bachmann 2-8-0 conversion

[westchalco]

I recently purchased an older Bachmann 2-8-0 (Spectrum, UP #721) and combined it with a new Bachmann medium vanderbilt tender,
along with adding a Tsunami "medium steam" sound DCC decoder.  When I run it on DC power, it surges ahead and runs fairly fast
with some chugging sound.  Is there some way to modify it to run better in the DC mode?  Are the wire connections compatible between the
original Spectrum engine and the new DCC ready tender?  TIA.

[beampaul7]

I've been meaning to post this since someone had a similar problem with their new 2-6-0 a while back before I was able to get back on the Bachmann board.  When I first got my new 2-6-0's they performed in a similar manner so I took one of them down to Caboose Hobbies here in Denver.  Dave, their DCC man, put it on a premium ? DC power pack that they have for test running locomotives and it ran flawlesly.  He seems to believe that Tsumami decoders are very fussy about the DC signal they'll function with.  They don't like my MRC 9500 at all.  Jonathan mentioned a while back that the tsumami manual said they come from the factory with the dual mode turned off.  In any case I got my Zephyr out and both locos run and sound great with it.  Now I have a much bigger problem, about ten loco's that don't have decoders.   

Paul lol

[richg]

Usually the DC issue is a power pack with pulse power option. The pulses confuse the micro processor on the decoder board.

Rich