Dear Mark,
   I have converted some older units because I have custom painted them but it would probably be wise if you have an older un-modifed set to check out web sites like M.B.Klein (modeltrainstuff.com) for new models before you invest in decoders etc.  With the business being as competitive as it is you can often find a newer version of your favorite loco that is DCC ready or even DCC wired for a cost that is close to the retail cost of the decoder.

I tried another tack on my 0-6-0s.  I purchased the tender truck set from the Bachmann store - (it is a pickup truck) and replaced the rear truck with the new pickup truck, then added a very flexable wire between the front and rear trucks.  Now my pickup signature is about 4" long and the problems have all but disappeared.

One thing I have found is that new standard line locos seem to be over lubricated from the factory quite often.  I have found that removing the shell from the loco (whatever model it is) and spraying the motor and mechanism with "CRC QD Electronic Cleaner - part #05103" - available at most Walmart and auto parts stores; cleaned all that extra lube from the loco.  Then I lubed it with Bachmann EZ lube and those locos outperform all the ones that came before I discovered the "clean and relube" step.

I have never seen a proto photo for the Highballer UP loco but adding a gray roof and the red stripping is a fairly simple job of masking the roof outline and then overlaying Champ or Microscale stripping.  Spray the roof one nite and add the stripes the next nite.
jake_iv

Hi;

Most decoders can be set to DC by programming the address to "00".  Different controllers have differing ways to do this. 

MRC Command 2000 controllers (an older starter system) calls for "...pushing button (7) in step 5 during programming. If you later want to use your decoder equipped loco on a DCC track you should program it for DCC again by following the program procedure without pushing button (7)."

I think I remember the EZ Command booklet saying that you could "program" a decoder equipped loco for EZ Command button "0" - that is the DC address on EZ Command.

Jake_iv

Is it safe to use the N scale capacitive discharge controller with the HO remote turnouts?

Jake_iv

Jerry - I know it sounds trite and I don't mean it to be mean spirited or anything like that - but is the "dummy plug" in the 8 pin plug in the tender?  Without the dummy plug or jumpers in the female plug you won't get any juice to the motor.  If it has been 8 years or so, you (or a helper) might have tried to put DCC in it back when and forgot the dummy plug.

  I've seen a couple of "DCC Ready"  that just had jumpers in the female plug instead of a dummy plug.  If yours is one of those there might be a loose connection or maybe the jumper is in the wrong holes.

Jake

Actually it isn't too difficult.  The hardest part is deciding where to mount the decoder and making sure you have enough room for it.  Most split frame locos can have space in the frame milled or filed out enough to fit a Z scale decoder in. then connect two wires to the frame or pickups, two wires to the motor, two wires to the light and insulate every exposed solder point and electrical contact with shrink tubing or Kapton tape.  Use your VOM to check for shorts before you hook power to it then test it on the programming track.  Done!   

Most decoder manufacturer web sites have links to specific installation instructions and a listing of which decoder will fit in which loco. 

Every loco become DCC ready once you isolate the motor from the frame.  That can be difficult on some of the older open frame motors but it is fairly easy on the newer motors.  Even the Mantua open frame PM1 motor can be made DCC ready with only a piece of shrink tubing.  I have mounted a Digitrax DZ125 in the tender of the Bachmann 4-4-0 Jupiter and UP #119.  On top of the motor but I had to raise the wood load a little for clearance.  Instructions are on the web.

Jeeze, sounds like you got the dregs of the production run.  I shook mine out of the box - checked it for proper lube too much grease is not unheard of and after 1 hour of breakin at various speeds it has run like a top.  Runs so well that I invested in a Vande tender and a number of details to  turn it into an acceptable model of the C & O J3A #610.

Laura is a jewel though, she has always been a great help to me whether as a dealer or a customer.

I have to wonder though about the price you paid.  Current MSRP on the Empire Builder is $240 - wholesale from Walthers is $144 and Distributer cost from Bachmann regional warehouse is $101; the 2006/2007 price was $84 Distributor cost and $200 retail.  I know that there are some great buys on Amazon I shop there too but if I read your post correctly you got the set for 10% to 20% of current retail.  A sale price in the range of $85 to $125 from someplace by Favorite Spot or M B Klein I could see since they are Distributors  - but $25 to $50???

The best part though is Bachmann's liberal warranty.  Even if you had bought a used train at a garage sale the warranty charge to repair or replace with the same unit would be $25 or less.

When you get your new loco check it for signs of lots of grease.  If you happen to get a unit that was lubed by a new farm girl too much grease can liquify and mess up your traction tires, electrical pickups and in some cases even short out the motor.  I like to clean all new locos with CRC "QD Electronic Cleaner" that I get at  Auto Zone in an 11 oz spray can.  Just spray motor gears, running gear, etc. in short bursts until you can't see any more grease.  Wait until it is thoroughly dry then use Bachmann, Labelle or Model Power plastic compatable lube to lightly lube the mechanism.  Just one drop on each of the motor bearings and gears is all you need. I put a drop on the side rods also.

undecorated GP7/9 -

Historical note - The Atlas GP7/9 was made by Sanda Kan.  SK was acquired by Bachmann (Kader) in late 2008. 

There is a good possibility that the new Bachmann GP7 will take the Atlas shell which is still available from Atlas parts.

The other real simple option for someone who wants to custom paint and letter their loco is "Scalecoat II Wash Away".  Since I model the Maryland & Pennsylvania and the Verde Tunnel and Smelter Railroads, and factory decorated equipment is rare I have used Wash Away on Atlas, Bachmann, Intermountain, Kato, Kadee, Life Like, Model Power, Proto, Rivarossi and Roco shells.  In addition to striping factory lettering and paints from the model, it preps the shell for the new paint job by thoroughly cleaning all mold release agents and misc. oils and finger prints pror to painting. 

