Digital Commander set and Thomas Holiday set

[tim2009]

Hi folks.  After putting the commander set together, my son now want the Deluxe Thomas Holiday set to run underneath the tree.  Is this set compatible with the Commander set?  Is it any Bachmann HO electric train can run on the commander set?  I notice the tracks are different; one is nickel silver e-z track and the other is just e-z track?  Can I combine them together?
On a different note, I just got the Bachmann 62105 Ho EMD DD40AX for the set.  The train run great but I notice there is a small electronic chips come in a separate bag.  The instruction didn't say what to do with it and I can't find any information for it.  Anyone has this train and know what it is?

Thanks in advance.

[Hunt]

The Thomas' Holiday Special train set comes with a Bachmann DC power pack and speed controller needed to run it.

Locomotive in the Thomas train set can be run using the DCC Bachmann Command Control Center. But don't do it! If locomotive is left on idle the motor will be ruined.

DCC and DC are different electric waveforms. DCC is a type of AC square waveform.

You can mix the track. Gray roadbed rails are nickel silver and the black roadbed rails are steel alloy.  Gray roadbed is the better track.

That  chip is not a chip but is a jumper (some time called dummy or shorting) plug to use  if the decoder is removed.

[Jerrys HO]

Tim,

The two sets are very different. One is DCC and the other is DC.
It is suggested by many not to run DC loco's as in the Thomas set on your Commander set. You risk burning up the motor in the Thomas loco.
The track can be mixed together but the black roadbed has steel rails which will require a lot more cleaning.
If you want you can run yours then switch controllers to run your son's train. Just do not try to hook them together or use it as a second controller, they will not play together nicely .
You can run your DCC loco's on DC but it will require you to turn up the controller probably more than half way just to get it to move. Decoders take more power to get them moving.
The chips in the bag are probably the dummy plugs if you wish to remove the decoder to run DC only. This requires removing the shell to swap out the decoder.

Hope this helps
Jerry

Hunt beat me in sorry for the duplication

[richg]

The two types of track can be used together I believe. One is steel, the other nickel silver. Steel corrodes faster than nickel silver but that depends on the amount moister in your area.

Look carefully at the chip, it is an adapter to run the loco on DC.

Below is a link that will show you.

http://www.hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmannspectrumdd40axdccpg2.jpg

I just checked the diagram on the Bachmann page and it does not show this. I am guessing because the diagram is for DCC with sound. Matbe someone can identify it.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/HO_EMD_DD40AX_DCC_SOUND.pdf
My 4-6-0 with on board sound came with the adapter.


Rich

[richg]

Just a guess but the HO Seeker PDF might have been for a DCC ready version. Looks like a standard Bachmann no sound decoder was used.

No idea on what the PC board looks like in your sound version.

Rich

[tim2009]

Hi folks.  Thanks for the quick reply and helpful advice.  You guys just save me a lot of money.  I will stop my son for looking at all those Bachmann Holidays train set.  He just find another Santa Special set (another DC set I believe).  Let me see if I understand it correctly, if I get one of those DC set, I should unplug the Digital Commander from the track and use the speed controller that come with the set (Thomas Holiday).  It should run all the train including the DCC train.  However, I should NOT use the Digital Commander to run the Thomas train.  Is that correct?
Thanks for the info on the plug, it's been most helpful.

[richg]

Just don't let it sit there not moving. The motor will buzz and overheat. Running for a little while is ok. I have done it. The motor will still buzz.

Rich

[Jerrys HO]

Tim,

You are correct. You will find that the DCC units may take a lot more to get the loco moving unless you put the dummy plug in.
Try running it first you may be satisfied with the way it operates.

Jerry

[Jerrys HO]

Rich he is swapping the controllers so no need to worry about that unless he runs the DC loco on the Digital Commander set.

Jerry

[richg]

Rich he is swapping the controllers so no need to worry about that unless he runs the DC loco on the Digital Commander set.

Jerry

Yes I saw that right away.

Rich

[Jerrys HO]

Tim,

The item number you gave for your DD40AX is the non sound version.
If you ever decide to remove the shell to put the jumper in here is a pic of the PC board and it shows the decoder plugged in to a socket. This is where the dummy plug goes after you remove the decoder.

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_68_595&products_id=5612

Hit the enlarge tab to get a better view.

Jerry

[richg]

Sounds like you are new to DCC so here a couple links to start with. The first, look in SoundTraxx Tsunami as the Bachmann sound use decoders from SoundTraxx.
Some people do not call them, Tsunami decoders but sound decoders that use the Tsunami technology. Whatever.
Also, the Bachmann site has the CV documents for your decoder.

http://www.mrdccu.com/

The next one is technical and explains what happens when a DC loco is run on a DCC system that uses what is called, stretched zero bit. Jim Banner use to be a contributor here.

http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/DCC-waveforms/DCC_waveforms.html

Generally, more knowledge is useful. There is a learning curve but I just consider it a challenge.

Have fun.

Rich

[richg]

Just per chance you want o run the diesel on DC, it takes the microprocessor at least five volts just to wake up and maybe a couple more volts for the loco to begin moving. Normal for dual mode decoders.
This does confuse new users of decoder locos on DC.

Rich

[tim2009]

Thanks for all the help and info.  After much debate and it seem safe, I order the HO Santa Special Train Set #  BAC00707 for my son.  He really want something that is Christmas under the tree.   Just to be sure, I switch out the controller (use the one come with the Santa Special) and I put the Santa train, the Bachmann 62105 Ho EMD DD40AX and the Bachmann B and O HO Scale Alcofa2 Diesel Locomotive all on the same track.  Without any modification, they should all move around in circle without worrying the motor to burn.  I plan to let them run for more than an hour.

Thanks.

[Jerrys HO]

Tim

The only problem you may have is that not all loco's run the same (especially DC vs. DCC).
You may end up with a train wreck if you let them chase each other around. It won't take long for that to happen .

Jerry