Note: retrieved from the Internet Wayback machine, originally on MyLargeScale.com by Scot Lawrence

Note: Some of the locomotives in this database are no longer in production, and are only available on the used market.
 
 

  note:  Lionel is no longer making LS trains.
 
 
 

   Note: click  here  for some highly detailed NW2 block drawings by MLS Member Steve S. (dawgnabbit on MLS)
   USA Trains GP30 - GP7 - GP38 - F-3 use the same block.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

For updates, corrections, comments, etc, please email Scot at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Last updated February 28, 2008
 

AML GP60 electronics / DCC install

Overview

This is a long page, as this project required a lot of reverse engineering of the AML electronics, a simple way to interface to the proprietary socket and electronics, and a compact installation of a complex decoder.

You can skip the reverse engineering part and jump right to the install section, see the links below.

Table of Contents: (with links)

• Starting point: reverse engineering (immediately below)
• Document the GP60 motherboard / socket pinouts from step above CLICK HERE
• Document other motherboard connectors - the actual devices connected to the socket CLICK HERE
• The strategy to make a plug in adapter CLICK HERE to start the actual install
• Final wiring - connect the adapter to the decoder CLICK HERE

Why is the "reverse engineering" so complicated?

This 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've gone into these details as I used this page to document my investigation to DECODE the interface presented on the GP60 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 decoder
• TCS Wowsound 501 decoder
• Digitrax DG583s QSI Revolution decoder (out of production)
• QSI Titan decoder (out of production)

To make this worse, there are NO screw terminals to connect to the loco "peripherals", and to top it off, unusual connectors in the areas that the lighting is connectorized.

• So this page documents the arduous process of understanding the pinout of the OEM decoder, and verifying the socket, and the other plugs on the motherboard
• you have to understand the pinout of the decoder first, thus allowing the documentation of the socket
• at the end of this page, I "decode" the understanding and the operation of the "dummy plug" that is supplied for DC operation and is likewise UNDOCUMENTED
• production 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 ahead to the section where I make the plug in adapter.

The starting point: LokSound 5XL decoder connections

Clearly 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 on the silkscreen.

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, again following the Aristo and Bachmann conventions.

Further I call the top connector (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

You think this would be easy, but there are unused pins and other weird stuff. Below is a picture of the motherboard (thanks to RLD Hobbies),

READ THIS COMPLETELY, there are a number of "gotchas" in the mechanical design.

Notice the 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 for the black plastic connectors that make up the "socket":

• Left Side connector: J1, #1 pin at bottom in the picture above.
• Right side connector: J2, #1 at bottom IN THE BLACK SOCKET STRIP
• Bottom (in the photograph): J3, pin one on the left
• Top (in the photograph): J4, pin 1 on the right, but the numbering is screwed up when looking at the decoder illustration. No matter, mostly servos.

NOTE on J2, to clarify some weirdness:

• the first pin of the decoder does NOT have a socket hole...
• so the J2 pin 1 socket starts with the rear light, not AUX 11, weird. It is marked on the back side with the square solder land, calling that J1
• likewise the last connection/pin on the decoder does not appear in the socket, so the 14 pins on the decoder are only matched by 12 on the motherboard
• You can see on the motherboard there are clearly 2 unused holes in the board, that the socket does not utilize, goofy!

Listing of the pins in the socket J1: (notice I reference the actual pins in the socket)

Table 1

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 2

J3 socket pins, (bottom) again 12 pins, starting from the left

Table 3

J4 socket pins

Table 4

15,14,13 servo 1

11,10,9 servo 2

7,6,5 servo 3

3,2,1 servo 4

(I may add a formal  table here eventually, only for the servos, perhaps used for uncouplers, or if there is a high current output for a smoke unit on J4

GP60 motherboard other connectors

There 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 functions
The bright green pins are the J1 and J2 pins needed to connect to a decoder are in green

 Table 5

Tip: buy a connector kit to match and work with the Micro-Fit connectors used on the ESU hardware: (amazon)

Plug in adapter strategy:

Summary: what is needed from the motherboard for adapting a DCC decoder:

• we need a 12 pin connector on J1
• we can get away with 6 pins for J2
• there are very few pins needed from J3
• we need to find a way to feed the +5 volt pins that go to the LED lights, sourced from the motherboard.

Why start with the Bachmann adapter?

• It already has two 12 pin male connectors with wires.
• even though the distance between J1 and J2 is different from the Aristo/Bachmann standards, it appears simple to cut it in half to fit
• the 11 pin piece is ready to use on J2
• the 12 pin piece only needs slight modification to remove the "shorts" between 1&2 and 11&12
• basically it saves a lot of time
• no modifications to the motherboard, totally reversible installation.

Modifying the Bachmann Dash 9 adapter for the GP60 socket

The Bachmann adapter (G828X-PCB05) 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 modification to separate these pins and add 2 more wires so that all 12 pins have independent connections.
• J2 "end" has all 11 pins with independent wires, it's ready to go.

Look carefully at the picture below and you can see the copper that jumpers these two pairs of pins on J1 (lower left corner in the picture below):

Steps to modify the Bachmann adapter:

1. Cut away insulator from pins on J1 (it will be easier to fully remove the pins to "split" the copper shorting pins 1&2 and 11&12)
2. Remove the pins from the J1 side (see below) (now easy to remove the pins individually)
3. grind away the copper that shorts pins 1&2 and 11&12
4. put in new pin strip with long pins on both sides (strips found on Amazon)
5. connect two new separate wires to pins 1 and 12
6. finally cut the adapter in half, and trim to fit

Step 1: Cutting away the plastic from the connector pins:

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:

 Step 2:

Now that the pins are no longer all held by the plastic, you can remove them one by one. However you do this, you will probably want some "solder wick" to clean up the old solder, and ensure the holes are completely open.

