AML GP60 electronics / DCCOverviewThis is a LONG technical page, and needs to go into details due to the weird electronics in the loco, and COMPLETE lack of documentation.I'm going into these details to document the interface presented on the motherboard, specifically to adding any decoder.Apparently the choices made were because ESU was the only decoder company to do all the design (I assume free) of the motherboard. A really poor choice in my opinion, DCC is popular because it is a standard, and allows we consumers to make our OWN choice of what electronics.But in not-so-infinite-wisdom, AML decided to use a non-standard socket in the GP60, even though there are thousands of Aristo/Bachman socketed locos and several decoders that fit THAT STANDARD socket:Phoenix SM-18 decoderTCS Wowsound 501 decoderDigitrax DG583s QSI Revolution decoder (out of production)QSI Titan decoder (out of production)So this page is documenting the arduous process of:understanding the pinout of the OEM decoderthus allowing the documentation of the socketreinforce the understanding and the operation of the "dummy plug" for DC operationproduction of an adapter to facilitate the installation of ANY decoder (in such a way that ordinary hobbyists can do this)So, you can read how I got to the answer, or jump aheadTable of Contents: (with links)Starting: document Loksound decoder pinoutDocument the GP60 motherboard / socket pinouts from step above CLICK HEREDocument other motherboard connectors - the actual devices connected to the socket CLICK HEREThe strategy to make a plug in adapter CLICK HEREFinal wiring - connect the adapter to the decoder CLICK HEREThe starting point: LokSound 5XL decoder connectionsClearly the starting point is the ESU decoder, since no document on the motherboard socket is provided. Below is the pinout of the LokSound 5 XL decoder... pay attention to the fact that pin 1 has a square outline.I'm calling the leftmost connector J1, as it maps similarly to the industry standard Aristo and Bachmann sockets. This is where track and motor and headlights are.I'll call the rightmost connector J2, the top (in this illustration) J3, and the bottom J4(Note, THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION IS FROM THE "BOTTOM SIDE" of the decoder)Now map the GP60 motherboard socket connections to the decoder Below is a picture of the motherboard, notice it's orientation is such that pin #1 is nearest the bottom on the left and right connectors. Also pin#1 on the lower horizontal connector is on the left. The top connector is not labelled the same way, but we don't care since it is mostly servos.Again using my nomenclature:Left Side: J1, #1 pin at bottomRight side: J2, #1 at bottom, but NOTE: the first pin of the decoder does NOT have a socket hole...so the J2 socket starts with the rear light, not AUX 11, weird.likewise the last connection does not appear in the socket, so the 14 pins on the decoder are only matched by 12 on the motherboardYou can see on the motherboard there are clearly 2 unused holes in the board, that the socket does not utilizeBottom side: J3, pin one on the leftTop side: J4, pin 1 on the right, but the numbering is screwed up when looking at the decoder illustration. No matter, mostly servos.Listing of the pins in the socket J1: (notice I reference the actual pins in the socket)Table 1J1 socket pin numberUSE notes 1 left rail pickup 2 right rail pickup 3 right rail pickup (optional) duplicate of to pin 3 4 right motor motor plus 5 U+ (common pole) no idea - needs research 6 U+ common pole tied to +UB on motherboard 7 GND 8 left motor motor minus9 wheel sensor input reference to ground or plus?10 left motor duplicate motor minus11 speaker 1 #1 speaker minus per decoder definition12 speaker 1 #2 speaker plus per decoder definition So most of what we want is here, the U+ things are not identical on the motherboard, so several things to check out.J2 socket pins: (again I am referencing the pins in the socket, which are NOT numbered the same as the decoder, the decoder has 14 pins, the motherboard socket only has 12)Table 2J2 socket pin numberUSE Notes 1 rear light 2 headlight 3 sensor input #1 4 AUX1 5 AUX2 6 AUX3 7 sensor input #2 8 AUX4 9 AUX5 10 auxilary board power control (reserved) 11AUX6 12 U+ tied to +UB, Pin 6 J1 J3 socket pins, (bottom) again 12 pins, starting from the leftTable 3J3 socket pin numberUSE Notes 1AUX13 logic level 2speaker 2 #1 says plus (notice silk screen reverse polarity of speaker #1, clearly an error) 3speaker 