Is this your power pack?
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=209
If so output to the track is about 0.7 amps.

As for the locomotive, there are too many variables for me to give you a number. How long have you broken it in, how free-rolling are the cars, and so on. All of these factors and more affect how many cars a locomotive will pull up a given grade. Generally, the Bachmann F9, if you have the newest split-frame version, is a decent but unspectacular puller compared to other N-scale locomotives.

Timothy

What specific specs are you looking for?

Timothy

Bob, have you ever actually done anything with N scale? If you have (which you obviously haven't), you would find that N scale is actually much more mechanically reliable than HO. Modern N scale locomotive mechanisms are actually designed to eliminate as much maintenance as possible, such as the split frame eliminating wiring and solder, and so on. Couplers in particular are much easier. I have never had an N scale coupler fail or need to be readjusted. With HO, it happened quite frequently, even with Kadees! All this by far makes up for the minor amount of time one spends cleaning track (I only need to do it every few months). I'm a former HO'er who switched to N, and I have no intention of ever going back.

Timothy

I don't really have a time or setting for my layout, except for the vague idea that it's after desielization on a semi-electrified railroad somewhere in the northeast. I have a mix of Conrail and Amtrak, with both diesels and electrics. Basically, I just buy the models I want and fabricate an explanation for it later. The way I see it it's my railroad, who says I have a setting for it?

Timothy

Spend less time with trains?

Timothy

Likely very little: maybe $30.

Timothy

Personally, I would say go with N. You can build a far larger layout in N than you ever could in HO, and you could run long passenger trains and big diesels on an N layout that you couldn't fit on the same-sized HO layout. If you have at least a 5x7 ft area, than HO becomes a more viable option.

Timothy

They are currently making some Chinese-prototype bilevels and painting them in generic American paint schemes.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?searchStr=PUsh&act=viewCat&Submit=Go

Timothy

The unusual thing about these models is that the motor is actually in the tender, and a drive shaft connects the motor to the drive wheels on the locomotive. Has something happened with the drive shaft?

Timothy

The same video was only posted on here a couple months ago.

Timothy

You can buy individual track pieces, though, and combine them into what you want.

Timothy

Happy holidays to all here!

Timothy

You should stick with using a Bachmann mechanism. Different brands use different methods to attach the shells to the mechs, so, for example, an Athearn shell might not fit onto a Kato mechanism, even if they are models of the same prototype.

Timothy

Atlas is the only company who can seem to consistently get parts from their China suppliers. How they do it, I don't know, but I wish other companies could have a similarly excellent parts system.

Kato, of course, is great, since their stuff is all made in Japan.

Timothy

When you bought it, it should have told you if it has sound in it ("sound equipped", "sound-on-board", etc.) If it doesn't mention sound at all (or says "sound-ready" or "sound upgradable"), it doesn't have sound.

Timothy