Differences on Anniversary Engine & Tender

[New ChooChoo]

 Hey guys! I have a Silverado set and thought I would upgrade the bottom half of the engine with the Anniversary frame and chassis with the metal side rods. Got it today BUT I notice on the back of the unit there are TWO connectors and a switch. My engine only has ONE connector and a switch. My tender only has one  connector. If I plug the tender into either connector on the new engine and fire them up, all I get is a loud screech from the tender speaker. Do I need to purchase one of the newer tenders that has two connections? I understand the two connectors on the new engine, one is for sound and one it for lights? Which is which?

    Lastly, I am NOT a happy camper with Bachmann. The new Anniversary frame and chassis arrived DAMAGED! No damage to the outer shipping carton, but the cardboard liner holding the engine was DAMAGED. Front wheel axle was busted in half. No damage in transit. It had to be pulled off the shelf broken & packaged that way.. Someone should pay attention to their job.

Sorry I rant on, but I was eagerly awaiting for this part.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi!
Bad Stuff happens from time to time unfortunately it happened to you.  Contact Bachmann, nicely explain the situation and they will send you a new one and pay for the return of the broken one.   

Your original Big Hauler tender does not have an operating rear light on it, so if it is important to have a rear headlight the Anniversary tender will be needed. Be aware that the Annie tender with the wood load does NOT have a rear light, so be sure to buy one with a coal load and the operating light.  Some have converted the dummy light on their Big Hauler tender to an operating light. They run wires from the wipers on the bottom of the drive wheels to the tender and the new light. they use a mini connector to make it easy to disconnect the light when separating the loco and tender.   The easy way is the get the new Annie tender with the operating light!

As for the sound, your original Big Hauler tender has only the one wire which goes to the plug on the back of the loco which leads to the chuff sensor..  The chuff sensor is nothing more than two bronze wipers that contact a drum on the rear axle of the loco causing the circuit to break giving the intermittent sound that is the chuffing noise you hear.   Thye wire on your tender is the lead to the chuff sensor on the locomotive and works the same for both the Big Hauler and the Annie.   The plug on your tender goes to the socket to the left of the red switch on the locomotive.  If you buy the Annie tender it will have two plugs, one will be marked "sound" and the other "light"  so you will know the sound one goes on the left and the light goes to the right of the red switch.

Hope this helps,

Bachmann will make it right.

Loco Bill

[New ChooChoo]

Hey Bill,
   I think this is what I am going to do for now. I see there is a kit that Bachmann carries with the plugs and harnesses like you said. It also comes with a new PCB board. The board in mine is an older revision. Dont know if it will sound any different or better but it will have all the parts I need. My tender does not have a light on the back but I do have a light on my other one. I dont need a light on the one I am working on and I want to keep the body of the tender with the same RR name. Besides, Bachmann is OUT of the tender assembly I would order with it all assembled.
   Thanks for all your help! I will let you know how things go!

Jim R

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Good luck and have fun with your projects!  The sounds are basically the same for all the Bachmann sound PCB boards. they all produce the simple basic chuff chuff sounds.

Bill