455 arrives at RGS East

[RGSEast]

Kevin, just re letter it EBT and put on the number 12 and no one will know the difference.

Should get operational report on it today. Up early working on the battery installation...

Roger Cutter
RGS East in 1:20.3

[Kevin Strong]

Kevin, just re letter it EBT and put on the number 12 and no one will know the difference.

Boy, so much for "Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Man..." making my stomach churn like that. Okay, it's either that or the fruitcake I just ate. No, wait... I used the fruitcake as a station platform. Or was that last year's fruitcake?

Regardless, Merry Christmas folks. May Santa bring you your K-27s soon enough--no matter what they're lettered. 

Later,

K

(And Lee, don't even think about digging up that old photo. You know which one... )

[RGSEast]

You are not going to share your and Lee's secrets... Thats not the holiday spirit.

You could also reletter some USA 3 bay hoppers to pull behind the EBT outside frame K. Or remove a driver and call it EBT 11A.

Best for the holidays...

Rog

[Matthew (OV)]

Ho ho humbug!

(This photo removed by the committee to ensure tasteful painting of locomotives!)

Besides ... it was supposed to be a bumblebee EBT 12, I think, not a Bumblebee K27 lettered as EBT 19 ....

A little more Eggnog, Lee, and you'll feel better!

Matthew (OV)

[Kevin Strong]

Ya know, that's the trouble with model railroaders at Christmas. They actually want coal and switches in their stockings.

Later,

K

[r.cprmier]

Roger;
Great pictures!  This is one honey of an engine!  I am hoping I am in that first shipment (I have two) but as they say, patience is...

RIch

[RGSEast]

Gee, a large scale guy with patience. Just kidding. It will be worth the wait. Stan Ames and I are working on the wiring for AirWire and Phoenix. Taking some time to work out the kinks. Results will be posted on Bachmann for all to use.

Last night fired it up under batteries and the wheels turned, lights came on and the it made noise.

Can't wait until the rain stops and I can take it outside for an innageral run.

Will be posting pics of the install on MLS. Keep an eye out. Product review is where the posting will be.

When I was a little guy, I lived in Larchmont the the New Haven tracks. They kept a small steamer there to go rescue electrics when electricity failed. That was late 40s.

Roger Cutter
RGS East in 1:20.3

[Jon D. Miller]

Stan Ames and I are working on the wiring for AirWire and Phoenix. Taking some time to work out the kinks. Results will be posted on Bachmann for all to use.

Will be posting pics of the install on MLS.

OK, I understand the first comment. After all, this is the Bachmann site, it's their locomotive, and Stan Ames is helping to work out the kinks.  As well he should, since it's Stan we have to "thank" for the socket.

It's the second quote that seems to raise a question.  Why the pictures of the instal on MLS and not here on the Bachmann site?  As I mentioned above, this is the logical place for all the details that will be required to get the K-27 up and running and that would include any pictures.  Pictures of the installation will certainly help us all with converting our locomotives.

If MLS is selected for posting pictures of the instal it only seems right that sites such as Trains.comForums, Large Scale Central, and Large Scale on Line also receive photos of the installation.  Seems only right that folks that use these sites have access to the same information. 

JD

[Solar]

I suspect that they are posting there because one or both of them have paid for "First Class" memberships there, and therefore have space available there to upload pictures to illustrate what they are doing.

I don't see a problem with that.  Anyone and everyone can go there and read their posts--no one is being excluded.

[StanAmes]

It's the second quote that seems to raise a question.  Why the pictures of the instal on MLS and not here on the Bachmann site?  As I mentioned above, this is the logical place for all the details that will be required to get the K-27 up and running and that would include any pictures.  Pictures of the installation will certainly help us all with converting our locomotives.

Jon

Perhaps I can answer your question.  The K27 has a number of innovative mechanical and electrical features.

Bachmann thought it would be useful to post a variety of installation examples for the K27.  These examples will include photos and be posted on the Bachmann WWW site and possibly other sites as well.

Hopefully by the week of Jan 7th they willl be able to place these examples on the Bachmann site.  Why the delay?  Simple.  Those involved in this effort are working across the industry to coordinate the examples to ensure that both parties agree with the installation write-ups.  It takes time to do this coordination and many companies take off this week.

There are a wide range of great products out there and the intent is to show a representative set of installations.

Following is a status of the effort.  Please note that these are representative installations and not all combinations are shown.  For example, while the Dallee installation could have been done for DC, DCC, or RC , DC was chosen for the write-up.

