AMEN, Hunt !!! I would be one happy camper if they would just do that... as I am no "wiring wizard", and these hard-wire jobs really get to me.

Thanks, Bob/Iron Goat

No Hunt, I have never posted on Newbie Choo-Choo's forum (this is the first I've ever heard of it)

As I said, I have five B'mann Spectrum lokeys and I love 'em... I just have a hard time with the difference in the wiring. I have heard this same thing from the owners of LHS, members of my train club, and folks on several forums, etc.  None of them are "enemies" of B'mann... they, like me, would just love to see an improvement in the wiring standardization.

Recently I had a real wiring headache with a new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 Light Mountain.... and a B'mann Vandy tender that I bought from Bachmann to use with the new engine instead of the original USRA tender that came with that locomotive. I decided to write NMRA, because this model is clearly advertised as DCC Ready, and has DCC Ready printed both on the instruction sheet, and the box that the locomotive was packaged in. The forum thread where I posted the details of the hard-wiring of both the Bachmann locomotive & tender is shown below... in case you want the whole story.

                                                             Http://www.2guyz.info/Forums/viewtopic/t=4843.HTML
 
I have just received the reply back from NMRA, only to find that NMRA Tech, Bill Jameson... had the same exact problem with a Con Cor locomotive that he had purchased.  He explained that "DCC READY" actually means nothing.... unless it is accompanied by the NMRA Conformance Warrant seal  !!! ( Which is an oval, or "football" shaped sticker or imprint)  Manufacturers are free to list their engines as DCC Ready and DCC Installed without conforming to any NMRA Standard.  I have 5 Bachmann Spectrum , 4 BLI, and 1 Proto locomotive, and I have just checked the boxes and I did not see a "football shaped" seal.  Here is Jamison's e-mail reply...  I'm just baffled by Bachmann's practice to keep building such great looking, and great performing locomotives that do not seem to honor the standard wiring conventions!

Read it and weep !!!!

Bob Hollowell
[email protected]

       

-------Original Message-------

From: [email protected]
Date: 6/26/2008 4:10:35 PM
To: Robert Hollowell
Subject: Re: Fw: Wiring issues...

Hi Robert,

I really hate to hear modelers having the kind of problems that you are having.  I don't know much about the Bachmann Spectrum line of steam locomotives.  However, I will try to shed some light on the term "DCC Ready."

Is there an NMRA Conformance "Football" on the package that the models came in?  If  an NMRA Conformance Warrant that has been issued for this model, I would expect the wiring to conform to the NMRA standard.  If there is no Conformance Warrant issued for the model, the manufacturer is free to do what ever they want as long as the model runs on DC (and DCC if they claim it to be "DCC Ready").

The term "DCC Ready" is rather vague and leaves a lot of room for interpretation.  In the most basic term, "DCC Ready" means that you can remove the jumpers in the model that allow it to run on DC and install (Plug and Play) a DCC decoder and have the model run on DCC.  "DCC Ready" makes no claim to be compliant with the NMRA DCC standards other than to run on DCC and have the basic light functions work, i.e.; front head light on when going forward and rear head light on when backing up.

I recently purchased a Con Cor Zephyr in HO scale.  I also purchased the "add on car" when it was released.  The "add on car" had the wiring for track power wired back wards to the rest of the train.  What really got me, the "add on car" came with instructions that stated that the second run of the basic train was wired backwards to first run of the train and the car was wired to match the second run of the train.  So the first thing that I had to do was take the model a part and fix the wiring problem.  The model did not have a Conformance Warrant issued to it so I was not surprised.

The only time a model meets the NMRA Standards is when it has a Conformance Warrant issued to it.  If there is a problem with a model that has been issued a Conformance Warrant and the Tech Department is notified, we can retest the model to insure that it still meets the Standard.  If the model fails to meet the standards, the manufacture is advised that the Conformance Warrant has been revoked and to remove the Warrant from the packaging.

Regards
William E. Jameson
Coordinator, HO Standards

Not on the (unmodified) Atlas HO scale T/T... it measures 65 scale feet in length.

Bob/Ten Wheeler 

Rich...  I wonder if the belt drive will soften the noise a bit?  However. I think most of that is from the plastic gears....  I still don't find it that problematic.

         
Bob/Ten Wheeler

Bob, I'm not sure but just about all of the prototype photo's of that type of T/T show a "swivel" type connector atop that arch. There was a wire that was attached to the connector (that usually ran overhead from a util. pole near the table area). As the bridge would revolve, the electrical connection stayed constant, and simply pivoted. There usually was a blinking or flashing red light atop the arch, also.

Whether this was the power feed for the T/T motor, or not... I do not know.

The covered T/T I modeled was originally said to have been either "Steam powered"... supplied by the locomotive that was on the table, or was pneumatically operated. Finally I found a former employee who confirmed it had been "air operated".

Once again, I hope helps....   Bob / Ten Wheeler

Bob... Try this one.

http://forum.zealot.com/t158415/

Bob/Ten Wheeler

I have a Spectrum 4-4-0 Richmond with DCC/ Sound, and it is a really nice "light" locomotive... just like the prototype.  I have one incline of 3%, and it pulls a 40' freight car and a 40' coach all the way with no problem.

It is definately worth the price...

Bob/Ten Wheeler

Bob...  I bashed an Atlas HO Scale turntable, and I like it's operation very much. The Atlas indexing is totally reliable, and it does pause at each and every indexed track position as it turns. The T/T doesn't have a belt.. it is strictly a geared operation.

The motor & indexing mechanism was a tad noisy for my liking, so I replaced the Atlas shed that covered the motor with an over-sized scratch built shed (so I could add sound-deadening material to all the inside walls).

I have seen applications where the modeler turned the motor unit upside down (inverted it)... and in doing that I think you could probably increase the size of the table platform/bridge as the motor would no longer be in the way.

I model the Montana Western (1950) when it only had two small engines, and a 2 stall engine shed... so their table was solely used to "turn" the lokeys.

I hope this info helps... I'm glad to help anyway I can.

Bob/Ten Wheeler

Gene... The track is clean & wheels gauged!  I do not have a reamer. What are my options, please ?

Thanks for the reply.

The front 4 (pilot) wheels never turn when the loco moves... and the drivers hesitate for a second before starting to move. Sometimes I have to give it a light push, and she takes off.  Movement is more jerky with this locomotive than I have seen with any of my other 4 B'mann lokeys???

Suggestions???

Bob

Sounds good... thanks Sheldon.

Bob

Yeah, Sheldon... I want to install a sound decoder in the new Vandy tender.
That sounds like that would be a better route to take. Would I still have to replace headlight & backup light? (or just re-solder their wires?)

Thank you,
Bob/Ten Wheeler

Thanks, Gene and Sheldon....  I'll give that a go!!!

Bob/Ten Wheeler

Thanks for the fast reply, Sheldon...  I do just happen to have a Spectrum 4-4-0 also, which I already have a decoder in and it is operating just fine, but my problem is with a new long vandy tender I just ordered from B'mann, and in using it as the new primary tender on my Light 4-8-2 instead of the coal tender that came with my Lt. Mountain (stock # 81605 New Haven).

Will I have to switch boards, hard wire, or what

Thanks again...  Bob/Ten Wheeler