C&O H-4 2-6-6-2

[SteamGene]

I finally bought the Bachmann C&O H-4 with Sound DCC.  I think this is my first new locomotive in a year and a half.  It runs fine and sounds very good.  However, I could not change the address from 3 to the cab number.  (1343)  I used JMRI's Decoder Pro and got red bars and failure messages.  Since Decoder Pro would not read the decoder type, I told it Tsunami Heavy Steam. 
Thoughts?

[SteamGene]

Oh - the Bachmann couplers already need replacing.  Ole 1343 pulled ONE 70 ton hopper up the club layout and about 3/4 of the way around the tender coupler failed.  The pilot coupler didn't work at all. 
Gene

[SteamGene]

Answering my own question, according to Soundtraxx it may well be the Tony's Trainworld Powerpack we have.  It's several years old and apparently a lot of people with Bachmann DCC equipped have called in with the same problem.  Of course, Soundtraxx's solution is to buy their powerpack, the PTB-100.
Gene

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Steamgene
Finally recieved my C&O  H4 2-6-6-2 and have a question for you,If you are able to view the whistle selections in your cv programer could you post the types of the different whistles available with the H4 2-6-6-2 and its tsunami decoder
should be at least 3 different whistles on that decoder.

Thanks in advance. 

[SteamGene]

I'll do what I can.  I may go up to the club this evening, but I'll be gone from Thursday until Sunday night.  I know that the Tsunami web site lists the whistles on the standard heavy steam.  I would assume that the Bachmann Tsunami has its whistles from the standards.
Gene

[GN.2-6-8-0]

The Tsunami decoder in the Spectrum series is a abbreviated one made by Soundtrax for Bachmann,case in point is the Bachmann 2-10-0 Russian Decapod of which i have one . the full Tsunami Light/ medium /heavy steam decoders list 7 to 8 different whistles available with the decoders where as My Bachmann 2-10-0 only has 3 to choose from so I'm assuming the decoder in the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 also only has 3 although there was a rumor going around  a while back that the Spectrum series might be produced with the full Tsunami decoder.....Maybe the 'Bach man' can say yay'or nay on this rumor  or we might read the decoder and find 7/8 whistles listed.....Oh happy days eh'
Any ways I'll be at my club Sat and will try and read the decoder too before the break in period.

[GN.2-6-8-0]

O.K was able to get over to the club last night and After reading the decoder see that there are only 3 whistles but was happy with whistle2 the B&O 3 chime. engine Ran well though the chuff sound was not as deep as I'd hoped still a beautiful machine non the less, still need to do the number boards and the tender coal &water capacity lettering and she' should be ready for revenue service. 

 

[Yankeeflyer]

The Tsunami decoder in the Spectrum series is a abbreviated one made by Soundtrax for Bachmann,case in point is the Bachmann 2-10-0 Russian Decapod of which i have one . the full Tsunami Light/ medium /heavy steam decoders list 7 to 8 different whistles available with the decoders where as My Bachmann 2-10-0 only has 3 to choose from so I'm assuming the decoder in the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 also only has 3 although there was a rumor going around  a while back that the Spectrum series might be produced with the full Tsunami decoder.....Maybe the 'Bach man' can say yay'or nay on this rumor  or we might read the decoder and find 7/8 whistles listed.....Oh happy days eh'
Any ways I'll be at my club Sat and will try and read the decoder too before the break in period.

Hi
I bought the 2-6-6-2, (I guess it's the H4), last  Christmas and have been fighting it ever since. I finally got the CV values from another modeler and got it to run fairly  good. I did find out that Decoder Pro does not show all of the CVs on their CV page.
If the Bachmann "OE" is different from the Regular Tsunami steam decoder,  does the Tsunami owners manual really give you the correct information for the Bachman decoder?
My problem was that the loco did not run full speed at full throttle. It stopped accelerating at step 19 (NCE Power Cab) and that was all. I had no problems with my other Bachmann Spectrum's.
Any Ideas.
Lee

[jonathan]

Have any of you finished breaking your H-4s and pulled some cars, yet?

I am curious about the H-4's pulling capacity.  I'm saving my nickels for a drag freight engine.  I love my smaller Spectrums, but I need a 'pull the paint off the walls' loco to top off my fleet.  Double heading my Connies will get the job done, but... well you know, Tim the Tool Man could express it better than me...

Regards,

Jonathan

[GN.2-6-8-0]

The review of the earlier H-4 on the MR website gave the tractive effort as 56 free rolling cars on straight and level track,throwing in a 1-1/2 % grade plus a 36" radius curve and Found it reduced that to 25 cars though I'll admit the may have been a bit over weight,can't say as I didn't have a scale handy to check each one.
Now if you really are looking for pull the paint off the walls performance I would have to recommend the BLI Paragon2 Y6b  Its tractive effort is just plane scary,After break in I tied 100 metal wheeled free rolling 55 and 70 ton hoppers to the drawbar and it walked right off with them.
Bare in mind of course that this engine has a diecast metal frame AND boiler It also is equipted with traction tires on both engines .....the good' enormous traction.....the bad' may be unable to slip its drivers when needed.But! BLI does provide spare wheel sets with the model for those wishing to change out the TT axels.
And yes this locomotive does cost somewhat more $399 new a bit less for one of the refurbished models.
Ibought one when the new H4 didn't make it into the country by my birthday,and was not a bit sorry. Upon the H4 finally arriving here my order which i had clean forgotten about arrived on my doorstep and though not having the massive TE of the Y6 I'm still very pleased with it's exceptional detail and running qualitys and with drivers within a inch of each other can;t wait to double head them...

