Finally took mine out of the box, love the " burning wood ' option. Runs well but does not like to have the locomotive address changed. So i run it on address 3. I have the MRC Prodigy Advance square system. Just won't accept address change. It has been in the box for six months before powering up.

could cost you a bundle to repair and for a few dollars more, you can get a new one and relegate this beauty to trackside duty, modeling a steam engine display, with a bunch of ho people milling about marveling at the now silent thunder and smoke. I did get a replacement for mine at ebay some time ago for a decent price.Wish you well. i know exactly how it feels to find something from your youth and have it running again. I am currently restoring a MARKLIN TM800 down to rewiring the stator coil. Almost finished save for finding the correct couplers and centering spring. I found a picture of myself at four years old playing with that same engine.

thanks, i appreciate your help, as always.

I knew this would happen eventually to me and it did. Two wires came off the tender connector ( stiff wires as described in other posting ). Is there a diagram that shows which wire goes to wich connector at which location ? These wires are black, not color coded to function. 

for screws you might want to try

http://www.trainaidsa.com/shop-fasteners.html

things like german compound words and loos in carriages ?

So my humorous replies don't go unnoticed ?

casings and frame made out of depleted uranium ( black hole stuff ). but it would be tough to isolate all elements of DCC system.

18000000 gallons of diesel fuel per month at one depot, I believe I heard in AZ. that is a lot of coffee.

the Bachmann 2-10-0 decapod was my first foray into DCC ready and subsequent world of DCC operations. Had this locomotive been a pile of bad engineering, i am sure i would be reticent about buying another one for the rest of my career as a Bachmann shopper.

Sorta tend to agree with you here, up to a point. Having worked in an industry where errors get to be expensive and way down the line long after the customer has operated the system it is always good to let the manufacturer know there is a problem. Sometimes that is direct by the expense of having to return the locomotive and exchange for a new one ( quite possibly just replacing the problem with another one ) . Sometimes that is not so direct by calling the service dept and that is where it dies ( never makes it to the actual person assembling the locomotive). Here there is a third option, Mr Bachmann who I am sure has great influence " back home ". In summary, I'd want to feel the pain  real time when the customer has pains. And give the quality control guy some more training.

This particular model is not user friencly. You just about have to break it to open it.  it was made by tiny hands that can reach, not fat fangers like mine.

I have one and yes, it is a smoker..

need more info. If you have more than two wires between the tender and the locomotive, it could be a s easy as removing the tender shell, removing the dummy pluga and installing a decoder noting location of pin 1. If it is not DCC ready you are in for some major work including installing a new can motor.

if you are good with a razor blade, get a short length of large silicone tubing, like the RC guys use to fuel their airplanes with, and cut a small piece the width of the groove you can install and run your locomotive until you find the right part. I know MARKLIN dealers sell tires for their locomotives and you might be able to jerry rig one. Hope it works