In case this isn't wide spread or you haven't heard, at least my own Rivarossi Allegeheny was wired wrong.

It has an NMRA connector, but the wiring to the circuit board doesn't match the drawing that comes with the locomotive. We found the Motor+ wire and the Right Rail Pick-Up wires to the circuit board swapped.

Luckily, I didn't blow the decoder. We got the loco running and the headlight working last night.

The tail light should, but doesn't work - yet. It will probably be next Friday before I have time to fix this. It shouldn't be a big deal.

If someone knows of a web site that details how to make this "NMRA DCC compatiable" locomotive work with a DCC decoder, please post the URL to this forum until I get around to writing something up. I am adding sound to it and will add a page to my site after the semester is over.

It has place to put a basically square decoder. I got a TCS TH150W from Loys Toys. (Rivarossi is apparently selling a decoder for this locomotive, but I couldn't find anyone at the time who sold it in the US.) The TCS seems like a great decoder.

It looks like the correct length for the wiring from the decoder to the NMRA connector is about 3/4" (rather than the 1.25" I had originally told Loy.)

Overall, this is a very nice locomotive and is our current steep grade pulling champion.

-- Allan Gartner (bigboy@WiringForDCC.com), March 22, 2003