Bachmann HO 4-6-2 Pacific Loco (DCC) Tender keeps coming off track

[robertlynn]

I got for Christmas an HO 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive. Really looks good. My problem is the wire bundle coming from the tender is so stiff it is making the tender go off the track. Would Bachmann send me new connectors so I can install smaller wiring?

[Doneldon]

robert-

You can easily fix this problem, a notorious one with Bachmann steamers. I think they should have used extra-flexible wires but they didn't so we have to adjust.

I'm guessing from your description that the wires between your loco and its tender are fairly short and basically horizontal. The fix involves gathering as much extra wire as you can and forming it into a vertical loop (a U-shaped loop, not a circle). This will relieve most of the sideways pressure on the front of your tender. If you still have problems, you can add a little (one ounce or so) weight in the front of your tender. It's easy to open with four screws. While you're at it, make sure that your tender's trucks rotate freely. The best adjustment for the trucks is to have one which pivots only and one which also rocks just a little.

I hope this helps. And welcome to model railroading. It's an interesting and varied hobby which has held my attention for nearly
60 years.

                     -- D

[robertlynn]

Don, tried what you said and so far so good! I'm going to add a tsunami and speaker into the tender and hopefully that will give it more weight. Also the lighting in the Bachmann steam seems to be dim. Is that the decoder doing that? And does anyone know of exploded views for the 4-6-2 Bachmann steam locos? No papers were in the new box when I got it.

[rogertra]

Don, tried what you said and so far so good! I'm going to add a tsunami and speaker into the tender and hopefully that will give it more weight. Also the lighting in the Bachmann steam seems to be dim. Is that the decoder doing that? And does anyone know of exploded views for the 4-6-2 Bachmann steam locos? No papers were in the new box when I got it.

Steam headlights were not bright.  Diesels have sealed beam headlights, steam locomotives used a 90 Watt lamp that produced a golden glow.

It's a common modelling misconception to think that a steam headlight should look as bright as today's diesel headlights when this is simply not true.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

Don, tried what you said and so far so good! I'm going to add a tsunami and speaker into the tender and hopefully that will give it more weight. Also the lighting in the Bachmann steam seems to be dim. Is that the decoder doing that? And does anyone know of exploded views for the 4-6-2 Bachmann steam locos? No papers were in the new box when I got it.

The papers should be beneath a false bottom in the bottom of the box. look at the bottom of the box with nothing in it, there should be what appears to be a corner missing. When you find the seemingly missing corner, lift away the false bottom from that corner and the paperwork should be there.

[Doneldon]

robert-

As Milw261 notes, your paperwork should be under a camouflaged cardboard bottom of your box. If not, look here:

          http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/H844X-IS00.PDF

I'm glad the wire trick worked for you. Extra weight in the tender won't hurt performance but make sure it is either between the
kingpins (mounting points for the trucks) or (slightly better) in front of the front kingpin. You don't want it near the back because
it will shift the weight distribution rearwards, even more than just the added weight, and might invite the front truck derailment back
on board. The same geometric and vector forces which affect steering, braking and skidding in automobiles apply to model trains
though obviously on a much smaller scale.

                                                                         -- D

[electrical whiz kid]

Donaldon;
Great answer.  I have had the same problem with some of my Bachmann locos-of which my steam roster mostly consists of-and solutions along the lines you make clear generally work very well.  Thanks.
Rich C.

[rogertra]

I add weight, usually pennies as they are cheap, under the coal load at the front of all my steam tenders, regardless of the manufacturer.  Glue as many as will fit in whatever space you have and this will help in keeping the leading truck firmly on the rails.  I glue them to the sides of the tender, anywhere I can place them so they don' get in the way.  Lead shot is another handy space filler as it's heavy and small.

[Doneldon]

roger-

Pennies are about the best and most economical weight which is readily available. Lately, I have been using lead caming. I did quite a bit of stained glass work years ago and had many feet of the lead strips which surround the glass pieces and held the panels together. It's easy to get an exact weight, should that be desired, and it can be bent or crushed to make it fit most anywhere. I rediscovered my leftover caming when we moved last summer. I'm even thinking it looks enough like Steel I-beams that I can use it for flatcar loads, always a challenge.

                                                           -- D

[richg]

I took a small pair of scissors from wife's sewing box and clip the plastic tubes that encase the wires. Be careful. This keeps the bundle from being so stiff. I dress the wires to look like hoses.

Rich

[Doneldon]

I took a small pair of scissors from wife's sewing box and clip the plastic tubes that encase the wires. Be careful. This keeps the bundle from being so stiff. I dress the wires to look like hoses.

Rich

This is a good idea because it may be the plastic sleeve, even more than the wires themselves, which causes the problem. Have
you thought about removing just most of the plastic? What I mean is, leave two or three narrow plastic pieces to keep the wires
bundled without having the whole plastic sleeve creating problems. That has worked well for me but it's pretty putzy work. I usually
just change the geometry on the wire package.

                                                                           -- D

[richg]

Don, tried what you said and so far so good! I'm going to add a tsunami and speaker into the tender and hopefully that will give it more weight. Also the lighting in the Bachmann steam seems to be dim. Is that the decoder doing that? And does anyone know of exploded views for the 4-6-2 Bachmann steam locos? No papers were in the new box when I got it.

Many never take time to look in the whole box and the diagrams are right in the Bachmann site anyway.
I just looked at the diagram for this loco and it has a LED. Possibly the light is transmitted by a light pipe up into the headlight but cannot be sure about that.
It is a known fact the Bacchanal uses quite high resistance for the LED headlights as I have measured those on the 4-4-0 and 4-6-0. Some have comments on that also.
Yes, older headlights where not really as bright as modern ones but many post I see in different forms comment on the dim headlights.
Most LED's are used with a 1k resistor and the Bachmann locos I have all measure about 2.5 k which makes for a fairly dim headlight.
My Athearn/ Roundhouse steamers are not that dim and are a yellow light.

The Tsunami and speaker recommendations are right below. Get the 9 pin to 8 pin adapter and cut back the shrink a little to unplug the present connector if you do not hardwire.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step3.php?t=ho&s=Bachmann

Rich

[rogertra]

roger-

Pennies are about the best and most economical weight which is readily available. Lately, I have been using lead caming. I did quite a bit of stained glass work years ago and had many feet of the lead strips which surround the glass pieces and held the panels together. It's easy to get an exact weight, should that be desired, and it can be bent or crushed to make it fit most anywhere. I rediscovered my leftover caming when we moved last summer. I'm even thinking it looks enough like Steel I-beams that I can use it for flatcar loads, always a challenge.                                                  -- D

Excellent idea on the use of "caming",  I've never heard of that before.

For flat cars and other cars that are difficult to weigh, I use lead shot poured into the centre beam before the centre beam is sealed.  Sometimes you're lucky and the centre beam has a viod that can be filled with weight.

[richg]

Lead bird shot works quite well also. Get it from a gun shop.
Picking it out of the bird after is the biggest challenge., lol

Rich

[robertlynn]

Thanks guys for all the info! I may try some weight because the front wheels are lifting off the track every three or four trips around the layout. I have wired quit a few locos in the past four years and I may just hard wire this one in and take out the board. Oh! I did find the papers in the bottom. Funny place in the bottom of the box.   

Bob