Spookshow explains it better than I can.
http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/bachmdt.html

Timothy

Not very much, probably. Maybe between $30 and $50, unless you have something very collectible. From what little you describe, it's impossible to give you a better estimate than that.

Timothy

Island Model Works has a shell for the Lackawanna MU's that's designed to fit on a Life-Like RDC drive. It's pretty expensive, though.
http://islandmodelworks.com/DLW.html

Timothy

One that seems to happen a lot:
Amtrak- Not Amtrack or Amtrac

Isn't an Amtrac some sort of military truck?

Timothy

Bachmann started making HO scale trains in 1971, so that's the oldest it could be.

Timothy

To answer your first question: the answer is that, generally, any damage done to the motor will be negligible. The exception is that you must not let the locomotive idle on DCC power for an extended period of time. That will almost certainly damage the locomotive. To prevent that, build an electrically isolated siding for your DC locomotive to stay when you're not running it. Or, simply remove it from the layout when your not using it.

As for your second question, I believe not, but I am not entirely sure. Jim Banner or one of our other DCC gurus should be able to answer that question with more certainty.

If you are truly concerned about running DC locomotives on DCC, then you might want to save yourself a little anxiety and install decoders. However, as long as you don't let your locomotives idle, you should be fine running without them.

Timothy

Conrail (wasn't it obvious? )

Timothy

Not much of a market for it, unfortunately. Even with the tooling already paid for, it probably wouldn't be very profitable. There are much more lucrative projects Bachmann could pursue. And ultimately, that's what it all comes down to.

Timothy

Your 4-4-0 should have rubber traction tires on all four of its driving wheels. Check to see of any have slipped off. If any have, that's likely why it isn't getting any traction.

Timothy

Are you sure you aren't viewing the announcement for the 2004 upgrade?

Timothy

They are DCC-ready (8-pin NMRA plug), but not DCC equipped. You will need to add a decoder. The plug in the dummy is for DCC lighting control with a decoder.

Timothy

Unfortunately, unlike Lionel or American Flyer, Bachmann train sets are generally worth very little. You might get around $30 at most. Still, you might be lucky and get more, but don't count on it.

Personally, I agree with Jettrainfan. It would probably be better to keep it and enjoy it.

Timothy

I'm not sure what you would define as "old-timed", but the only steam locomotives available in N-scale with factory-installed sound (to my knowledge) are the Athearn Challenger and Big Boy, and the Life-Like Mallet.

As for aftermarket installations, I don't know anything about it.

Timothy

I'd actually say N is slightly cheaper than HO. Both, however, are significantly cheaper than any other scale.

Timothy

Which brand is it? There are a number of different GP-40 models that have been made over the years. If it's the Atlas model, their online parts store should have one in stock. If it's the Bachmann model, call Bachmann's service department (the 215 number, not the 800 number). It it's the Mehano model, you're out of luck. Mehano went bankrupt some time ago.

Or, for all of the above models, you can check Northwest Shortline's website to see if they have anything suitable.

Timothy