Older GE DASH 8-40CW

[gunstar]

I recently bought (E-BAY) a Spectrum GE DASH 8-40CW UP #9381, Item # 86061. 

First question, can anyone give me a date of manufacture?

Second question, no running lights, and those be added with a kit from Bachman?

Runs great.

Thanks

[conradin]

I owned two of those.
I don't have all the catalogs, but I know that GE-8-40CW Spectrum did not exist in 2001, in fact, there were very very few products in 2001 for Spectrum N scales.  I also know that in 2006 the Spectrum GE-8-40CW are DCC ready.
So the best guess would be between 2002-2005.

There are lights, and they are directional.  If you open the shell and look inside, the lights on both ends are connected on a very simple PCB, stuck inside the inner top of the shell.  The split chassis has no lights.

The rapidos are truck mounted.

Pretty good performance actually, I would have kept both of them but I rather got a DCC ready one instead.  But I would have to say that the old
DASH 8-40CWs actually have enough space and convenience in engineering that you can convert it to DCC without too many problems, ie, you do not need to do drilling and milling and all those stuff.

Try conduct wires from either the power pack or the track to contact directly with the lights, or its PCB, to see whether they are defective.  Make sure you test both, ie. both the lights, and the PCB itself, to isolate the problems.
If the lights work, then it is a matter of contact between the case and the chassis.  Adjust the case, or adjust the chassis (lossen or tighten the screws that hold the two halves of the chassis to adjust conductivity).

If all else fails, depends on what you plan to do, the loco can either be serve as spare parts, or you can send it back to Bachmann.  Older Spectrums values have not been great (around $20), so it may not be worth the (legendary waiting time of) returning, and you may as well get another loco.  The chassis itself can pretty much interchange with the newer Spectrums, so you may actually want to keep it as parts.

Did you buy it MIB, or used?

[Franz T]

The first series of Spectrum Dash8's appeared in 1996.
I have 5 of them and although they are generally decent engines, quality control at that time was a bit spotty, to be polite about it.
More than likely, B'mann will no longer have parts for the older models; however they generally replace a loco sent in under warranty with the current production model. IIRC the handling charge or a N-scale diesel is $10. Contact them for exact details.
To learn more than you ever wanted to know about N-scale locomotives, try this link: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html
HTH

Franz T.

[gunstar]

Thanks This info is a big help

[conradin]

The first series of Spectrum Dash8's appeared in 1996.
I have 5 of them and although they are generally decent engines, quality control at that time was a bit spotty, to be polite about it.
More than likely, B'mann will no longer have parts for the older models; however they generally replace a loco sent in under warranty with the current production model. IIRC the handling charge or a N-scale diesel is $10. Contact them for exact details.
To learn more than you ever wanted to know about N-scale locomotives, try this link: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html
HTH


I cannot find the Dash8's in my 1997 and 2001 catalog.  Did they pull out during those two years?  Or do they have separate catalogs?

Franz T.

[Franz T]

Don't know about Bachmann catalogs, but they were in the Walthers book.
Can't put my hands on them right this minute, but im the 1997 one, Spectrum was listed seperately, at the end of the locomotive section, not under Bachmann. (IIRC, there was  nothing in the Walthers catalog in 1997 to even indicate that Spectrum had any connection to Bachmann)..

[conradin]

Now that I have checked the 98 and 99 catalogs, I noticed that the UP # is 86073.  In fact, with the exception of the undecorated dash 8 CW, they all started from 86070.  Dash 8 C are 85XXX.  That means that 86061 has to be made in 96 or 97.