Well this was my first experience at replacing a "dead" PS2 5V board with the new PS 3/2 stacker board. You may remember one of my earlier threads when I was trying to "resuscitate" this PS2 board...to no avail.
I pre-ordered and paid for 2 new PS3/2 boards (I wanted to have a spare just in case) through Don at MTH spares, and picked them up at the Maryland warehouse while we were travelling around the great US of A on our recent road trip.
Above is the "Dead" and could not be resuscitated PS2 5V board, with the original speaker and discarded battery cable
The new board had to go into a RailKing Boston & Maine RS3 diesel loco.....probably the hardest loco to retro fit one of these new boards, due to the narrow engine hood, and the restricted head room inside the body shell.
Everything sort of went to plan, except for the heat-sink board mount....it did not line-up with any of the original mounting holes in the chassis. Had to drill a new hole to get the new board exactly central on the chassis, and in the right position forward and aft to clear the body mounts inside the shell. No wriggle room what so ever!!!
Also had to remove the plastic container clamping the stacker boards together, as it was fouling on the roof of the body shell, and wouldn't let the shell seat properly back onto the chassis.
Apart from those little problems, everything went well, and it started up first go when I put power to it on the layout. This is the first time I have had this loco running since I won it in a Cabin Fever auction almost a year ago.
Had a couple of screws left over, and this metal bracket....I have no idea where this would be used.
Anyway, all's well that ends well....or so they say. I am one happy camper!!!
PS3/2 boards are almost "plug & play", and the faint hearted should not be put off as they are relatively easy for us with little electronic skills to retro fit.
Peter....Buco Australia
