Griz,

You can also increase your smoke by adding diode bridges and diodes in series with the motor to slow it down.

The slower motor needs higher track voltage for the same speed, which means more power to the lights and smoke unit.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,27888.0.html

Read both pages.

Find the link to the Dallee diode and diode bridge circuit. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Hi, Jerry.

If I recall correctly (IIRC), most have given up on the contact plate and directly hard-wired the 4 wires,

or used a 4 pin connector set somewhere along the 4 wires.

Others more knowledgable, please chime in.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear All,

The SPDT function should be built-in to the Bachmann turnouts with metal frogs. 

The SPDT feeds the metal tab underneath the turnout that the frog wire connector slides on to. 

If it doesn't work properly (connects to the north stock rail in one points position, the south stock rail in the other points postion), 

it is possible that the internal gear has jumped a tooth in its position along its rack.

Another possible electrical failure could be that the frog is not truly isolated from the rails,

which could happen if a frog rail or a closure rail slides from its (intended or ideal) position and physically touches (shorts to) the frog.

Hope this helps.

Jonathan,

By your description I suspect your external SPDT is a "center-off" type.

By "direction", you must mean "mainline vs. divergent", not "forward vs. backward". 

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik


 

RW,

There are no accessories terminals on the E-Z Command unit. 

You will need to find another source of 12 to 16VAC to run your turnouts.

If you have a Local Hobby Shop (LHS) nearby, they probably have boxes of used

starter-set DC power packs (that have accessories terminals) for a very reasonable price.

You need to trim the roadbed of any track pieces that you want to attach to the main and

divergent routes of the #5 (& other numbered?) HO E-Z Track turnouts. 

Since I don't see insulated rail joiners (connectors) in the on-line catalog, I assume that

Bachmann doesn't make them, and I'm allowed to say that Atlas makes them (#0055).

They take the place of the gaps.

If you are running DCC, go get a DCC auto-reverser.  Your turn-arounds will be much easier.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   



 

From Tony Cook's website:

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/bachmannhoscaletrainsets/id48.html

Enjoy.

Joe Satnik

Bump TTT

Since our image is vertical, I shall call out the "Left" and "Right" mainlines.

If

1.) the frogs are isolated from the frog rails, and

2.) there is not a derailed wheel touching and shorting the frog rails together, and

3.) the left and right mainlines are electrically separated (have their foils cut), and

4.) both turnouts are set to main line running,

The voltage on the crossing rails will not matter, even if the trains on the mainlines are running in opposite direction.



With the proper underside foils cut (but the crossing rails not cut):

Left straight stock rail
Left divergent point
Left curved (divergent) closure rail      are all connected  to the Left power supply +

Left curved stock rail
Left mainline point
Left mainline closure rail
Left mainline frog rail          are all connected to the Left power supply -

Right curved stock rail
Right mainline point
Right mainline closure rail
Right mainline frog rail          are all connected to the Right power supply +

right straight stock rail
right divergent point
right curved closure rail      are all connected  to the Right power supply -

With no rail cuts, the divergent frog rail is the same as the opposite side's curved stock rail.

For crossover action, tie both mainlines to only one power supply

through external electrical switches, while keeping the same polarity as above.

I 'm pretty sure not cutting the crossover rails works, you just have to avoid shorting the frog rails

(one of which is the curved stock rail from the other mainline) with a derailed wheel. 

If the power supplies are truly floating, then the short shouldn't matter at all.

Hope this isn't too confusing.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

From the Kalmbach magazine index:

Pennsy K4 Locomotive: Detailing - Conclusion: The Tender
by Kris Kollar
from Mainline Modeler February 2002  p. 54


Pennsy K4 Locomotive: Detailing - Part One
by Kris Kollar
from Mainline Modeler January 2002  p. 22


Smooth, accurate define new K4
by Gary Hoover
from NMRA Bulletin October 1999  p. 22


Spectrum, by Bachmann, HO Scale Pennsylvania K4 4-6-2
by Guy Thrams
from Railmodel Journal October 1999  p. 16


Bachmann Spectrum HO K4 review
by George Sebastian-Coleman
from Model Railroader September 1999  p. 14


Bachmann�s upgraded Spectrum K4s
by Otte, David
from Model Railroad News July 1999  p. 8


Spectrum Pennsylvania RR K-4 4-6-2 Test Report
by Higgins, Robert
from Railmodel Journal October 1994  p. 50


Bachmann HO PRR K4 Pacific
from Model Railroader September 1989  p. 45

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Len,

I just thought of something...

Perhaps the crossover rails don't need to be cut.

Think about it.

When running through the two mains, no train travels on the route between, therefore the voltages on the crossover rails don't matter. 

If a train crosses over, the rails on both sides of each insulated cut have to be at (externally switched to) the same voltage !

A solid rail has the same voltage all along itself...

So that just leaves cuts underneath to the foils.

The only drawback would be if a derailed main line car dragged its wheels across the top of the frog and

shorted the main and divergent frog rails together. 

Think about it...

Joe Satnik

Dear WLA,

I see 2 different eras for a Spectrum 1361 in my old print catalogs.

2001 catalog pg. 101:  84014 DCC ready

2010 catalog pg. 193:  84102 DCC on board (no sound)

Both have "modern pilots".

In your picture it looks as though the pilot might be damaged. 

More close-up pictures from various angles would help. 

Check the back-to-back of the front truck's wheels:  0.566" to 0.575"

Check that the wheels run flat and true and aren't binding somewhere.

Check that the front truck swing mechanism isn't binding somewhere.

Some have good luck adding weight to the front truck.

You could do a Bachmann Board search on front truck weight for various methods of adding weight.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear Jim,

Please post a photo of your layout (using Photobucket or some other photo hosting website), or

tell us the sequence of your layout tracks, e.g.,

four 9" straights,

six 18"R curves to the left,

etc. 

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear All,

As sold, the #6 HO E-Z Track Crossovers have no gaps in the rails between the 2 main lines.

A cut (and plastic and epoxy repair) to each of those two rails, and cuts to certain foils underneath are needed to

isolate the two main lines from each other. 

1.) Extra care and continuity checking (with an Ohm-meter, e.g.) are needed to assure that the rails that should be electrically

isolated/disconnected from each other after the cutting proceedure are, and

2.) Extra care and continuity checking are needed to assure that the rails that should be electrically

connected to each other after the cutting proceedure are.

Continuity Checklist here:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,8052.0.html

Unfortunately, David Harrison's website (with modification pictures) is no longer available.

Repeating what Len just said:

What we really need are good diagrams (drawings) of the proceedure, and good close up photos of the underside workings

of the crossover.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Among other challenges with this turntable, a matching roundhouse would have to have 25-5/7 degree stalls.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,29494.0.html

Joe 

Dear All,

Perhaps Jim means that his layout geometry is not perfect, therefore the final pieces are not lining up properly.

In this case, AnyRail.com track layout CAD program (free for the first 50 pieces) would help.

Gotta run. 

Some other helpful boarder jump in, please.

Thanks.

Joe

Sorry,

I missed that. (DCC)

Running DCC and still too dark?

Is the interior lighting Grain-of-Wheat incandescent, or LEDs?

If GOW, perhaps some are burned out or becoming opaque because of filament boil off, and need to be replaced.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik