Hi alittledog,

I am not aware of any Bachmann N turnout with a "wire to move".
Is it perhaps a crossover?
Can you post a picture or simple sketch of the layout showing turnout location on your loops and also terminal track location?

QuoteThe switches work single, but when tied together only one will work.

Does this mean the black switch box controls or the turnout(s) itself?

Hi crazyjim,

Quoteput it on the track and it lights up but doesn't move.

...that's a good sign, there is hope...

This is what I would do.
Remove the shell.
Disassemble the chassis as much as possible, remove the trucks. You will need a small Phillips, a  #00 or #000 if you have it.

Get a small margarine or cool whip or similar plastic bowl.  Get some contact cleaner.
Be sure to use a contact cleaner that states "safe on all plastics".
My cleaner of choice is CRC electrical grade QD Contact Cleaner.
Put all parts and pieces (except the shell) in the bowl.
Use the red straw in the nozzle of the contact cleaner and holding each part over the bowl, spray each down heavily, blasting all the crud and old grease/oil off, allowing the part to drip into said bowl.
As you clean each lay them on a dry paper towel.
Rotate the gears in the trucks while blasting, while looking for any foreign matter (lint, pet hair, etc) in any gear flanks and around wheel axles. Most can be dug out or removed with a sewing needle.
Rotate the motor and blast away, commutator, brushes, windings, bearings/bushings, worms, drive shafts, everything until drips are clean and clear.
Let everything dry thoroughly.
Wipe the commutator with some alcohol on a q tip or better yet on a foam tip. It should look polished.
When you're ready to reassemble put half drop light oil on each motor bearing.
< (less than) Half drop gear oil in one flank only on each gear in the trucks and one flank on each worm.
Run it without the shell for a few minutes in both directions to distribute the oil.

If you don't feel comfortable with a total disassemble then hold the chassis over the bowl vertically and hose it down heavy with the cleaner, rotating the motor. Get the motor, trucks, and all contact points as best as you can.
When you think you have everything as clean as possible, then hose it down heavy again, let dry and lube as above.

If it's not running after the clean and lube we can trouble shoot if you provide some more info about exactly which loco you have. It would also be good if you have a multi-meter at your disposal.

Let us know how it works out.

Most of the "N"ormal folks here are in the "N"ormal forum.

Good luck

Last time I looked into something like this (+5 years ago) if memory serves, the cost was about 7500USD for 300 cars minimum, with 3 color print. Unit cost was about 25 bucks. All cars were to be the same boxcars.

That was from a competitor and years ago.

If you could get it done in China, that might help on cost. But that's a big if.

Good luck

For you guys using the new EZ Mates, how do you like them?
How do they stack up with, and couple to, the other brands out there?

Hi ftherrmann,

Nickel Silver is about 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc.
Silver only by color, hence the name.

What amounts of each are in our rails, is anybody's guess coming from China.

The trick is to get in, and get out quick before the roadbed gets damaged.
To do this, you need a very hot iron and some heat sinks.
It's not for the faint of heart, it takes a bit of skill.

Good luck

Hi smokinjoe10$,

In the case of Bachmann rolling stock...
As Tony states, all newer cars are now packaged in plastic jewel cases.
Other than new knuckle couplers factory installed on some, there is no difference between the cardboard packaged or the jewel box packaged ones.
Plastic jewel cases do not equate to knuckle couplers, you will have to look.

As far as I can tell the molds are the same.

Good luck

Hi Fernando1547,

Welcome back to the hobby.

QuoteThe thing is to be able to install the easiest decoders and hopefully information and tips on installing sound decoders as well

The easiest locos to install DCC decoders in are of the types that accept a "drop-in" decoder. This simply requires the removal of the existing light board and replacement with the decoder in its place. This is simple, easy, and painless.

Unfortunately, none of the locos you list support this feature.
All your locos will require some surgery. Your steamers will require surgery in the tenders as they will require hard wiring, and some means of holding/mounting the speaker itself in place. Also some way to let the sound escape the shell via a hole or number of holes drilled either in the frame bottom or the coal load. Not easy, not simple, and somewhat painful and time consuming.

