This easy-to-build test rig is perfect to see if your DCC chips are working, but my main reason for making it was to try out resistor/LED combinations to get a more realistic brightness for my loco lights. There is a little bit of basic soldering required, but the prototyping breadboard makes it straightforward to test various options.

AUGUST 2024 UPDATE - adding a green LED, with opposite polarity to the orange one (3:45), means you can show motor activity in both direction. The same resistor is good for both.

Timecodes:

0:00 Intro
0:22 Building my tester:
0:35 8-pin decoder socket
0:54 Breadboard
1:15 Controller connector
1:37 Wiring to the 8-pin socket
2:21 Motor connections
3:17 Motor control LED - wiring schematic
3:45 Adding the motor LED and resistor
4:01 Testing the motor connection
4:47 Wiring for light testing
5:48 Light testing schematic
5:58 Trying out LED resistors combinations
6:47 Changing resistors
7:44 Final selection