Fleischmann E94 DCC Blues: I chicken out! (FL-739401)

I got a new locomotive today!  I've really been holding back on new acquisitions for some time now but the lure of Black Friday prices and 1920's electrics won me over.  It is a Fleischmann E94, (model FL-739401).   

As pictured in the catalog

I happily unboxed and and took a quick picture or two with a macro lens to show the detail:

Thus far all is well, but now onto the tricky bit: the DCC install.   Opening this up was no problem, but look at the space for the decoder!

The weight lifts out and in fact you are obliged to remove it permanently with any decoder installed.  I'm not keen on that but I can live with it.  Given my inclines more tractive power is a good thing, but with 8 wheels driven I should be okay.  Bot look at the space provided!  That is space for a plug, not a decoder.   The decoder must be seted above, where the weight is.  This is not ideal.  I had a plan.  I had a nice ESU Lokpilot Micro ready and waiting.   I planned it!  

Not to be deterred, I popped it in just to run the locomotive about a bit and get a sense of how it runs (and it runs well, a proper review will follow).  

Well, this is not quite ideal...

Sadly, with that chip sticking out I didn't have clearance for my tunnels and I found myself worrying that I might glace away at a key moment and have it go smacking into stonework so it's run tonight was quite limited.
  

I contemplated snipping the DC placeholder plug in half and using it's terminals to solder wires that I could then solder to my decoder.  I considered my experience of doing similar surgery to a CE 6/8 and the hours of frustration that entailed.  While it all wored in the end, I had to conclude it was not worth the grief.  So, now it's $40 later and I've ordered a new decoder with a prewired plug, it should arrive next week and the install will be the trivial experience I had anticipated. 

What will become of my E94?  Click here to find out!

Here's what Fleischmann has to say about this model:

Electric loco of the DRG, class E 94 (2008 Limited Edition)

Overall length: 116 mm. Super-detailling, -livery and -lettering. Inset windows. Interior details in driver’s cab. Sprung pantographs. Current pick-up from the rails or overhead catenary. Cast metal chassis. Motor with flywheel. With standard NEM 651 socket for installation of a decoder. Drive on 8 wheels, of which 2 are fitted with traction tyres. Double headlights at each end, co-ordinated with the direction of travel. Automatic couplings at each end. Slot-guide mechanism at each end for true close coupling by using the PROFI-coupling 9545 (delivered with standard couplings). Standard NEM 355 coupling socket. Epoch II

Once I'm properly setup I'll post my thoughts on this.   So far, I'm impressed with the appearance and disappointed it did not accept the decoder I had on hand.