HELP!!!! did i mess up my bachmann loco?

[SantaFeliners]

ok guys here it goes....im new to this hobby ive always been into trains but never got around to getting me a set until now. Well my problem is that first i bought a life like santa fe train kit that comes with like 5 cars, tracks ect ect.....so i went ahead and bought a dcc bachmann santa fe loco and when i tried to run it on the life like tracks it would be very slow so i had to move the power to max to get it to run fast. But then the most horrible smell starting to come out of the loco like if it was burning and now it wont run at all. Did i fry the engine? can anyone help me out here? thanks.

[simkon]

You may have overheated it causing damage. For future reference, it is best not to turn the rheostat (speed regulator) all the way up. Also, the reasons why your loco won't run very fast is the track is dirty, which made the locomotive's wheels dirty, also the decoder draws more power requiring the dial to be turned higher than a comparable DC loco. A DCC loco is best run with a DCC controller, it does no good to buy a DCC loco if you have no intentions to by a DCC system, then you would get the same performance as a standard DC loco (well actually slightly worse).

[SantaFeliners]

so basically i damaged the loco? how bad is it? and is it repairable? what should i do next?

[simkon]

Check all the connections, if the loco is not running, also see if anything is jamming the mechanism.

[SantaFeliners]

it wont run i tried everything.....i notice that when i put it on the track theres a spark coming from when the wheels meet the rails but it wont move....im guessing i need an ez command unit. what do you suggest?

[simkon]

An E-Z command won't help if the loco is damaged and in need of repair.

[SantaFeliners]

ok how can i get it repaired?

[bobwrgt]

Do you still have the warranty information that came with the engine? You will have to send it into Bachmann for repair or replacement. Give the service department a call they will help you.
You don't need a DCC system to run DCC/DC  duel mode engines on if you are using DC only. They are designed to be used on both and will run fine.
Something might have been wrong, binding, or shorted inside when you got the engine.
All HO engines should run fine on any HO track that is clean and getting the correct power.
You might try returning it to the place where you purchased it from for a replacement.

Bob

[SantaFeliners]

thanx bob for your help ill study my options and go from there.

marvin

[jward]

one thing you might consider if you need to replace your locomotive, bachmann and others make models of santa fe f units. most are not f9s, which were pretty rare in real life. the far more common ft, f3 and f7 models are readily available. the ft is by bachmann, with or without dcc. the f3 is from lifelike (proto1000) stewart and others. the f7, which sold more than all other f types combined, has been made by bachmann, stewart, athearn, model power, and many others. all of the above probably run better than the f9 you had, and some models can be found for under $50....

[RAM]

When you send your locomotive in, don't say I think I fried my engine.  Just tell them that it smelled like something burning and now it well not run.  I really think there was something wrong with it

[SantaFeliners]

I really think that there was something wrong with it, it is possible for something new to have malfunctions. Its happened to me before with different things.

[SantaFeliners]

its a little dissapointing though...i was so happy to own my first bachmann loco and now its fried.

[SantaFeliners]

Good news I sent Bachmann my engine and they are getting it fixed for me....Thank You B-Man!!