2 #2 says minus 4+10 volts really? what for? 5+5 volts 6AUX7 7AUX8 8AUX9 9AUX10 10AUX11 also for SUSI data or servo511AUX12 also for SUSI clock or servo 612 UVAR regulated DC power common (+) 1.8 v, but can be set by changing resistor 1.5 to 3v J4 socket pinsTable 415,14,13 servo 111,10,9 servo 27,6,5 servo 33,2,1 servo 4(I will add a formal table here eventually, only for the servos, perhaps for uncouplers, or if there is a high current output for a smoke unit on J4 GP60 motherboard other connectorsThere are a number of connectors on the mother board.to get the signals and power on and off, below is the legend mapping the silkscreen to functionsThe bright green pins are the J1 and J2 pins needed to connect to a decoder are in green Table 5 connector "number"mb socket connection silkscreen meaningX1 - right end (with the silkscreen right side up)(rear of loco)J1-1 - TRKL - left railJ1-2 - TRKR - right rail TRKL and TRKRTRacK Left and TRacK RightAs delivered, not connected, see X14 for feed pointX2 - right end / rear J3-2 SPK2 plus J3-3 SPK2 minus SPK2 SPeaKer 2, note polarity is also on silkscreendecoder lit says pin 2 is SPK2 #1, silkscreen is reverse of speaker #1.As delivered, speaker on top of loco connected here, weirdX3 - right end/rearJ1-4 - MOT+ - motor plusJ1-10 - MOT- motor minus MOT MOTors, note polarity is also on silkscreenAs delivered, rear motor connected hereX10 - right end pin1 is +5v J2-1 - pin2 is LMPR - rear lt pin3 is AUX 7 - J3-6 pin4 is AUX 8 - J3-7 pin5 is AUX 9 - J3-8 pin6 is AUX10 - J3-9 pin7 is AUX11 - J3-10?? +5v / LMPR / AUX7 thru AUX115 volts, LaMP Rear, and AUX 7 through 11.lmpr has a 1k resistor J3-10 goes through an IC, so it might be connected to aux11in some configurationAs delivered only LMPR (rear headlight) is connected in stock loco, AUX 7-11 not connectedX11 - left end pin1 is +5 v buss multi pin, use this pin to feet +5v common for decoderX12 - right end J4-9 J4-10 J4-11 SERVO2 / +5v / GND typical servo pins for servo #2As delivered, not connectedX14 - middle J1-1 - TRKL - left rail J1-2 - TRKR - right rail TRKL and TRKR TRacK Left and TRacK Right (duplicate of X1)As delivered, this has orange wires connecting to switch board, track pickups also go to switch boardX7 - left endJ1-12 SPK1 minusJ1-11 SPK1 plus SPK1 plus and minus SPeaKer 1, note polarity is also on silkscreen, decoder lit sayspin 12 is speaker 1 #2 -plus, pin 11 is speaker 1 #1 - minusAs delivered, not connectedX8 - left end J1-4 - MOT+ - motor plus J1-10 - MOT- motor minus MOT MOTors, note polarity is also on silkscreen (duplicate of X3)As delivered, connected to front motorX9 - left end pin1 +5v commonJ2-2 / pin2 is LMPF - front ltJ2-5 / pin3 is AUX2 - nbr bdsJ2-6 / pin4 is AUX3 - rt ditchJ2-8 / pin5 is AUX4 - lft ditchJ2-9 / pin6 is AUX5 - cab light pin7 is AUX6 - J2-11 +5v / LMPF / AUX2 thru AUX6 5 volts, LaMP Front, and AUX 2 through AUX6As delivered:Pin1 common to all front lampsPin2 - LMPF - front headlight Pin3 - AUX2 - number boardsPin4 - AUX3 - right ditch lightPin5 - AUX4 - left ditch lightPin6 - AUX5 - cab lightPin7 - AUX6 - not connectedseems the +5 common is from a regulator that is fed from the decoder itself.X11 - left end +UB / AUX1 / +5v / AUX13 +UB???, AUX1, +5 volts, AUX13As delivered, not connectedX13 - left end SERVO1 / +5v / GND typical servo pins for servo #1As delivered, not connected Plug in adapter strategySummary: what is needed for adapting a DCC decoder:we need a 12 pin connector on J1we can get away with 6 pins for J2we need to find a way to feed the +5 volt pins that go to the LED lightsModifying the Bachmann Dash 9 adapter for the GP60 socketCasual inspection will show that since J1 pins 1&2 are connected together (to not overload the socket current rating), plugging a decoder so wired into the GP60 would immediately short the 2 rails together, no to mention the connections are completely different.The Bachmann enhancement of the Aristo socket builds on the Aristo standard, and also somewhat standardizes the J2 connector opposite.So, there is no decoder or adapter other than the ESU that will plug into the loco without some changesThe Bachmann adapter has 2 ends:J1 "end" has 12 pins, but only 10 wires since J1 has pins 1&2 jumpered as well as pins 11&12, so it needs modificationJ2 "end" has all 11 pins with independent wiresLook carefully at the pictures below and you can see the copper that jumpers these two pairs of pins on J1;Steps to modify:Cut away insulator from pins on J1Remove the pins from the J1 