Climax 81180 DCC ready?

[MaximDeDonder]

Hi all

I can buy a G scale 81180 Climax. The seller showed me the box from all sides, but I can't find a DCC-ready label. Were all these Climax trains DCC ready? How can I know if he is without testing or seeing the locomotive?

I only control my layout digital so I have to know if the motor is totally separated from the track power inside the power trucks.

Greetings
Maxim De Donder (Belgium)

[mickeykelley]

The first run of Climax engines dd not have the board socket.  The second run did.  So it depends on the age. Have the person send you a pic of the bunker with the top off.  As I recall, there were also other upgrades with the second release.  I sold my 1st and bought a 2nd gen years ago.

[StanAmes]

The 81180 is a first gen Climax.  If can be converted to DCC but it is a lot more work then the 2nd gen Climax which has a plug and play socket.

The first gen also had several other issues.

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips5/climax_tips.html

The above URL has a good description of the various issues and work arounds for the 1st gen Climax  all of these were fixed in the second release.

The 2nd gen is a much better locomotive.

Its easy to tell them apart.  Look at the coal bunker.  The 2nd gen has a much taller coal bunker to provide room for the DCC sound decoder (if so equipped)

Hope that helps

Stan

[MaximDeDonder]

Thanks for your help so far guys!

How do you know for sure it's a first gen based only on the number? Had the 2nd gen another number?

[StanAmes]

The product numbers for the 2nd generation climax were 85093 to 85098 for the non sound version and 86091 to 86098 for the version with the DCC sound decoder installed.

The current and old catalogs can be found here

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalogs_brochures.php

For example, if you look in the 2006 catalog you will see the Gen 1 Climax locomotives.  The 2015 catalog has the 2nd gen models.

Hope that helps

Stan