Berkshire 2-8-4 HO Pere Marquette Jerky at low and mid range speeds

[Richard_LnRrr]

I just purchased a new Bachmann Berkshire 2-8-4 HO Pere Marquette #1225 Sound Value.  Right out of the box it was jerky at low speeds, mi-range speeds, and some at all speeds.  The engine is jerky regardless if it is pulling cars or not.  Even the cars jerk enough up grade to the point that the couplers load and unload on multiple cars.

Are there settings or adjustments that can be made, or should I send it back to Bachmann for repair or replacement.

Thanks,
Richard

[richiy]

Try a decoder reset.
CV8, enter 8.
Cycle track power. Headlight should blink a number of times and loco run under address 3.

richiy

[Richard_LnRrr]

Did that. if anything it was a little worse.

[richiy]

A few years ago I bought a Spectrum 4-6-0, high driver with onboard sound and it came with a six pin adapter to plug in instead of the decoder. If yours has one, try it on DC only without the decoder plugged in. Yeah, I know it might be a pain to do.

I just looked at the loco diagram and it appears yours does not have that option.
All I can think of right now except contact the repair department.
I know others here will comment.
Bachmann does appear to have a good exchange policy though.

richiy

[Richard_LnRrr]

As for Bachmann exchange policy, I have used it with excellent results.  I returned a southern 2-8-0 (the green one) that had some issues, o which I probably contributed to when the engine did a swan dive off the layout. They accepted the return and sent ma a brand new engine.

I opened the tender last night and the decoder in my 2-8-4 is square and hard wired tot the pickups and the connectors to the engine. It appears that the connections to the decoder itself may be held in place by slip connectors instead of solder. The 2-8-4 does not have the 8-pin socket that the 2-8-0 has (nor any socket.)

[richiy]

I figured that is what you would find.
The Sound Value is one PC board/decoder now according to the diagram. Not easy to convert to DC for testing.
My spectrum with onboard sound are a PC board with eight pin and separate sound decoder which you must have. Your spectrum must be the same.
My spectrum with onboard non sound DCC, the PC board with eight pin socket and DC adapter and shrink wrapped decoder.
Bachmann just trying to give us sound locos at lower prices which is ok with me.

richiy

[dutchbuilder]

I had the same problem.
Jerky movement.
It had something to do with......
CV 209,210,212,213,219 and 10

Ton

[Richard_LnRrr]

Does anyone have values for CVs 209,210,212,213,219 and 10 that seem to work?

[dutchbuilder]

depends on the motor.
I would say , start with the default values and the tweak one cv at a time.
See what happens.
And don't forget to write down what you did.

Ton

[K487]

Richard:

This may sound crazy, but most all of my Bachmann steamers were were not smooth runners out of the box.  I don't do DCC but I did find the problem - the plastic plate on the bottom of the engine that holds the drive wheel axles in was screwed too tight and made some of the drive wheels sort of jerky - it pinched them.  I learned to back the screws off about 1/8 or 1/4 turn, and that fixed all of them.

This may not be your problem, but easily could be.

K487