I used solder wick to remove the solder on all 12 pins first, 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 3: remove copper shorting 1&2 and 11&12

Now cut away the extra copper that links the outer 2 pins... I used a small cylindrical grinder at slow speed:

Step 4: solder new pin strip in:

Now solder the new strip back in: (bought from amazon with 7.5 mm pins on BOTH sides

Step 5: add on wires for pins 1 & 12

Trim pins 2 through 11 on the top side if they are too high above the board (easier to get to new pins 1 & 12

Add in new wires for pins 1 and 12

Step 7: cut adapter in half and trim to fit

Cut 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 the "bottom" socket

Use the picture below as a guide: (notice the silk screen lettering)

Installation and connections:

Final pin connections for J1 & J2 for connecting any decoder (no servos)

1. test connect decoder, just connect:

• track pickups
• motors
• speaker

2. if this works, then finalize "forwards" 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)

3. Now, add the lighting functions and the +5 volt supply (from QSI to motherboard)(you do this to simplify the powering of the common for the LEDs)

Table 6 - J1 and J2 wiring in order - green is what needs to be connected, yellow is optional

The picture below shows the basic connections.

You have the #1 pin reference on the silk screen on each board

The 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.

Final location of components:

The most critical is the stacking of the decoder on the adapter/motherboard socket, and clearance to the smoke unit.

The installed height shown below is 2-3/8" (measured from where the bottom edge of the shell sits.

The clearance from the bottom of the smoke unit to the bottom edge of the shell is 2-1/2"

So I put an 1/8" rubber "bumper" across the bottom of the smoke unit to keep things in place, and so the decoder cannot come up and foul the fan.

cab wiring/lighting problems

I noticed my number boards were awful, and also seemed to light the cab somewhat, and the cab light was visible through the cab windows.

So, initially I removed the bracket from the cab and bent the cab light LED into a sort of Z curve, which allowed me to tuck the LED nicely up into the rectangular recess in the cab roof.

But the number board LEDs were still plenty dim. Oh well.

But while we were debugging the dealer-altered wiring for the ditch lights on RJ's loco, I had to pull the lighting board again, and investigated.

I found that his cab lighting board was installed upside down from mine, and then investigated the alignment of the surface mount number board LEDs and saw they were way off, not even close to beaming into the openings for the number boards.

I tried mounting my bracket .were

67.31 - 64.16 = 3.15 mm from bracket bottom

re-drill holes 4 mm away, then centers of SM LEDs for number boards will be centered

Here's an overall picture of the board as delivered, with the 3 connectors on the back side.

The picture below shows the configuration as received. The 2 LEDs are WAY too high in relation to the bracket, they were beaming above the opening to the number boards:

Below: a try at repositioning the bracket, but the LEDs are blocked by the bracket (they are the small yellow squares surface mounted on the board.

After drilling new holes for the bracket 4 mm lower, everything worked. No permutation of mounting the bracket lined things up right.

Below, after installation, a bit of tape will block the number board LEDs from bleeding into the cab. Notice how I bent the cab LED down into the recess into the cab roof:

Review of QSI LED light ports for reference (and double check):

• Port 1 - front headlight
• Port 2 - rear headlight
• Port 3 - front left ditch light
• Port 4 - front right ditch light
• Port 5 - reserved for front overhead beacon (1 of 4)
• Port 6 - front number boards
• Port 7 - reserved for front overhead beacon (2 of 4)
• Port 8 - front cab light
• Port 9 - smoke unit fan (using truck lights feature)
• Port 10 - reserved for front overhead beacon (3 of 4)
• Port 11 - reserved for front overhead beacon (4 of 4)
• Port 12 - reserved for smoke unit heater (special high current port on QSI) (using step lights)

Note all 12 LED ports on the Titan are mapped/used.

Smoke Unit Install

I used a feature of the QSI decoder that allows directly driving the fan and heater separately, and provides a high current output for the heater.

I used the stock bracket with just a little modification and it fits like it was designed to go there. (the manual shows what seems to be a TAS (Train America Studios) smoke unit. The Aristo unit actually fits BETTER.

I've made a separate page for this install: CLICK HERE

Reference - GP60 Dummy plug notes

Investigating the "dummy plug" will yield some more clues

Below 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 switches

In 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 forwards
• rear light is on only in reverse
• the rest are on only in forwards (that is weird)

Reference: Bachmann / Aristo socket wiring

This 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:

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 parts

So 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 Ted
• missing brake hose assembly - reported by RJ
• broken brake hose assembly - reported by Ted
• broken underbody piping - reported by RJ
• missing switch plate (as above) - reported by RJ
• missing pamphlet with exploded diagrams - reported by RJ
• broken safety chain between end stanchions
• HUGE 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 assembly

Back 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 legend
• Board is mounted 180 degrees wrong
• Battery charge plug obstructed
• Shell not routed out to clear battery charge plug

A 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

 Disassembly

Starting 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 trucks
• do not remove the screws in the plates at the very ends of the loco
• remove the 4 screws that secure the left and right walls of the cab
• be SURE to disconnect the handrails at 4 locations on the cab, pop them out of the cab gently
• be 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 wires
• when 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 hood

there 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, pending more pictures

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. This caused at least a year of delay.

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.

 Notice no motherboard, no wiring to the ditch lights, no speaker.

Notice in the cab, no cab light, no numberboard lights and no headlights.

There also was no speaker, no rear headlight, and no bracket and funnel for the smoke unit.