Most HO locomotives weighing 15 ounces or more should have about 4 ounces of drawbar force. This equates to 40 easy rolling cars before stall. I usually figure half of this for an average train, 15 to 20 cars, for realistic speeds on a flat track.

General consensus is that cars should not require more than .1 ounce of pulling force. I make my own force gauges, but here is a handy one at a reasonable price. The 250 gram gauge is adequate for HO.

http://www.delta-education.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=Y&prodID=1973&menuID=

Tuning your cars by reaming the jounals and using metal wheelsets makes a big difference on how many you can pull. 

Sheldon
Thanks for the info. While tracing the pinouts for my thread, I assumed C3 and C4 were the culprits. There is also C2, but I think that is a "keep alive" for the headight.

Even with a strong mag visor, I have difficulty seeing the traces. Did you clip the caps from the top, or unsolder from the traces on the bottom?   I have a small flush cut end nipper that might quickly do the job. 

All my Vandys have Bachmann decoders installed, as such they run very well. If I decide to remove the caps, think I will also bypass the inductors. If I mess up the board, I can always hard wire a decoder.

Well, my track is fastened down, everything seems to run just fine, so I really have no short or long term plans for the layout. I just want to run my trains as best I can and take everything else one day at a time.

I plan to cull about 50 cars and 30 kits, along with a bunch of MIB steamers, but that will take some time. I don't like waste and I have way more than I need. 

Bachmann item #86011 is an older "DCC Ready" model. Without a decoder being installed, the locomotive will run on the #10 address of EZ Command, however there is danger of overheating the motor if left standing idle.

http://tinyurl.com/oglcch

Suggest installing a Bachmann #44915 "plug and play" decoder, then you can run it safely on your DCC powered track. The Bachmann decoder is designed to be compatible with the noise suppression circuitry on the PC board. Using other brands of decoders may result in erratic operation, requiring modifications to the circuit board.

Regards.

"Bach"....like the German composer.

Alex,
Neat lettering on the loco. 

I can't imagine why anyone would take offense to this thread. Heck, I learned a few things myself. 

Good luck and have fun.

Eric reported that Bachmann Europe (UK) is introducing UK diesels with sound.

I have one more Tsunami to install this fall when my SD70s arrive, then my diesel roster is complete. However I know you and others are anxiously waiting for "on board" sound. 

We just enjoy running our trains, no cards, manifests, waybills or timetables. We do have an operating plan of sorts, so we don't create a bottleneck. (or a crash)  

A couple nights ago I saw another western movie with a train, the writing on the tender?  Rio Grande Denver. 

Hi Bob

If any member had actual experience with removing the shell, they would have commented. We are always eager to help, but we are all just volunteers, "guessing or speculating" is beyond our pay scale. 

As for the Bach-man, he may not know either unless he also had one apart.

You might call Bachmann service department, however they may not know the answer either. The lack of instructions is a big concern these days. I don't have the 45, but I do have a 44 ton, it has 2 screws in the bottom. Remove the screws and the shell lifts off. Of course your 45 may be different.

You obviously wanted the 45 ton, it is a very nice locomotive. Rather than return it why not try to figure it out? Then you can comment in this thread to help others. If this is the worst challenge you will face in model railroading, please consider yourself lucky, we've all "been there". 

Regards.

I have a "BOBber" caboose, does that count?

We always help with posts first, but sometimes we have to read it several times to understand the question.

I realize "texting" is very popular today, but it has its place. I for one, only having about 20% vision in my remaining "good" eye, find it very difficult to read. I'm just a volunteer here like everyone else, deciphering "code" is beyond my pay scale. 

I have never criticized anyone personally about their grammar or spelling. I think this thread is presented in a positive and constructive tone, as you say "helping those who are new to the hobby".

I made the same "name" spelling errors when I first joined, and I thank those who helped me with the spelling, nomenclature and jargon. If I make a mistake, I expect to be corrected.

Sheldon,

I added to my last post, you might have missed it in the interim.

Sheldon,

The capacitors I noted in the first post of that thread are in the USRA Medium tender. If you refer to the 6th post, there is a picture of the Vandy tender, with a note "no capacitors above board".

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,7439.0.html

Here is a repeat of a post I made later in the same thread.

I found an "Important Notice" packed with one of my Spectrum 2-8-0. The notice has not been included with any of my other Connies. Thinking that others may not have seen the notice, I shall include it here: (quoted exactly from the notice).

"In accordance with strict international electronic emission regulations, Bachmann locomotives are equipped with suppression capacitors and inductors (RF chokes) to reduce interference with radio and television signals.

NMRA conformant DCC decoders,including Bachmann E-Z Command decoders, will work properly with these capacitors and inductors, but these components may cause a malfunction of decoders that do not conform to NMRA standards.

To prevent damage to locomotives equipped with decoders that do not meet NMRA standards or are not part of Bachmann's E-Z Command line the suppression capacitors and inductors (RF chokes) on this locomotive must be removed from the circuit board before non-NMRA decoders are installed."   (end quote)

(I added emphasis in last paragraph)

I'm looking at the circuit board in a Bachmann medium Vanderbilt tender. The two inductors are readily visible, but no obvious capacitors that can be clipped. There are 4 tiny flat caps on the board, it would require micro-surgery to remove any of them, and would probably destroy the traces in the process.

When I tried replacing the "on board" Bachmann 44915 decoder with a Digitrax DH123, the loco would not move, no lights, nothing. I reinstalled the Bachmann decoder and said "to heck with it".

My next frustation was with the USRA Medium tenders. I ordered 4 to replace the Vandy tenders on my Connies. Neither Bachmann or Digitrax decoders would work. Apparently I received some really old versions. According to one source, all these tenders had the 8 pin socket wired wrong.

Bachmann replaced the tenders, although the board appears to be the same, the new ones will at least work with Bachmann decoders. I notice Bachmann has discontinued the USRA medium tenders.

Frankly I'm a bit weary of modifying boards so I can have a choice of decoders.

Our small layout has 4 different themes, mostly present era.

1.  A point to point between Craig and Phippsburg transfer station. This consists of two AC4400s pulling 8 coal hoppers.  The prototype consists of six ACs pulling 100+ coal cars. During harvest, there are grain hoppers seen at the Craig yard. 

2.  Excursion trains with Roundhouse vintage 2-8-0 and 2-6-0 pulling sets of 34' Overtons in "Bumble Bee" colors, and J&S open excursion cars. A spur from the main loop leads to the ranch portion. 

3.  A reproduction of the "Yampa Valley Mail" that ran from Denver to Craig in the 60s. Only two cars required, a 61' RPO and 60' 10 window Harriman coach.

4.  Main line between Denver and Grand Junction, using locos we have seen, including GP35, GP40, AC4400 and SD70. 

Freight cars are those we see on the main line, plus fallen flag cars as collectibles. Scenery will be mostly a reproduction of our ranch, the only industries are grain elevators, cement plant and bulk oil storage for the Craig yard. The old depot has been idle since 1985, but we have a small depot for the ranch passengers. 

With this variety of activity, our layout will never be boring. My wife does all the switching and set-outs, I just watch them run.