Loco and Tender - Two Decoders?

[TGO]

I apologize if this has been answered before. I tried to search and did not find it.

 

When using LGB MTS to control a loco and tender, do you use two decoders set to the same address or one decoder with power run from the loco to the tender?

[Rayman4449]

Hi TGO and welcome.

 

I would expect it to have one decoder as the tender won't have a powered drive.  Any lights or speaker in the tender would be as you said controlled via wires passed between the engine and tender

[TGO]

Rayman4449:

 

Thanks for the reply.  I failed to mention that the tender is powered and can operate on its own as a loco.

 

This youtube shows one identiacal to mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKbYV3hsy7M

[Rayman4449]

Are you are wanting to install LGB MTS in the engine is that correct?  If that's the case and the tender is powered, I would use one decoder and run the necessary wires back and forth between the tender and engine depending on where you choose to install the decoder.

[Neil Robinson]

As usual Rayman gives sound advice.

However I would like to put an alternative view for consideration.

I have heard reports of examples of the LGB 0-6-0 TT (tank+tender) locos running at a different speed to their tenders when uncoupled. If this is the case fitting the loco and tender with individual decoders permits the speed curves to be separately adjusted in order to better match the motors.

 

[LGB333]

I recently converted my 25 year old LGB White Pass Diesel from DC power to DCC using two LGB #55021 decoders.  I wired both decoders together so they would operate in unison.  Alternatively, the LGB #55027 decoder allows use of just one decoder to control two motors.  By the way, it's a pain converting these older LGB engine blocks to DCC due to there only being three electrical connections on the motor blocks:  one each for track power with the third connection shared for the positive and negative motor operation.  So I reconfigured the two engine blocks by installing a forth electrical pin for each motor.......lots of tedious work drilling holes and installing the forth electrical pin.  An easier method I've since used on an older LGB "D" motor block is to insulate the "common" pin from motor connection and then solder a separate wire onto the motor.  Then you can connect the four wires from LGB decoder as normal:  The Brown and White wires to the motor block's track power connections, and the Green and Yellow wires to the motor block's motor connections.