side (see below)grind away the copper that shorts pins 1&2 and 11&12put in new pin strip with long pins on both sidesconnect separate wire to pins 1 and 12finally cut the adaptor in 2, and trim to fitStep 1: Cutting away the plastic from the connector:Below you see the black plastic insulator that holds the pins in alignment before insertion:If you take a sharp X-Acto knife and slide along the pins, 3 at a time, you can cut away one side of the insulator, and when you get done, the insulator on the other side of the row of pins will fall away:Now use solder wick to remove the solder on all 12 pins, and then you can pull them out one by one easily with a bit of heat. Clean up the board as best as you can with solder wick and a brush etc. Depending on your level of expertise, you might just heat and remove the pins one by one, and then cleanup the board with solder wick later. This is the way I did it.Step 2: Step 3: remove copper shorting 1&2 and 11&12Now cut away the extra copper that links the outer 2 pins... I used a small cylindrical grinder at slow speed: Step 3: solder new pin strip in:Now solder the new strip back in: (bought from amazon with 7.5 mm pins on BOTH sides Step 4: add on wires for pins 1 & 12Trim pins 2 through 11 (easier to get to new pins 1 & 12Add in new wires for pins 1 and 12Step 5: cut adaptor in half and trim to fitCut the adapter in half and you have your 2 plugs to access all the "peripherals" needed for ANY decoder installation.You will need to trim bottom margin to white line on both halves, and make them narrower, look at the silk screen for a guide.You need to notch J1 to clear other socketUse the picture below as a guide, Installation and connections: Final pin connections for J1 & J2 for connecting any decoder (no servos)test connect decoder:track pickupsmotorsspeakerif this works, then finalize wiring: (do in the following order)test for DCC direction, and complete wiring to motors (reverse motor wire connections)test for DC direction, and complete wiring to track pickups, adding in a polyswitch to EACH track pickup wire (4 total) (reverse track pickup connections if wrong) Table 6 - J1 and J2 wiring in order - green is what needs to be connected to my Titan"J" GP60 motherboard socketfunctionwire color on modded adaptertitan socket& pin # corresponding motherboard "Xn" connector if any (n=1 to 11) J1-1 Left rail pickup red (added) J1-1 X1 and J1-2 Right rail pickup black J1-12 J1-3 J1-4 Motor plus white J1-10 J1-5 J1-6 J1-7 J1-8 Motor minus green J1-3 J1-9 J1-10 J1-11 speaker 1 plus (#1) red J2-1 J1-12 speaker 1 minus (#2) black J2-3 J2-1rear headlamp purple J1-9 J2-2 front headlamp purple J1-4 J2-3 J2-4 J2-5 number boards green J3-2 J2-6 right ditch light green J2-12 J2-7 J2-8 left ditch light brown J2-8 J2-9 cab light brown J3-4 J2-10 J2-11 J2-12 X11-1 +5 volt common J3-11 feed +5v from Titan to motherboard X9 & X10 J3-1 J3-2 speaker 2 #1 J2-4 will eventually use for fuel tank speaker J3-3 speaker 2 #2 J2-5 need to double check polarity J3-4 J3-5 J3-6 J3-7 J3-8 J3-9 J3-10 J3-11 J3-12 The picture below shows the connections.You have the #1 pin reference on the silk screen on each boardThe wires in the black tube are unused. I may add a rotating beacon at some other time, so I have not cut away the rest of the wires from the adapters. ReferenceGP60 Dummy plug notesInvestigating the "dummy plug" will yield some more cluesBelow is a picture of the "dummy plug", shown below (as shipped for DC operation)Dip Switch labeling/mapping:Closer inspection shows dip switches apparently mapped to headlights and AUX functions, and the default settings:The silk screening indicates the 2 headlights (upper left switch position 3&4 and 5&6) and then AUX outputs A1 through A11.It would seem that only AUX 1 through 7 have something connected. (by the switch positions)I will verify this, but it's clear there are 2 switches per "output" (normally a led)So every switch has either: (this indicates what function is controlled)LF or LR (light front, light rear)A1 through A13 for AUX1 through AUX13 (the A is missing on some switchesIn addition every switch has:F or R (meaning operation in forward or reverse)ON/OFF (move to ON to enable the desired direction)Looking at the switch positions as shipped:front light is on only in forwardsrear light is on only in reversethe rest are on only in forwards (that is weird) Bachmann / Aristo socket wiringThis is background to help understand the standard socket wiring, since I will use a modified