I have several DCC ready Bachmann with the 8 pin NMRA socket that you are talking about.  And I have installed TSU2-2200 in most of them.

You will need a 9-Pin JST to NMRA 8-Pin Wiring Harness Soundtraxx part number 810135. (Digitrax and TCS also make them).

On 2-8-0 it a tight fit you have to figure out the best place for the decoder. I move the decoder around till the tender shell fits back on with on gap between shell and frame. 

A SoundTraxx 28mm rounds speaker fits perfectly under the coal load.  Just pop the coal load out drill hole so the sound can escape and I hot glue the speaker in place and around the edge of the speak to seal to the coal load. 

You will also need to remove the yellow caps on the Bachmann board with the 8 pin socket.

The only soldering you will need to do is the speaker wires to speaker.
And pin 1 is at the socket end facing the front of the tender.

The slowest part of this installation is drilling the holes.

There are good instructions with pictures on TCS's website.  Go over these be before you start. 
This link for the Cap location and Pin 1 location. https://drupal.tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/1233
This link for where to drill holes speaker placement. https://drupal.tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/711

Notes:  I always try to use the factor motherboard when I can. (to avoid extra work for lights, And to avoid cable issue between loco an tender. Some bachmann loco are sensitive to the cable length and position.)
 

Quote from: RedMt Dave on January 31, 2025, 05:54:48 PM(85' Budd) from another manufacturer

There is one brand that gives me all kinds of issues.  I wonder if they are the same ones I have issue with.  I have 6 of these and I have check the wheel gauge, wheel drag and truck freedom. All good. One car just loved to derail.  I swapped one of the truck with another car and this help some. They are still not reliable and these are new modern models.  I just put them back into there boxes until I get to build a larger layout with much wider curves. 

Jward, Yes I agree it is more then likely not an S-curve issue.  But it is something to check with 85' cars.

If you can find a copy of "Track Planning for Realistic Operation"  Page 80 covers S-curve problem alignments.   It is best practice to have one car length between curves.   I also have an S-curves into 2 tracks of my yard. The fist one on has about 2" of straight track between the number 4 turnouts . Must of my passenger car have issues with these S-curves. Cars up to 50' have no issues.  I also have an S-curve on the main lines when going though the crossover. the crossover is #6 turnouts but I have one 85' car length between the crossover and the curve turning the other direction form the crossover so no issue with 85' cars.   I also have a crossover in the yard for a run around that uses #4 turnouts.  85' cars going though this crossover is hit or miss per manufacture.       

Cross overs create "S" curves.   Generally "S" curves are avoided. But if you have to have an "S" curve the distances of the straight track between the curves needs to a length to handle the longest car you plain to operate.

Also make sure that the crossover curve direction is not creating a double "S" curve.  So when a train is coming out of the crossover the curve of the crossover switch is curving the same direction of the curve the train is going into.

A few things to check.

Check the Passenger car wheels to make sure they are in gauge.

Make sure the passenger car trucks are free rolling and free moving "not binding" and have some vertical play in them.  If you have a truck that is not moving freely back and forth that car will derail quit often.

Try rearranging the car order and see if the derail follows the car. (I usually find that the issue is one of passenger car trucks is binding).

next slowly roll each passenger car over the crossover and see if any of the wheels climb the frog or switch points.  The detail could be starting at the crossover and jumping off the track until you go into the curve. You can also test this by removing the crossover and see if the passenger train makes it around the outer loop. 



 
   

I do this but not very often.  I know this is support by Digitrax I am not sure about other DCC systems.  But both may DCS100 and DCS52 will run one analog (DC only) locomotive on address 00.   Address 00 on Digitrax systems is reserved for analog locomotives. They recommend that analog locos not be left sitting on DCC powered track for long periods of time when they are not running.

The loco makes a "singing" sound when siting on the DCC power track.  I have do this Bachmann, AHM and MDC locos.

The Bachmmann shop has a note on the EZ-Command DCC Turnouts "*not designed for DC-powered layouts"  So using DC controller is right out.

you could swap out the DCC Turnouts for Bachmann non DCC turnouts, since they are compatible with both.  I did this with one of may old layouts had DPDT toggle switch to switch between DC and DCC. 

   

Check out https://www.berretthillshop.com/store/products/category/snap-action-3-wire/

This replaces the Bachmann slide toggle with a Touch button that has lights on the button.   Also uses it own Power Supply to run the lights and switch. Super easy to connect up.   The hardest part was resizing my layout diagram in Paint to match the lights. 

JMRI is a great tool..If it has the correct decoder definition file for you decoder.  And you have DCS52. So you have the Loconet to USB interface already. 

But lets do some basic trouble shooting.   

place the loco on the programing track and press Menu, option 1 and the A button the read the decoders basic settings.

