Micro Trains lists the 1133 coupler (new part number 001 33 030) as the proper one for body mount conversions. These must be assembled, which can be trying. Tying the coupler pieces together with thread, and feeding a piece of thread through the spring, when assembling them helps to keep everything from flying apart. Assemble them while holding everything inside a large Ziploc bag just to be sure.

A second option would be to shave the tender flat where the coupler is and install an assembled MT 1015 or 1016. Harder to do as far as prep work, but much easier as far as the actual coupler itself.

Alternatively, you could remove the coupler and box completely and replace the rear truck with the Bachmann freight truck that has an EZ Mate coupler. Going that route will limit the amount of swing on the rear truck, though, because the coupler will hit the rear tender steps.

Checking the parts sheets from my older Spectrum locos against the online parts listing shows the boilers to be the same number, so it should probably work. The only way to be sure would be to find someone that has the newer ones and try to swap shells on them.

The online parts catalog has a pilot with coupler listed, and looking at the picture it looks like a working coupler. They are, of course, out of stock, as are the left side ladders.

Check the gauge on all the wheels.

Is CV5 and CV6 programmable for the Mogul, or are they like the GP7 where CV2 is programmable and the others are not?

I, too, would like to see this locomotive re-released. I need parts! And of course the parts I need are out of stock.

Does anyone have an one for parts? The Spectrum version, not the old style one.

well...poo.


Love your work, BTW. Big fan.

I found one of these for a steal at a train show and found the wiring harness from the loco was bad. The harnesses are available from the parts website. I have two of these (601 and 611) and have had to replace the wiring harness on both of them, but once that was done they both run beautifully. I just wish I could get replacement tender shells (and a loco shell, too, but just for the windows which have fallen out and gotten lost).

I know the answer to this one.  This is what I did:

1. Disconnect all of your DC power packs from the track wiring and don't connect them ever again (unless you wire in a DC/DCC switch, but that should be connected in such a way that when the switch is thrown to DCC it disconnects all DC power packs from the track wiring. You do NOT want to have the DCC and DC power packs hooked up to the track wiring at the same time, bad things will happen).

2. Hook your + wire up to the Cab A connection on your control panel and the - wire to the common rail.

3. Throw all of your block switches to Cab A.

4. Run two trains at a time with a big smile on your face, but be aware, you can now crash them into each other so you will really want to be aware of what your turnouts are doing...just as if you were driving a real train.

If you ever want to get away from using the DC packs for turnout power NCE makes a device called a Snap-It that uses track power to switch the turnout directions, you can wire it in with the Atlas turnout control or operate it from your NCE hammer.

OK DCC gurus, I need help.

I have a triplet of N scale (of course) GP7's with the factory decoders that I am trying to get speed matched. The first issue I'm running into is their top speed of around 110 mph. No matter what I put into CV5 I cannot get these things to slow down at the top end. CV6 seems to be stuck on 002 and I can't seem to get it to change, either, but at the midrange (speed step 63 of 128) they run right around 67-68. What am I doing wrong? I am assuming it's something I'm doing (or not doing) since all three of them are doing the same thing. They run fine, by the way, I just can't get them to respond to changes in CV5 or 6.

On a side note, I'd love to put some sound into them because I have one of the new SD9's and the sound is awesome, but the only decoder that seems to fill the bill is an obsolete MRC (1955) and I'm less than impressed with the MRC decoder I have in another loco.