Bachmann adapter plug.Therefore a "mapping" between the Bachmann nomenclature may be helpful to use the silk screened data on the plug.Showing the standards for J1 and J2:Note: The basic Aristo socket only uses J1 electrically: Pin # J1 function (Aristo) J1 function (Bachmann) J2 function(Bachmann) 1 Power Pick-up Right Side Power Pick-up Right Side Aux power 2 Power Pick-up Right SidePower Pick-up Right Side F1 3 Motor(s) Right SideMotor + F2 4 Front Lamp Control rear LED ??? F3 5 Smoke On/Off*smoke - F4 6 + Outgnd F5 7 Ground CommonB+ train bus +8Smoke On/Off*chuff train bus -9Rear Lamp Controlfront LED?? SP-10Motor(s) Left Sidemotor - Reed sw11Power Pick-up Left Sidepower pickup left side SP+12Power Pick-up Left Sidepower pickup left side XXXXXXXXX Aristo did not standardize J2 for power/control purposes(but sometimes the speaker is wired to it), * Pin 5 & 8 must be bridged for DCC Modification overview:So the plan is:cut the adapter in half (since the distance between J1 and J2 is also different from the Aristo/Bachmann standardsthe 11 pin piece is ready to use on J2the 12 pin piece needs to be modified to remove the "shorts" between 1&2 and 11&12Modifying the J1 "piece"first cut away the plastic header that kept the pins together for assemblyremove the pins one by oneremove the copper that contacts pins 1 and 12 (leaving the wire and copper intact for pins 2 and 11replace the pins with a header with long pins on both sidescut the extra pins on top that are not needed (pins 2 through 11)solder 2 new wires to pins 1 and 12 (picture here)
AML GP60 second release Overview: Hoo boy! Lots to talk about, mostly assembly and design. While this page is being built, it will be in goofy order. Basically a product with a complex and non-standard electrical interface with NO DOCUMENTATION WHATSOEVER. Also several design issues in the final product, QA and assembly issues. Issue: missing or broken partsSo my buddy RJ just got one (Jan 2024) and the instruction plate under the dynamic brake blister is missing:This is what you should see: This is what RJ found in his: Broken/missing detail parts:missing number board - reported by Tedmissing brake hose assembly - reported by RJbroken brake hose assembly - reported by Tedbroken underbody piping - reported by RJmissing switch plate (as above) - reported by RJmissing pamphlet with exploded diagrams - reported by RJbroken safety chain between end stanchionsHUGE Some locos wired wrong, shorting the rails together (because trucks are identical, and they are in reversed direction, just like USAT diesels, the track and motor wires must be wired opposite between the 2 trucks. For a short time at the factory, apparently the main electronic tech who does the wiring was sick, and the temporary guy did not wire them right. Now, this loco could NEVER be test run on a piece of track, with the left rail shorted to the right rail, so not a great QA standard in the factory. Problem: poor or defective assemblyBack to the same pictures, this is how the top switch board should look when the trim plate is removed: but see RJ's unit: See a problem?missing metal plate with legendBoard is mounted 180 degrees wrongBattery charge plug obstructedShell not routed out to clear battery charge plugA sharp observer will see that the extra clearance for the charge socket was routed with a mill, seeing the radiused corners on Ted's loco. Another example is that the speedometer drive cable should be coming from the front left truck sideframe. Ted's was on the right rear on one loco, correct on the other loco (he has 2 SP units). Issue, no documentation on electrical interface This is a HUGE problem, and frankly inexcusable.The main motherboard is designed to ONLY support an ESU Loksound 5 XL decoder.This is foolish, since ESU is a minor player in the USA, has limited sound files, and most documentation is in German.In any case, the main board has 4 SIP socket strips, and there is NO WAY to attach any other decoder.There is a dummy plug that goes into the socket: The dummy plug can control some of the lights and have them off, or on in forwards or on in reverse. There is no ditch light automatic function or blinking DisassemblyStarting tips:Get a set of tools that VERY CLOSELY fit the Philips screws, they are in very tightly and you can easily strip the heads. remove the blister on the top of the loco, mine was a tight fit, so pull up on the sides but be careful, over-gripping will put force on the shell, not the blister. My long extension was also