How to convert Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper to DCC

This guide covers the following models:

• Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper 09-16 (Yellow) (4709)
• Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper 09-16 (Green) (4710)
• Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper 09-16 (Kanto & Tohoku) (4711)
• Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper 09-16 (Daiichi Kensetsu) (4713)
• Greenmax Plasser & Theurer Tamper 09-16 (Totetsu Kogyo) (4788)

Step 1 - Remove body

Pop out the powered bogie and lift the body off.

Step 2 - Modify upper lighting PCB

Pop off the upper lighting PCB, it is push-fitted onto the plastic pillars. Carefully desolder the two springs, and solder a blue and yellow wire in their place. Replace the PCB.

Step 3 - Modify front lighting PCB

Unclip the front lighting PCB holder by gently pulling it upwards. Separate the lighting PCB from the yellow holder.

Desolder the two springs, and solder a white and blue wire in their place. Refit the PCB to the holder, and clip the whole thing back into the unit.

Step 4 - Modify motor wiring

Pop the motor cradle out by pushing the black clips holding it in from underneath. Take the motor out and solder a grey and orange wire to it.

Remove the two vertical copper legs from the chassis. Put the motor back in the cradle, and refit.

Step 5 - Connect track pickups

Solder a red and black wire to the copper tabs inside the cab. There are alternative places where the copper tabs are exposed if you prefer an easier soldering point, but this location is best for hiding the wires.

Step 6 - Modify dummy unit

It is possible to install a second decoder in this part of the model if you prefer not to have two wires going between the two units.

Unclip the body from the other unit. There is a single lightbar PCB in the roof, which appears difficult to remove without the chance of causing damage. Leaving the PCB in situ, solder two yellow wires onto the end of the long springs and cover them in heat shrink sleeving.

Place a piece of tape over the holes next to the large screw that expose the track pickup contacts - just in case.

Drill a small hole just next to the cab door, and pass the two yellow wires through.

Remove the yellow rectangular plastic detailing block, it is push-fitted onto the floor and not glued. Cut a small notch at bottom on both sides so the two wires can pass through it.

Pass the wires through, refit the detail piece and clip the body back on.

Take the other unit, and drill a small hole next to the cab door. Pass the two wires through and into the main body.

Step 7 - Connect Decoder

Test that the motor wires (orange/grey) are completely isolated from the track pickup wires (red/black). Also check that the three lighting wires (blue/white/yellow) have no continuity with anything.

Solder all wires to your decoder. In this example, we have installed a 6 pin socket and hard-wired the lighting common (blue) cable directly to the ESU LokPilot 5 decoder. If your decoder does not have a blue wire, you can connect it to one of the track pickups (red/black). Where multiple wires of the same colour are present, join them together and just run one wire from the join to the decoder.

Add some kapton tape to keep the wires flat on top of the upper PCB, refit the body, and the conversion is nearly complete.

Step 8 - Programme Lighting Functions

If you test your tamper model at this point, you will notice that the headlight/cab light comes on in one direction when F0 is pressed. In the other direction, the lights at the other end plus the trackbed lights come on. Consult your decoder manual to obtain the CV values you need so that F0 and F1 can turn the two groups of lights on/off independently of the train's direction of travel. This will enable some flexibility to recreate a more prototypicical scene with your tamper model.