"Good" sound in N scale is subjective.
IMO sound in N scale is a joke, a bad one at that. To me the sound is very poor at best sounding tinny and quickly becoming an aggravating nuisance.
IMO, sound in N is not worth the cost or effort.

To have onboard sound that rivals HO is not saying much.
On-board sounds in N scale...forgetaboutit!!

Again that is my own personal opinion which is worth exactly what you paid for it.
To each, his own.

What ever you choose, have fun and enjoy your railway the way you like. After all, that's what this hobby is all about.

Everything you want to know, and some things you don't, about DCC here;

http://www.tonystrains.com/index.html

Good luck

Hi BryanLee,

Which one is best is subjective.
We all have our opinions on what is the best coupler.
What that breaks down to is; the best one is the one that works best for you, in your application, at the price point you're willing to pay.

Many of us use several different brands.

Have a look here, it's a good read.

http://www.nscaledivision.com/information_on_couplers.htm

Good luck

Hi yooper,

There is no reason, or need, to add another joiner.
It is not necessary to have electrical continuity to the bumper track.
This is why Bachmann didn't put one on the bumper track.

Simply connect the bumper track as you would any other track piece.
The plastic molded tabs will hold (lock) the track pieces together.

Good luck

I know it's late in the game but just now got a chance to take and post a picture.


[/URL]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/img]

As you can see, this commutator is somewhat dirty.
I've seen worse.

I generally use a Q-tip soaked with 91% iso touched to the commutator and gently rotate the armature (green in photo) with my fingers.
Then remove any stray fibers with tweezers.
After cleaning, the commutator will shine like a new penny.

Lube is with lite oil (not extra or ultra lite).
Excess oil can be wicked up quickly with the corner of a paper towel.

Again apologies for the late photo, but there you have it

Good luck.

QuoteWe have all gone through this. Some more then once 

Yes, we have.

When it comes to lubricating a lokie, less is more.

I don't know rustycoupler,

Your post made me go back and check mine.
It's been running about an hour and a half, in both directions, through the complete power range of my MRC 260.
No derailments.
It's running on a figure 8 with 11.25r EZtrack with a 60° xing.
I checked the gauge; all my wheels sit as close to dead on as possible in the NMRA gauge.
This includes the pony and trailing trucks as well as all the wheels on the tender.

When these were first released, some modelers complained of lack of pulling ability and remedied this by shimming the 3rd driver.
I didn't do this to mine; I didn't feel like it needed it.

Could it be possible that you have something going on, or in, your pony truck causing the first driver to climb the rail?
Have you shimmed yours?
If you put the lokie on a piece of glass, do all drivers touch it?
I'm wondering if maybe your frame  might be warped, but now I'm just guessing and throwing it out there for you.

I'm not seeing anything with mine that tells me another – ¼ in. r would hurt, but then again, I have no true 11r to try it on.
I have not heard any reports of the true minimum radius for this lokie, maybe 11.25r is it?
I do know that mine will not run on 9.75r. Not even close.

Hope you can figure it out.
Good luck.

Congrats bachcen!

Quotebtw for how long can i turn it on?

You can run it until it gets hot and/or needs lube again.
24/7 if you wanted to.

Good luck.

Hi rustycoupler,

I suspect your problem is related to wheel gauge rather than wheel flange.

Check the gauge.

Good luck.

Hi bachcen,      

You state ..."i just removed the "shell" or cover of the loco then put lubes nothing else".... and also..."it did run again".
Seeing as the problem seems to be intermittent points me toward a contact issue.

If it were me, the first thing I would look at is to be sure the commutator and brushes are not flooded with oil or grease.

The second thing I would check would be the contacts; they should be clean and dry as well.
I'm not a fan of using "conductive" lubes. If the contact points are in contact with each other, the way they are intended to be, it is not necessary.

Checking the trucks for cracked gears would be third on my list.
Those gears (the white ones) are notorious for cracking. If they are cracked they will cause binding. You will need some sort of magnifying device to see the cracks. I use a 4x loupe.


Good luck.