New to DCC

[Big Geyser]

I just purchased my first DCC ready locomotives (no command controls in place), from a local antique / Junk(?) store.  One of the locomotives is a 10-wheeler, the other more recent purchase is a Decapod.  Love these locomotives, They are both Bachman Spectrum.  I also purchased a neat Vandy tender, also Bachman Spectrum and DCC ready. 

Running the locomotives is sooo sweet, very smooth.  I seem to have a problem though with the Vandy tender.  When I connect it up to the Decapod, it runs in reverse direction from the 10-wheeler and just about every other locomotive I have.  Where do I start with trouble shooting this kind of problem.  I have tried reversing the trucks, but the loco wouldn't run.  There are two very small plugs, I have no idea which plug does what.  Could I reverse connections on a couple of the wires?  Which ones???

Thanks for your input - Big Geyser

[Jim Banner]

On Bachmann tenders, the two wire plug is normally the locomotive wheels to the tender and the four pin plug is normally motor and lights power to the locomotive.  The easiest way to achieve what you want is to interchange the two wires from the locomotive wheels (usually red and black) inside the tender and reverse the tender wheels.  When you reversed the tender wheels before, the right hand tender wheels ended up connected to the left hand locomotive wheels, causing a short.  By reversing both the tender wheels and the connections to the locomotive wheels, you will have the locomotive run in the same direction as the rest of your fleet without having to open up the locomotive.

Alternately, open up the locomotive and reverse the wires at the motor.  This would be the better way if you have directional lighting and it is working correctly compared to track polarity i.e. the headlight is on when the right hand rail is positive.

Jim

[Big Geyser]

AHA!  Thank you for the input regarding my DCC dilema.  I was close to a solution reversing the tender trucks, but not quite close enough to score.

Thank You,  Big Geyser