Home
Articles
DCC
Hints'n'Tips
Interests
Layouts
OMWB
Products
Photos by subject
Photos by location
Photos by feature
Page last updated 15/05/07
by Steve Jones
 

Current hogs

Tuesday night - 04/05/04


Click here for a larger picture

On the face of it Roco's BLS Ae 8/8 electric loco is completely plug'n'play on the DCC front. It's equipped with the inevitable 8 pin socket and, like most European models these days, also has a factory-installed void (can you actually have a factory-installed void?) ready to take the decoder. This double-motored articulated unit has all electrical connections carried across the central join in an ingenious (if slightly fiddly) manner which enables all the lights and motors to be controlled from one decoder - a far cry from UK outline products such as the Bachmann Voyagers. If I had to criticise then I'd be obliged to point out that the lights as supplied don't quite work in the distinctive Swiss fashion where the rear of the loco is lit, regardless of whether a train is attached, but frankly I look forward to the day when that's the most significant problem UK models have. Thanks are due to both Nigel Emery and Tim Hall, by the way, for pointing me in the right direction as regards Swiss lighting.

Click here for a larger picture

Unfortunately these behemoths (good word, that!) are serious current-hogs and need around 1.5 amps continuous, somewhat more than most decoders will supply and thus limiting your choice. One obvious contender is the Lenz LE1835E which has a current rating of 1.8 amps and I have a number of these in service already. The down side is that Lenz only make this decoder in the long, flat format, whereas most European models have the decoder void sized for the stubbier, double-sided types. A major step backwards for Lenz given that the older LE1024/1025 family was available in both formats - I've had to hack bits off a £200 loco just to get the decoder to fit when it was supposed to be plug'n'play.

Currently On My Stereo: UK - Danger Money.