thanks Richg, you're right.  Without taking it apart, that looks like exactly what I have.  The top comes off the tender just like the diagram.    I hate to sound ignorant, but I'm not familier with DCC...but I'm assuming that's the household plug in? (since DC is battery operated?)  Also, what's the purpose of the connections from the tender to the engine if not to provide sound when the train is moving? 

  The bottom of the engine.  No switches here either. 

There are no switches, or any way I can see to get into the coal tender.

I snapped out the "coal" and while I can see some of the internals there's nothing there to turn on or off. 

Quote from: GN.2-6-8-0 on December 09, 2013, 11:59:13 AM
which scale ? if its the large scale the water hatch on the tender should open that's where a 9v battery will go.
also the smokebox door should open and you will find a switch inside.

It's HO scale, so nothing opens that I can tell. 

NOOB question... I bought the Durango and Silverton set from Amazon a few days ago.  Got it in and the locomotive quit running... not a track issue because an older engine I have works on it fine and pulls the cars.  I've contacted CS for warranty work.. in the meantime, I'm curious about the tender.  there's obviously a speaker and circuit board in it, but there's no way to get a battery in there, nor a switch anywhere on the locomotive.  Nothing in the directions explained how to turn the tender "on."