thanks Moto, that would make sense.

I've not had a reply from the US dealer and doubt I will. A local store can set up a replacement for $50-100 but I have no idea if the speed controller will still function or if I need to replace that also...
A bit of a headache all round 

I've contacted Bachmann via their request form & will let all you Bach Men know what their response is, hopefully its a positive one.

Hi, I bought my son the Durango & Silverton e-z for his birthday. Immediately after plugging in the control & beginning to run the train, the controller started smoking terribly & as we live in Australia & this was bought brand new on eBay Im not sure what to do. Can it be fixed or can I get a replacement from a local hobby store?