As a plus, it can be reused over and over again.  I have been using the same pint bottle for the last 20 or 25 N scale bodies and for 8 HO passenger cars and 3 loco shells.  It even strips that European silver paint from passenger cars.  It has never damaged any shell I used it on.

The Atlas GP7 made in China was made by Sanda Kan, Bachmann (Kader Industries) acquired Sanda Kan in late 2008.  The Bachmann GP7 is the next step in the developement of N scale motive power.  Back when (mid-60's) almost all N scale had 3 pole low power, high speed motors acceptable for "toys" in Europe and the far east.  Available locos were about evenly split between "pancake motors and more traditional permag motors.  The next step was 5 pole motors, some companies went out of business before the change was made; next was flywheels - to smooth out the start and help locos make it over switches and crossings with gaps that were sometimes longer than the loco wheelbase.  Next came the skew wound motors which smoothed out start speed and speed changes further.  The top of the line today is the coreless motor with bell shaped armature - extremely smooth startup and speed transitions.  DCC advances control even further by allowing you to preset the start voltage to just barely stopped and max voltage to the actual scale mph of the prototype.  Your older Atlas GP7s made by either Kato of Sanda Kan had top speeds of over 200 smph.  Unfortunately, most of us have gotten used to these totally unrealistic speeds over the past years and think something must be "wrong" when a loco actually performs prototypically.

MOMENTUM:  DCC momentum settings are actually an electronically timed speed change up or down.  The original standards call for a setting of 0 to 30 - this figure represents the number of seconds it takes the loco to reach full speed or full stop.  Since your new Bachmann GP7 has a more realistic top speed  adjusting momentum on this loco wil result in a totally different speed curve than on the Kato or Sanda Kan engines.  For example - if you set accel to the max of 30 it will take 30 seconds  for the new Bachmann to reach a scale 75 or 80 mph - while comparatively the Kato or SK will take 30 seconds to reach over 200 smph.

STOP BUTTON - the stop button on your controller is a "Panic Stop".  It is there to save you from a disaster.  It is not intended to be used to stop your loco under normal conditions.  Recommended DCC standards call for it to cut off all electrical feed to the system immediately!  If you have flywheel equipped locos the residual motion of the flywheel systems prevents an immediate stop.  You will really appreciate no flywheels and that panic button the first time someone diverts your attention from your trains so that you have only a couple of seconds before slamming into the rear of your new articulated loco with sound

As you get accustomed to the realistic operation of your new Bachmann locos you will find yourself setting up a sales table at the next area swap meet or opening a eBay account.

Just as a point of interest - looking through a 1950 Railroad Model Craftsman mag last nite I came across the news item that the average speeds of freight trains in the US had increased since the end of WWII - The American Association of Railroads reported that the average freight train speed had RISEN to almost 22 mph.  My 1960's edition Rapido FA starts faster than that!

MKT's Texas Special was a successful joint endeavor with the Frisco.  Another joint venture you might find of interest was the Rock Island Golden State and the still born Golden Rocket which were a joint venture with the Southern Pacific....  The Golden State ran streamlined Pullman and Budd cars with several paint schemes over time. One, a single Red Strip above the window belt, another scheme was the SP Red & Orange Daylight type scheme.  The Rock Island actually took delivery of specially built consists for the Golden Rocket but the SP backed out.  The Golden Rocket cars wound up being used on the Golden State and the Fort Worth Rocket.  I did up a short N scale train using the Life Like E7 Rocket and MP SP cars with a REA Express car at the head end.

   From the info I got from a friend who used to pilot RI passenger trains - the Texas consists ran from Chicago to Texas as a RI train and then the consist was switched into the SP run for the trip to Calif.  The SP consist was returned to Chi by the RI and on the turn around was returned to the SP.  Although there were no Domes on the Fort Worth or the Golden State a dome was planned on the Golden Rocket so I chose to add one to my consist and used the Rocket "pool" name on my car.

   Texas Special trains have been produced by several makers over the years including even Lionel who used an Alco AA on the head end.  I think that Concor produced a N scale consist less loco.

An honest objective answer -  you need to oil gears and bearings about once a year for the typical model railroader.  Avoid using grease - in fact, I use CRC Electronic Cleaner ( get it at your local auto parts) to remove all factory grease before I run my new locos.  Look carefully at the diagrams in you new loco to see how to disassemble it.  Then use Bachmann or LaBelle plastic compatable oil to lubricate the bearings and gears.  The gear lube should be a heavy form and the bearing oil LaBelle #108 or Bachmann EZ Lube #99989.  Most of the time I pass on the heavy oil or white lube and use only the Bachmann EZ lube.  Use the needle dropper on the oil to put ONE drop of oil on each bearing and gear.  That is all that you need!  If you run your trains a lot OR let them sit for 6 moths or so without running then you should lube them more often.

Yes s s s!  You can have cars that are too heavy.  Especially passsenger cars with full interiors and people or flat cars with heavy loads.  If you have any of these run them at the head end of your train to avoid pulling lighter cars off of the rails.  Also - the heavy cars will reduce the number of cars that any loco can pull - - - just like the real thing.

I am an old timer in the hobby so I am prejudiced.  I like the Dynamis wireless control for trains and the good old manual switch throwing!  Growing up on steam train lines in the 40's and 50's, hand throwing switches was the rule.  Also, with the walk around EZ Command or Dynamis control you ca be right where you want to do your switching and keep an eye on your trains - besides ---- that way you get to do more than watch!

I have a Starr-Tech "Hogger" with 5 amps output at 20 volts  --- Can I replace the 1 amp supply that comes with the basic Bachmann systems with the Starr-Tec Hogger filtered DC?