness of the class lights.

Note that the LED is in series with one side of that connector wiring to track power.  The other side goes directly to track power.  You can also toss in a series diode for a longer life for the LED's.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

No inductor needed if you're just using a resistor and the LED's.  I'd start with a series 1K resistor and see about the brightness.  You can go from around 750 or higher to adjust the brightness of the class lights.

Note that the LED is in series with one side of that connector wiring to track power.  The other side goes directly to track power.  You can also toss in a series diode for a longer life for the LED's.

Ah so since the marker/class light LEDs are series wired from the factory I can get away with just the resistor. Makes sense.

The harness you show is series connected, that's correct.

While more expensive, I would have ordered a Engine harness or scratch built one so that the board can go in the engine as originally designed.  This would have reserved all the light features.  The tether would just be used for volume control, speaker, coupler and reverse light and marker.  G

Three and a half months later it lives! I used LEDs for the number board, marker, and cab lights. PS3 steam upgrade kit (remember this locomotive came to me with no electronics). Runs great and smokes up a storm. Took about 5 hours, spread over 3 days, to install the PS3 kit. I didn't find it any more difficult to install than an ERR TMCC board, except for the extra difficulty of a steam locomotive installation vs. the ease of a diesel. 

Great job! Love the ATSF Blue Goose Hudson! Now only if I could find one I’m HO...

Great job Lou. Enjoy your new loco.

NS6770Fan posted:

Great job! Love the ATSF Blue Goose Hudson! Now only if I could find one I’m HO...

Thanks. I've seen some HO brass ones but they are pricey. 

One odd thing about the Blue Goose conversion. MTH used an odd shaped 10 pin connector mount from the factory. The conventional one from the PS3 kit wouldn't mount in the factory place, as it wasn't wide enough. I ended up making two small brackets out of some scrap styrene. It's not the prettiest thing but it works, and it's hidden unless you turn the locomotive over.

Oh my gosh. Thanks Lou. I did not realize it. I'll delete it......thanks Paul 2