2-8-0 Problem

[Irbricksceo]

Hello, I ordered a frontiersman set from a person selling one very cheap. I really just wanted it for the Locomotive but when it arrived, the locomotive didn't work. The seller gave me my money back and even let me keep the item so now i have a question. The Locomotive is a 2-8-0 Spectrum with DCC on board. The problem is two-fold:

One, the simple one, is that the pilot truck is broken leaving the axle falling out, not great but may be fixable.
Two, the bad one: The Locomotive does not move and the lights do not come one. If the powerpack goes to max, a faint noise can be heard from the locomotive. but nothing else happens. I am using a DC pack, as i have not moved to DCC quite yet. Does anybody know what might cause this issue? I would suspect a damaged Drive train and that the noise is the motor but that wouldn't stop the lights would it?

I am tempted to use the refund money to send it in for repairs but at 9 dollars shipping each way and 45.00 for the repair, It is a tough choice.

[Jerrys HO]

Brick,

If the set was previously used then the original owner may have disabled the analog (DC) mode. If you know someone with a DCC system that can check it for you that would be cheaper than sending it in for now. Maybe a club or hobby shop near you can help.
Parts are available for this loco see attached link..

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_68_86&sort=20a&page=2

Jerry

[Irbricksceo]

Hmm... I don't know anyone... and since it is a set, there are no jumper plugs... well, thanks for that idea anyway.

[RAM]

I don't know why they would not have a jumper plug even if it was a set.  I do not know if this is your first dcc locomotive or not, but the jumper plug should be in the tender. 

[Irbricksceo]

I should clarify, it likely did have one but by the time i got it, it was no longer in the set's Box. Since this is a DCC locomotive, wouldn't the decoder be the thing in the tender? I have had another 2-8-0, a 2,8-2 and a 2-10-0 and each time the plugs were separate, in the box but not in the tender.

[Doneldon]

brick-

Your seller may well have lost the plugs. It sounds like s/he was pretty hard on the loco; that's probably why s/he sold it and didn't care if you returned it or not. While it may be true that the previous owner disabled the DC function, as Jerry postulated, there's no way to tell if that's the case without DCC to test it. Actually, even a simple test to see if the loco works on DCC would provide excellent information, specifically whether the "whole" loco is dead or just its ability to run on DC.

One thing you can do is open the loco and apply jumpers from your power pack directly to the electrical pads on the motor. That would be the same as running the loco with a DC-enabled decoder. If the unit doesn't work with current applied directly to the motor the odds are that you have problems best left to Bachmann to fix. I would bet that Bachmann won't even bother to do a diagnosis and repair if you do send it in. That's expensive technician time. It would make more sense for them to send you a whole new loco.

Whatever way you go, good luck. And ... please let us know how things turn out.
                                                                                                                                   -- D

[richg]

If there is a decoder in  it, don't put a DC voltage on the motor leads. You will smoke the decoder.

Rich

[Irbricksceo]

As it turns out, a deal i had for another 2-8-0 pulled through so it should be coming this week. If I plug the tender from the one that runs into the one that doesn't and it works, Then I guess that means the Decoder is what is odd. I do not know anyone with a DCC controller and I am not able to do that upgrade just yet (planned for the future). If it does turn out to be the case though, I can just replace the pilot truck and either use the jumper plugs from the new one (assuming it has them), swap in a new decoder, or store it until i do upgrade. The one i just ordered is the new run, that blue box "DCC on board" not spectrum but from what i have seen, it is the same loco just with a different box.

[MarkInLA]

I don't see what jumpers are needed for. Merely find a local MRR club or use a train store's test track. Can't remember 'table' name in Tsunami manual (CD with loco) , but you need to set loco to 'analog mode' using this table. Your loco is probably set at 50 in list (DCC mode/normal/28 speed) and thus needs to be like #38 on table list. This is changed while engine decoder is on 'program on the main' (if NCE throttle) and idling on a DCC powered track. Then she should run on a DC powerpack...Mark

[Irbricksceo]

While certainly true, The closest of those options is over 30 miles away so if i were to do so, I'd want to make sure that the problem was that the decoder was set wrong, not that the Loco is bad before making the trip.

[Irbricksceo]

Alright, the other Connie arrived and, after trying it's tender with the defective one, it is indeed the Locomotive that is bad, not the Decoder. Ah well. THe real shame is that the Old ones cost more to repair than the new (standard) ones.

[shel]

If the 'dead' loco is mechanically undamaged (I don't care about the lead truck) I would offer $20 plus postage.  Electronics don't matter either.

Shel
[email protected]

[Irbricksceo]

While I appreciate it, I am not convinced it is mechanically sound. The Loco LOOKS like it is but while the other one has a little give in the drivers (you can roll them a tiny bit with your hand) These Drivers are completely rigid, both in the rotation and in Lateral movement (the side to side motion) So i suspect that it is not. Sorry about that and Hope you can find a solution to the locking up issue you mentioned. I am considering Looking inside this engine, though i am wary as my last attempt to open a 2-8-0 ended with it breaking into pieces (it was really hard to disassemble)

[HDiedrichs]

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,25699.0.html

I posted a way to solve that issue here. Its a quartering issue usually with the 3rd set of wheels from the front, the main driver wheels attached to the motor.

[Irbricksceo]

I saw that, I did look at the drivers (quartering was on of m first thought) but it looks like they are quartered properly. If I had to guess, the damage is more internal (thought the axles may be damaged as that would hinder the Lateral movement) I think the whole drive train is shot and there may be some electrical issues as well. The locomotive is probably beyond salvage by me, So I will either sell it for parts or send it in for replacement. Though at 45 for repair plus shipping two ways, It is probably not worth it. I payed 66 for my other 2-8-0!