sticky.the metal cover plate over the switches was not secured, lift that out.turn the loco over, taking care to NOT rest it on the horns on the cab.to remove the fuel tank: (NOT needed to remove shell)remove the 4 screws for the fuel tank, they are in way tight, note the fuel filler faces forwards.when removing the tank, note the 2 air compressor lines that enter the tank, they are not connected, they just fit through slots in the end of the tank, lift straight up.to remove the shell:remove the 4 screws on the underside at about the 4 corners of the trucksdo not remove the screws in the plates at the very ends of the locoremove the 4 screws that secure the left and right walls of the cabbe SURE to disconnect the handrails at 4 locations on the cab, pop them out of the cab gentlybe SURE to have enough room to lift the shell off the loco on your workspace, have at least a nice thick terry towel. The wires are SHORT between the 2 parts, you will have to lift the shell off and best to lay the loco on it's side, the chassis will need to be on it's side because of the shortness of the wireswhen you finally have it apart, you can note which wires go where, and also that the ditch lights have no disconect.to get into the cab:the cab floor (which includes the seats and the control stand and the exterior battery boxes, slides in and out of the long hoodthere are 4 tabs holding it in place: the 2 tabs on the sides need to be pushed outwards, away from the centerline. The front and rear tabs need to be pushed inwards, towards the center of the cab. (who designs this way?). Use a small fine blade screwdriver and pull up on the cab floor while releasing the tabs bit by bit.Once the cab floor is off, the short nose can slide out.
AML GP60 first release this page under construction Overview:This was a special release at the behest of Robby at RLD Hobbies. This loco was delayed many years, and finally when it was seeming to be "soon", there was a hangup on the electronics. Accucraft apparently wanted a DCC option, and unfortunately hung their hat on interfacing to an ESU decoder as opposed to using the established standard that had several proven drop in decoders.So again in his wisdom, Robby negotiated for a run of locos that had no electronics. He got them almost a year before the general release (and the DCC option is STILL not available), and they were indeed bare bones, no speaker, no lights, no circuit boards, just wires to the trucks.The following pictures are of Colin Camarillo's GP60, and the installation of a QSI Titan.
PIKO 2 Bay Hopper Car Experiences & Body Mount Couplers Ted Doskaris January 17, 2024 Rev GE-A Initial Release Shown above is an example PIKO hopper model representative of an older era prototype car that could have been upgraded in more modern times with "roller bearing" trucks relegated to ballast or sand track maintenance service.Contents:About the PIKO Car & CamPac Boxes Mounting CamPac Box PIKO & Aristo-Craft Car Comparison Upgrading PIKO Car to "Modern" Era Adding Pneumatic Brake Parts PIKO Car Weight Configurations About the PIKO Car & CamPac BoxesPIKO, including antecedent brand names MDC/Roundhouse/Mainline America (henceforth, collectively referred to as PIKO) have / had various versions of this 1/32 scale car that include open top types of rib side, “offset” side, and the car with a removable top cover. First impressions of the 2 bay hopper car is that it’s feather light (weighs 1 pound). The Car also has a noticeably flexible fitting underside chassis frame lacking any fastening hardware. The frame can be removed & reinstalled by bending its spine, as its ends butt fit into and are retained by the car body's draft gear openings (slots). As to prototype, the PIKO external ribbed version model closely resembles the United States Railway Administration (USRA) 1917-1920 World War I era car having 7 external side ribs and brake lever rather than a brake wheel. (Later years of this USRA car had a brake wheel mounted atop of a vertically mounted shaft.)In a 1/29 scale environment, the car could represent a 30 foot long prototype coal car. The car does include reasonably good detail (including the molded-in brake lever). The Car is factory equipped with plastic trucks having plastic wheels and hook & loop couplers. The end sills of the car having a slot for retaining the under frame resembles where a prototype body mount coupler “draft gear” could be located. The slot, which provides some exterior recess with under frame installed, is