Lube the worm bearings and the gear case ,I actually use castrol  10 w 40 high mileage just a few drops with a toothpick .Had it ready to do a oil change .Cleaned all the gunk out of the metal gear cases,make sure the wiring to the trucks is solid connection.Lube the MOTOR BEARINGS, universals joints on the drive shaft the same way ,then clean up the excess with a cue tip ,a few if you like me.C lean the wheels with some alcohol.If all else fails and it has a stock decoder , Get another! These are not noiseless decoders and put out a lot of noise witch is not good at all.These are very good heavy engines that need good lube and electronic controll.I put  sound in mine and have the best of both worlds .A Spectrum Diesel with full function sound that will creep tie to tie or pull a 25 car coal train by it self.
Pat

The dda40x speakers are in the rare case for Soundtraxx sound decoder they are wired in parallel so if you remove the speaker wires from the circuit board and touch each with a ohm meter lead it should read 4 ohms .If it reads 8 ohms the speakers are wired in a series and this is not correct for this model and will cause lower volumes and should be rewired in parallel
Pat

Quote from: trainmainbrian on April 09, 2015, 07:18:14 AM
I don't think it has any thing to do with your Engine or Sounds... Some sound Decoders are non-adjustable... For example I have an Engine I will not say Brand or make of decoder it came through with pre-programmed sounds 28 of them to be exact.. I put the engine on my program track on my layout & I can read the decoder it will read back the brand decoder type ECT but I can not change any of the CV values... Some decoder company's will not allow you change CV's or just 1-2 CV's like the Bell sound & main Volume...

It could be how the speaker is mounted inside the shell too...check to see if there are Openings large enough to allow the sound to come out you might need to dremel out bigger openings... I had to do this to one of my DCC sound value Bachmann's UP GP-38-2 #2024 Engine to get the Sound to come out better All's I had to do is dremel out a bigger opening by the Rad Fan on top & I Demel two on both sides of the shell & put a screen there & re-weathered the shell issue fixed lol.
Wrong!
Pat

Quote from: jward on April 02, 2015, 10:48:15 AM
i believe bowser is coming out with a c415.

That will be the perfect match since Bowser seems to be doing most of the Alco century series themselves.They went out on a limb doing all those ALCO's and those MLW's and it is surly making many happy espeshally since they are doing them.Seems like everyone makes a RS somthing.

A NW2 would be great .Like to see something else come out of the Spectrum line up in diesel.The only Spectrum diesel still offered is the 45 toner.Still  favor  The ALCO T-6.A reason for requesting the obscure model would be the modern day sd70,This is turning into the EMD F7 of the past .Everyone makes one version.Now Walthers in jumping in with there new version of there sd 70 .Cool to see so many options we have these days of the same model.Like to see someone do that Alco C 415 also .It has been done in brass and the old AHM /ihc thing .They are still out there in service amazingly for the limited number that were built.
Pat

Quote from: jward on March 30, 2015, 11:06:14 AM
probably won't be made. limited number built, only 2 major roads had them, in reent years Bachmann has tended to make locomotives which were relatively common and paint them accurately. the nw2/ tr2 would be a much better choice as almost every road of any size had them, it is easier to list who didn't have them (mec, cp, new haven, wm) that to list who did.

Are you talking about the nw2 or the Alco t-6.Either cold be done regardless of the roads ,since they are switchers ,many change hands ,rebuilds ,private company's ect... The t-6 was designed for higher speed like branch duty compared to the s-series and it is a ALCO. Built by the men who built steam! I herd that somewhere and thought it was a pretty cool and true statement .

Quote from: Joe Satnik on March 30, 2015, 12:03:17 PM
Dear All,

As sold, the #6 HO E-Z Track Crossovers have no gaps in the rails between the 2 main lines.

A cut (and plastic and epoxy repair) to each of those two rails, and cuts to certain foils underneath are needed to

isolate the two main lines from each other. 

1.) Extra care and continuity checking (with an Ohm-meter, e.g.) are needed to assure that the rails that should be electrically

isolated/disconnected from each other after the cutting proceedure are, and

2.) Extra care and continuity checking are needed to assure that the rails that should be electrically

connected to each other after the cutting proceedure are.

Continuity Checklist here:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,8052.0.html

Unfortunately, David Harrison's website (with modification pictures) is no longer available.

Repeating what Len just said:

What we really need are good diagrams (drawings) of the proceedure, and good close up photos of the underside workings

of the crossover.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Thank you Joe,I Thought I was correct in regards to the gaps or no gaps between the main lines .Have been using B-mann products for years and ran a store for 10 years before the economy collapsed in MI.Seems there are a few here that should take note learn there products they sell.I do like to help others ,and it seems I was correct after all,but l was not 100%,but was looking to clarify this here also.Thought old age was catching up.Thanks again Pat

Quote from: rogertra on March 29, 2015, 09:48:10 PM

Quote from: jward on March 29, 2015, 09:40:10 PM
alco t1? there is no such animal.Yes a Alco T-6 similar to the S-2 ,but it had the notched long hood for the number boards like a RS-11 and different vent details.Same frame?

Perhaps he means the Alco T-6?

Remember, all Alcos had a dash between the letter and the number.

FPA-4, FA-2, RS-11, S-2, NW-2 etc., etc..

Cheers

Roger T.

Quote from: Jerrys HO on March 29, 2015, 10:48:46 PM

Quote from: MCENTRAL on March 29, 2015, 09:11:48 PM
You can isolate anything with a rotory tool and a nice cut off wheel that can make some fine isolation cuts where ever you want.That is all part of model railroading.Modifications with your ideas.Good Idea to make your plans and be sure what you want to do before you change your mind ,and keep safety first .Practice on scrap rail until you feel comfortable,or have someone else do it for you that has expierance using this type of tool.
Pat.

As Hunt stated you don't realize how the Bachmann crossover is wired, it is already gapped

Now at the same time I am curious and confused obviously.Then the track isolated from each side,so how can they work only on DCC not on DC? Seems backwards from what I am used to .

Check out the new soundtraxx sound car decoder.I think it may have the sounds your looking for plus a few extras for a pretty good price .I am not sure if it is plug and play sorry.The sounds they said fit a cab car .They have a bell horn , generator,brake sounds,and many others.
Pat

If it is not resetting back to the factory default address of 3 .Then it is not resetting.Make sure you do this in service track mode .Try cv8 to 8 a few times cv30 to 2 .Make sure your getting the confirmation lights flashing.
Pat

You can isolate anything with a rotory tool and a nice cut off wheel that can make some fine isolation cuts where ever you want.That is all part of model railroading.Modifications with your ideas.Good Idea to make your plans and be sure what you want to do before you change your mind ,and keep safety first .Practice on scrap rail until you feel comfortable,or have someone else do it for you that has expierance using this type of tool.
Pat.

How about a ALCO T1 ?Someone should make em Besides some guy in his garage doing die cast years ago. Bachmann your almost there already with your s2.We need one!
Pat

Almost forgot ,make sure the truck sideframes do not move at all .If they do it causes the axle to drag on the metal gear case frame.I ,repaired a sd45 ,same truck that had the loose sideframes  and it went from 1/2 throttle to get it to move, to notch 2 to get it to move. I think the early ones out of the 90's had this problem ,but have been redesigned ,since the new heritage diesels use the same truck with different side frames of course.
Pat

They are close ,but not like the new line of diesels that seems to be a lot more dimentially accurate then the older stuff from the 90's the last time it was made.
Pat