QSI Solutions (DC/DCC/RC) - write-up done and coordinated
Phoenix P5 sound with a generic DCC decoder (DCC/RC) - write-up done and in coordination
Dallee Steam Sound (DC/DCC/RC) - write-up done for DC sound installation and in coordination
ESU (DCC) - write-up in draft form
Digitrax (DCC) - write-up in draft form
CVP Airwire 900 with Phoenix 2k2 (RC) - in development
AristoCraft Radio Control  (RC) - deferred awaiting new product
SoundTraxx Sierra sound (DC)  - in development
Lenz Gold with Hybrid Drive - in development

As we move forward this forum will likely be the principle place where information will be disseminated but naturally discussions will take place on a variety of other forums as well. 

Stan Ames
http://www.tttrains.com/largescale/

[calenelson]

....So QSI (DCC RC) and Aristocraft are the only RC brands that have been chosen to be installed and reported on by Bachmann...and at this time AC has deferred awaiting further development ....

What about RGS and his AW (DCC 'esq) install on MLS...? 

In the end..why all the install pictures and "procedures" needed?  I know many are curious, esp those who have ordered a K and have yet to receive. 

The hobby as a whole has been led to believe that with the "Ames" Socket "ANY" product could be installed without question or problem-Super Easily.

Happy New Year
cale

[Bud Steinhoff]

I am going to install Aristo 75mhz on-board with Phoenix sound.
You are leaving me out, waiting for new Aristo system?
Bud

[the Bach-man]

Dear All,
We'd like to post info on ALL systems together so there's no accusation of bias. I believe the new board will make all the installs very easy. Let's all wait and see before we comment...
Happy New Year!
the Bach-man

[lkydvl]

you did notice that RCS has been conveniently left of the list...

So much for industry wide.

Andre'

[bobgrosh]

As I sit here installing sound and DCC in my new three truck shay, ordered WITH DCC and sound back when it was first released, I wonder just how long it will take to do the Kay.

For example., here is the link to the PDF for the wiring diagram for the Shay.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/G824X-2.PDF

It don't work!

I got it from Product Reference - Diagrams - Spectrum - LS 3 TRUCK SHAY DCC SOUND

If after a year, you still can't provide a wiring diagram for the Shay, (which was ordered with DCC and Sound but came without it) what makes me think we will see one for the Kay any time soon?

Can someone please scan whatever wiring diagrams come with the K27 and post them? I am trying to make sure I have all the stuff on hand when the Kay arrives and without diagrams I have no clue what these posts are all about.

Wouldn't hurt if I had a schematic for the shay so I can get the darn thing off my workbench before the Kay arrives. Why not fix the link for the shay diagram and post the one for the Kay at the same time.

The only reason I ordered the Shay was because it came with DCC and Sound. Should have been a 10 second thing to program the address and run.
Took a year to find out that the reason they couldn't find my shay was because the dealer got one without DCC and sound instead. Took two weeks to find out that Bachmann can't or wont's send me the missing board. took me three weeks to trace out all the wires, measure all the voltages, replace the 9 volt regulator for the smoke unit, reverse the firebox diodes, solder wires to the chuff switches, etc.

If the shay was supposed to be RTR on DCC what can I expect from the Kay? Supposedly the Airwire took less time to install than to focus a camera.

So what is the holdup? the last post says as luck would have it,Something is shorted out, caused a leak in the lighting and chuff circuits, and something will be replaced. You don't say what shorter or what is being replaced? The transistor, the chuff circuit, the lighting board, the sound card? With all this cryptic descriptions, fuzzy pictures, lack of diagrams, what are we supposed to gain?.

Just release the hold on shipping and let us figure them out ourselves. Doesn't look like you are going to have this stuff figured out by Dec 31st, (Or Jan 7th for that matter.) So just tell the suppliers they can go ahead and ship the K27. We'll figure them out.
I for one, have a variety of decoders, including both the Digitrax ones with the Aristo socket. I have six different sound cards to try. surely one of them will work, but which one?

If you are going to do a review, the REVIEW the loco, not talk about all the trials, mis steps, phone calls to this person or that person or trips to Radio Shack.

Start out simple. First thing we need to know, so we know which decoder or RC motor escapement to buy would be current draw.

How many amps does the motor draw free running at 18 volts?
How many amps does the motor draw stalled at 18 volts?
Now many amps does the loco draw stopped at 18 volts with all the lights and smoke unit on?
How many amps with the smoke unit off?

OK, answer those and at least we have some ballpark idea of what sort of decoder or RC system it would be possible to install.

Now, the second thing would be the sound. Which sound system was the chuff circuit designed to work with. We know it does not allow for plug and play of the Phoenix, so which sound system should we order?

Tell me that and I can probably figure out from the sound system specifications if any of the other sound system I have on hand are compatable.


Let's hope that, once we know what DCC decoder and sound is plug and play, we can have the Kay running in less time than it took to get the Ready to Run Shay going.