used to advantage to body mount the "keyed" 3-D printed CamPac coupler box. Accordingly, to both improve the car’s appearance and operation in a long heavy train, body mount CamPac BoxesTM fitted with Kadee centerset (no offset) “G” scale AAR E type couplers from the 907 kit can be employed. To improve the Car's operational stability in a train on curves (8 foot minimum diameter), Replacing the trucks’ plastic wheels with heaver USA Trains metal wheels is done. As to the car's enhanced stability, this is demonstrated in the below illustration where the car is able to "self center" upright just from the added weight of metal wheels! (The Car with metal wheels and body mounted CamPac coupler boxes fitted with Kadee centersets was tested without problems on my under house layout as the first car behind the locos pulling a heavy 27 car freight train around many loops.) For proper coupler alignment with Kadee coupler height gage, spacer washers are to be placed over the chassis bolster pivot post before trucks are mounted. For a typical 1/29 scale environment, the mounted CamPac box and properly installed trucks having metal wheels can be seen below. If choosing to use the car in 1/32 scale environment, the Kadee 1907 kit’s #1 scale smaller coupler could be fitted in the CamPac Boxes in place of the Kadee kit’s 907. (Note: The coupler in 1907 kit is described as centerset, but actually has downward offset to conform with #1 scale coupler railhead height.) Mounting CamPac Box Only a brief installation overview will be illustrated here. NOTE: For full "how to" installation detail, you must see the "PIKO 2 Bay Hopper Car CamPac Box Install Guide" on Colin Camarillo's website where the CamPac boxes for the Car can be obtained. The chassis frame must first be re-installed, and the center of the spine must be screwed to the car body. This requires drilling and tapping before threading in a long screw. This is shown in the Install Guide. The CamPac box "key" will be seated into the car's end sill slot. With the box key seated within the slot, and whilst the box is firmly held in position, frame holes to be drilled and tapped can be established. The box can be removed to do the full drill thru and subsequent tapping.With frame holes drilled thru, they then can be tapped for #2-56 thread. Finally, with the held in place box and seated, it's fastened with #2-56 screws. PIKO & Aristo-Craft Car Comparison Shown below in BN livery is an Aristo covered hopper on the left and a PIKO hopper on the right with factory lid cover Shown below are the top views of the same cars with Aristo covered hopper on the left and PIKO hopper on the right. Shown below are end views of the same cars with PIKO hopper on the left and Aristo covered hopper on the right. Upgrading PIKO Car to "Modern" Era The example presented is the "Reindeer Pass Exclusive" car in BN green livery because it has the: "Clean, Oil, Test Stencil" (COTS) labeling having white outlined black panels indicating more "modern" era 1974 dates. The picture below shows the car before the Aristo-Craft Barber emulated roller bearing trucks were installed - with the washers to be used over the bolster posts before trucks are mounted just like the Car with factory Bettendorf trucks. The following pictures show the car with the Aristo-Craft Barber emulated roller bearing trucks installed.The trucks have AML metal wheels as an alternative to the Aristo wheels. Because the plastic bearing caps fit a little loose, they were glued with a tiny amount of Titebond glue. The "B" end of the car is shown below. Note that the more modern brake wheel could be placed over the molded-in brake lever - not yet done. The "A" end of the car is shown below. Because the Aristo Barber truck bolster mount hole is about 0.020 inch larger in diameter than the PIKO factory Bettendorf truck, a shim is made to fit within the hole, and then the truck is mounted as illustrated below. Doing this mitigates excessive car wobble. Adding Pneumatic Brake Parts The PIKO hopper car does not have any emulated pneumatic brake parts. A more contemporary brake assembly can be installed within the "B" end frame of the car - shown pre-painted. This nicely 3-D printed assembly includes air tank, cylinder, and valve made by Nico Corbo. It can be obtained via Nico's website, 4TrackRR. Shown below is the Reindeer Pass Exclusive PIKO hopper car brought into the more "modern" era, including gluing in Nico's brake assembly. PIKO Car Weight Configurations End, -Ted