[pdlethbridge]

My brother has a Y6 and it is a beautiful looker and runner.

[jonathan]

Yes, I've seen that loco running on our club layout.  Very nice, indeed--just the wrong roadname.  I prefer B&O, but feel like I'm going to have to compromise with C&O. Big engines with this roadname are much more prevalent.  Aprapo, since the C&O was larger and merged my railroad with a few others.  This is why I was happy SteamGene started this thread.

Thanks for your thoughts.  Thanks, Gene, for starting the thread.  And thanks to 2-6-8-0 for the awesome photo.


Regards,

Jonathan

[GN.2-6-8-0]

The Tsunami decoder in the Spectrum series is a abbreviated one made by Soundtrax for Bachmann,case in point is the Bachmann 2-10-0 Russian Decapod of which i have one . the full Tsunami Light/ medium /heavy steam decoders list 7 to 8 different whistles available with the decoders where as My Bachmann 2-10-0 only has 3 to choose from so I'm assuming the decoder in the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 also only has 3 although there was a rumor going around  a while back that the Spectrum series might be produced with the full Tsunami decoder.....Maybe the 'Bach man' can say yay'or nay on this rumor   or we might read the decoder and find 7/8 whistles listed.....Oh happy days eh'
Any ways I'll be at my club Sat and will try and read the decoder too before the break in period.

Hi
I bought the 2-6-6-2, (I guess it's the H4), last  Christmas and have been fighting it ever since. I finally got the CV values from another modeler and got it to run fairly  good. I did find out that Decoder Pro does not show all of the CVs on their CV page.
If the Bachmann "OE" is different from the Regular Tsunami steam decoder,  does the Tsunami owners manual really give you the correct information for the Bachman decoder?
My problem was that the loco did not run full speed at full throttle. It stopped accelerating at step 19 (NCE Power Cab) and that was all. I had no problems with my other Bachmann Spectrum's.
Any Ideas.
Lee

One thing to keep in mind is that the H4 was a drag freight locomotive with small 56" drivers If it  ever exceeded 35mph it was just screaming down the track! To say nothing about scaring the beejeezes out'a the crew!!lol

[J3a-614]

Jonathan,

If you need an excuse for N&W power on a B&O layout set near the eastern end of the system, you could include the B&O/N&W interchanges at Charles Town or at Shenandoah Junction, W.Va.  This would be on N&W's Shenandoah Valley line coming up from Roanoke to Hagerstown, Md., via Luray, Shenandoah, Vesuvius, and other points in Virginia, passing through Rippon, Charles Town (crossing the former Winchester & Potomac, later B&O, branch line from Harpers Ferry, W.Va. to Winchester and Strasburg, Va., on a diamond), crossing the B&O Baltimore-Washington-Cumberland main line on a bridge at Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., and continuing on to cross into Maryland over the Potomac River and the C&O Canal on a large bridge at Shepherdstown, W.Va., continuing on through Sharpsburg, Md. (site of Antietam Battlefield) and St. James to Hagerstown.

B&O and N&W met at Hagerstown, too, and also met the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Western Maryland as well.  In fact, the B&O came into Hagerstown from two directions, one being a branch (now abandoned) from Weverton, Md. (between Brunswick and Harpers Ferry), and the other, with much heavier traffic, as a trackage rights deal over the Western Maryland from an interchange and junction at Cherry Run, W.Va./Big Pool, Md., then running to Hagerstown via Williamsport, Md.  I don't know if the B&O trains behind the Big Sixes needed helpers or not, but the hill from Williamsport to Hagerstown was a pusher district for WM trains coming from Cumberland into the diesel age.  The Reading Comany ran into Hagerstown, too, on WM trackage rights from the north.

Hopefully you won't go broke, but if want to do some research on this connection, I recommend two books, "Steam, Steel and Stars," and "The Last Steam Railroad in America," both of which feature the amazing--and I say amazing!--photography of the late O. Winston Link, who is burried in Shepherdstown.  I can also recommend "Shenandoah Valley Line," by Mason Cooper, for information on the N&W line up the valley.  And for pure listening pleasure, check out the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, Va., and look up his "Sounds of Steam Railroading" series--some of the most wonderful railroad recordings ever made.  

Link did almost all his railroad work on the N&W because it was the "last steam railroad in America," but I think anyone doing work as a model railroader, railroad artist, or even a historian would find magnificent inspiration in what Link did.

There is at least one sound sequence you can find on YouTube that can give you an hint of what Link was about (it's his famous sequence at Rural Retreat, Va., on the line to Bristol, recorded on December 24, 1957--note that date, which will explain some of what you hear in the recording)--a decent way to "try before you buy."

Good luck.  Have fun.  

[jonathan]

Oy! More homework. Oy!

Seriously, I am quickly learning that I know very little about railroad operations, especially how the various railroads did business with each other.  In other words, I need to do just a little more research.  From what you're telling me, setting up a prototypical transportation system is not as difficult as I think it is, at least when it comes to choosing power.  I believe I read somewhere; no matter what you imagine, there's likely a prototype out there... akin to 'there is nothing new under the sun'.   Sometimes I forget rule #1 (though not often).

Given the choice, I will always select B&O, but it seems like, if I have to, I can find a use for most roadnames (east of the Mississippi anyway).  Perhaps I'll even find a way to employ the Bowser G5, if the blankety decals will ever get here.

Thanks,

Jonathan