This will tell what address the loco is responding to and what CV29 is set to. 

You can use this to make sure it is resetting the decoder when setting CV8=8.

If the address is 03 and you are still having issues.

Make sure you have free loco slots available.  (See page 17 8.3)

Try setting the address to a number you have never used. Make sure it takes by doing read. If this works see page 32 16.0 Decoder Speed Step Settings. (I have had this bit me a few times. Even replaced a decoder before I figure out I had managed to change this setting for that address only.)
   

There is a lot of good information here.
 https://dccwiki.com/Voltage_Drop
 https://dccwiki.com/Wire_Sizes_and_Spacing
 https://dccwiki.com/Wiring_Your_Layout
 
Once you go a past the basic train set loop.  It's time to get serious about wiring.  If you do it right the first time you will not be bagging your head against a wall when things are not working.  I am putting the scenery on my 11th layout. This is not a big layout 4x12 so no power districts.  It has 12 gauge bus wires with 20 gauge feeders every 5 feet of track and every siding gets feeders.  The booster I use will take a 3/5/8 Amp power supply. I am using a 5 Amp power supply with it. I have on average around 10 steamers playing idle sounds and 3 to 4 running.  Sound decoders draw more power then motor only decoders. rough numbers are running HO loco draw 600MA idle 5MA. Also remember to add up your loco lights and lite cars. 15MA per LED and 50MA for bulbs.     

3 other manufactures make it in HO and all of them say they minimum 18" radius curves but will look ridicules on 4X8 layout. Two manufactures have pre-orders for the current 4014 and both are doing as delivered coal tender multiple road numbers in these runs also. One manufacture is advertising an exact model of the current 4014. (PTC and 3 dynamos).  And they are both also offering non-prop painted models.  I manufacture is doing a run in N-scale.   And the there are 2 other n scale runs in the last year or two.   

There is not a shortage of monster steam locos.  But there is a shortage of the small workhorse steam locos most railroads used up to the end of steam.

I am still needing 4-4-0s and 4-6-0s with large drivers for passenger service on my SLSF layout.  And a closer matching 0-6-0 for SLSF.

It would also be nice to see non PRR Atlantics.   

Jward, I am jealous,  I wish I had the enough free time to devote to this hobby to handlay switches on may next layout.  Maybe one of these years.

Yep...  That is way I gave up on HO passenger trains.  Take way to much space.   We are talking 12 foot long trains in HO.  Even a local service passenger train was 3 to 4 cars.  This is around 5 foot with loco.  So I have moved all my passenger trains to N scale. And for some odd reason right now there are full passenger trains available in N scale but not in HO.

So my 4' X 12' HO layout is limited to 36' and 40' cars and steams no larger then 2-8-0s.  I have been playing around with local passenger service using 50' cars.     

Most of may Bachmann N scale cars and locos came with a bag of Rapido couplers in case you are still using them.  And I have two types of bachmann Micro trains compatible couplers. A non-opening and a opening type.  But all the n-scale cars and locos and have purchased in the last 10 years have had Micro trains or compatible couplers.  Your Bachmann train set should have come with the Bachmann knuckle couplers (Non-opening or opening) installed on the Cars and loco and a bag of Rapido (square hook).  The bachmann non-opening are harder to couple when you push the cars together.

Now for your issue with not coupling to the loco. Check which type you have.  If it's the opening type make sure the spring action is working.  If it's the non-opening type you just need to make sure the couples are coupled.  Sometimes as "Jward" mentioned you have to left the cars couple up and over the other coupler.

 

If you plain to run 85' passenger cars or a Big Boy you may want to go with a Min of #6 on the main line. and number #5s or #4 for industrial and fright yards.

I use #6 and #8 for main line cross overs, Passing sidings and station tracks.  #4s for industrial siding, fright yards, etc.  This will also give your railroad a more realistic look.  I have issues with cars over 50' with body mount couples navigating a #4 switch ladder.   

 

Also note that EZ Track uses rail connectors simulator to the ones used for the non-roadbed sectional track and Tru-Track.  These connected become loose just after a couple of uses.  I have also had then come loose on nailed down track selections after a couple of years of operation. Unitrak has a more robust rail connector.   

There is another option available if your locos are DCC ready.  Install Blunami decoders.  There a bit more expensive then a normal sound DCC decoder. But you do not need to buy a DCC system.  You can control more then one locomotive from a Phone or tablet via a Bluetooth APP and the app has full control of all the decoders settings.  And they can use DC, DCC or battery for a power source. So you can use your current DC power pack. 

It may be my imagination but I think that idle track gets dirty faster then active track.  Run trains everyday for months now issues let them set for month...have to clean everything.