Bachmann 2-8-4 question

[MC]

Has anyone added sound to the new Bachmann 2-8-4. I received mine last Tuesday and was expecting sound but what the heck at that price you can't go wrong. The lady's at COHS weren't to sure what they were selling.

I am looking at the Tsumani package although it's a little expensive when you add a speaker and Power Pax that Tony's Trains says you must have to program the engine.

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

MC

P.S. Since I am a new guy to this board I hope I don't get drug through the mud like some of the other new people!

[Atlantic Central]

MC,

They are so new I doubt may people have had a chance to sound equip them yet - give it a little time.

As a for you being new, I think you will be just fine - you can obviously read and write the language and your question is completely sensible - the only people who get picked on are those who post messages that look like a text message from the hood.

Personally I can add much of an opinion about adding sound - I don't do DCC or sound.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

I received mine today.  For a Standard, it looks quite nice.  It does not have a crew nor does it appear to have a deck plate.  When you unpack it, look for the two pieces of foam protecting the wheels.  The rear one is easy to spot, but it took two glances to see the one under the pilot truck.  From the instruction sheet, each road's major differences are captured by the model for that road:  There are two tender shells (the bottom of the tender has sound holes for a large speaker), two cabs, two sand domes and steam domes, three steambox fronts and headlights, and two pilots. 
Mine started on something like 10 or so, but ran smoothly despite some filthy track.  I will try running it some more this weekend and hope to try a train behind it soon.  Unfortunately, my favorite middle school has remembered me, and I will be subbing in language arts classrooms for the first three days of next week, which will cut into my train time.  I also have grandchildren Christmas programs.  So train time will be limited - and I have some more Christmas shopping yet to do.
Gene

[SteamGene]

Update.  The tender has four screws, one at each corner to get into the tender.  Once there, space is plentiful for extra weight, which it needs.  The bad news is that it suddenly stopped running.  I don't have time right now to figure out what is wrong, but it appears that the decoder just stopped. 

[Pacific Northern]

SteamGene - What was the cause of your new engine's malfunction? Am waiting to buy one of these but want feedback from owners such as yourself if you are satisfied with the engine.

[SteamGene]

I haven't had a chance to investigate.  Perhaps tomorrow.  There is a slight possibility that the extra weight I added came loose, hit the decoder, and shorted it out.  I hope to have time to take the tender apart and see if something strange happened.  I doubt that is the problem.  Perhaps it will work fine tomorrow.  I may try a different decoder - but then we go into the Bachmann decoder problem issue....
Gene

[SteamGene]

Problem was very simple - one of the plugs came out!  I plugged it back in and it ran fine.  I've added 1.5 ounces to the tender, one ounce over the front trucks and a half ounce over the rear trucks.  I've also bent the front coupler glad hand up.  If I had the Kadee with whiskers, I'd switch coupler, probably. 
Gene

[Pacific Northern]

My layout has mainly 22" radius curves, however in a couple of areas I do have some 18" radius curves. Would this engine be able to handle the 18" curves or would I have to relay the track?

[SteamGene]

I don't know.  My minimum radius is 30".  BTW, I checked steamlocomotive.com and discovered there are 12 K-4s which escaped the cutter's torch, though a lot have not escaped the vandal's crescent.  I wonder how this makes the Kanawha stand in total number of survivors. 
Merry Second Day of Christmas
Gene

[rdg1187]

OK.  Time for my review.  I am a big fan of today's operating mainline steam, so I just bought Pere Marquette #1225.  Overall, it is a good runner with a smooth mechanism.  As far as pulling power goes, it was able to pull an auxiliary tender and 22 IHC passenger cars.  The ruling grade on my layout is 1%.  I do use teflon lube in the journal boxes of all my cars, so they roll very well.  One of my pet peeves with model steam locos is when the eccentric crank is not positioned correctly, and Bachmann is guilty of this on the 2-8-4 loco.  In the rods down postion, the eccentric  crank should be 45 degrees toward the FRONT of the engine.  On the fireman's side it is facing 45 degrees toward the REAR.  Hopefully, I will be able to disassemble the engine, and fix it. But overall, I must say it's a pretty good engine for the money.

[Pacific Northern]

Anyone running the Berkshire on a layout with 18" radius and #4 turnouts?

[Bill Baker]

DR

I don't have the 2-8-4, but have the Spectrum 4-8-2 Mountain and it negotiates 18" radii just fine.  Don't have any #4 turnouts, but the #6 cause no problems.

[SteamGene]

Which Spectrum Mountain?  The light can handle 18" radius, but the 22" normally can't.  In either event, it looks awful trying to do it.
Gene

[grumpy]

I have a Spectrum 4-8-2 moutain heavy with sound and DCC . The sound is excellent and it sure looks good going around the 18" curves on my layout.
Don

[robertjohndavis]

See the thread Berkshire Upgrades for notes about sound install.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,3861.0.html

Rob