Thank you for the offer, but this is a very specific, The Decoder Bachmann Installed Is The Only One That Has a Snowball's Chance in Miami to Fit version. There is no option other than grinding away the entire top of the frame.
Bachmann locomotives
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You don't refer to them as sound equipped so I guess these are motor only decoders. Also what scale are we talking?
Digitrax has some motor only decoders the size of a dime.
I would like to see the how Bachmann's decoder is installed, because seems to me if they installed a decoder one should be able to remove it and put in another manufactures in its place. One can put decoders in Z scale so it seems like there has got to be one small enough to fit the space vacated by the bad Bachmann decoder.
And I'm fine if you do not wish to pursue this any more.
EDIT: looks like the decoder is available at bachman: https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_658&products_id=8759
The way the engine is made, the decoder has to have spring clips on the bottom to get power to the decoder, and it has two plastic retainers to hold the decoder in place. While I'm sure the design makes it easy and cheap to build, any kind of repair is out of the question. There are several HO models configured similarly.
Now is it practical or worth it that is a totally separate question.
BTW: Thanks for the pictures.
I say mostly because there are some annoyances. The Streamlined K4 uses the old sway style drawbar which is a PITA to install and remove. I just permanently installed it and left it as such. Other than that it runs and sounds great with a TCS decoder, not a gimped one it has all the standard factory features of an off-the-shelf TCS decoder. I only paid $200 for it new. Some of the diesel models with lighter paint, the headlight can bleed through the shell. To solve that you can either paint the inside of the shell or lower the brightness of the light (I chose the latter).
The New York Central Hudsons are also great that I have two of them ($260 and $180 respectively). It was able to pull my 20 car plus mail train mixed with heavyweights, reefers, and box cars without any hiccups or derailments. The die-cast shell is a beast and adds so much weight even without traction tires.
A lot of the new ones are using TCS and Soundtraxx Econami/Tsunami 2. They make the model run really well. Depending on what era you model or what type of locomotive you like, their best models are the steam and electrics. Diesels are hit or miss unless you get them at the right price. All three of my Bachmann diesels were purchased around $100 give or take. I never pay MSRP for Bachmann or even standard street pricing for that matter. All of them (30) are DCC Sound factory equipped except a few where I had TCS decoders installed. My most expensive is the B&O 2-8-8-4 EM-1 that they are re-releasing with Tsunami 2 boards in them now which will make them run so much better than the first 2011 run.
So overall, I am satisfied but I model the transition era so options particularly steam are more limited making Bachmann an important source. If you model freight operations in the modern era, then you have way more options to choose from. Passenger-wise Bachmann got a license I believe to do Amtrak so if you do modern passenger operations like Amtrak then you want Bachmann. Reviews say the Siemens Chargers they made are top notch
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Jim at BSME
Member
Given the size of modern decoders I have a hard time believing an after market decoder can not fit without modifying the frame. Please take a picture and prove us wrong.
You don't refer to them as sound equipped so I guess these are motor only decoders. Also what scale are we talking?
Digitrax has some motor only decoders the size of a dime.
A dime is too big. I'll dig the thing out and take a picture. And I know my decoders. And whether you believe or not matters not a bit to me.
Bruette
Well-Known Member
I've known you for nearly 13 years now. If you say it, I know I can believe it.
Jim at BSME
Member
It was asked if this was HO, but you didn't reply as I can see this is N-scale, so yes my thoughts on the Digitrax decoder likely would not work.
I would like to see the how Bachmann's decoder is installed, because seems to me if they installed a decoder one should be able to remove it and put in another manufactures in its place. One can put decoders in Z scale so it seems like there has got to be one small enough to fit the space vacated by the bad Bachmann decoder.
And I'm fine if you do not wish to pursue this any more.
EDIT: looks like the decoder is available at bachman: https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_658&products_id=8759
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That’s $30 more than I paid for the engine, not counting shipping or tax. For the same money for that and what I originally paid, I can buy the Atlas version, put a decoder in it, and have a reliable engine. And probably have change left.
The way the engine is made, the decoder has to have spring clips on the bottom to get power to the decoder, and it has two plastic retainers to hold the decoder in place. While I'm sure the design makes it easy and cheap to build, any kind of repair is out of the question. There are several HO models configured similarly.
I have the HO Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern and, Spectrum GE 44-Ton Switcher and 4-4-0 Modern American. I did much work on each, replaced the decoder, tuning the drive, added weight and detailed - with this much effort, they really can look good and run smoothly. You'll find my work posted on here.
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Jim at BSME
Member
While it is not easy to repair by simply swapping the OEM decoder with an after market, it is not out of the question. It will require a good amount of work to get power from the frame/weight to the decoder and mount the LED lights. To get power to it I would drill and tap holes in the top of the weight and wrap the wires under the screw head. The Digitrax DZ-126T is only 7.13mm (.28 in) wide that will fit in the shell. I would hope 1amp would be sufficient, but I don't know how current hungry the motor is.
Now is it practical or worth it that is a totally separate question.
BTW: Thanks for the pictures.
Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
This is funny in that I was just thinking today of how I despised Bachmann for all the junk I used to buy from them. N scale consolidation that probably ran for a day before it died, Old time cars that look like toys, DD40AX that the only thing good that came out of it were the brushes out of the motor. I vowed never to pay more than 10 bucks for anything Bachmann.
But, the OO scale stuff in the UK market looks really awesome. Very nice details, mechanism, features, etc. They seem to charge more than their competitors which is why I haven't jumped in and in the back of my mind, the above thought still lingers.
The reason why I was thinking of this is because I have been dealing with EFE Rails, which is now under Bachmann. I was hoping for better, but I buy one model, send it back for replacement. Order a 2nd, send it back for replacement. 1st replacement shows up, send it back for refund this time. Waiting for the 2nd replacement. Issue: wheels that do not turn true. These shake their behind like a hula show. I did ask the vendor in UK to pretest, which they said they would, but it was lip service.
BTW, I still have those old time cars. Changed the trucks for power pick up ones from Kato, added lights and drag them around the room at least a few hours a week. Completely non-prototypical but it has lights! haha
Cheap easy way to get power from a split frame is to put the wires on both sides of something like electrical tape and sandwich it between the two halves. For the lights, looks like the leds are mounted at the ends of the board. Kapton tape the frame and goop an led near the body's lamp lense. May have to raise it a bit since the decoder board floats a bit above the chassis.
But, the OO scale stuff in the UK market looks really awesome. Very nice details, mechanism, features, etc. They seem to charge more than their competitors which is why I haven't jumped in and in the back of my mind, the above thought still lingers.
The reason why I was thinking of this is because I have been dealing with EFE Rails, which is now under Bachmann. I was hoping for better, but I buy one model, send it back for replacement. Order a 2nd, send it back for replacement. 1st replacement shows up, send it back for refund this time. Waiting for the 2nd replacement. Issue: wheels that do not turn true. These shake their behind like a hula show. I did ask the vendor in UK to pretest, which they said they would, but it was lip service.
BTW, I still have those old time cars. Changed the trucks for power pick up ones from Kato, added lights and drag them around the room at least a few hours a week. Completely non-prototypical but it has lights! haha
Cheap easy way to get power from a split frame is to put the wires on both sides of something like electrical tape and sandwich it between the two halves. For the lights, looks like the leds are mounted at the ends of the board. Kapton tape the frame and goop an led near the body's lamp lense. May have to raise it a bit since the decoder board floats a bit above the chassis.
Attachments
Since I model HO, I say mostly yes.
I say mostly because there are some annoyances. The Streamlined K4 uses the old sway style drawbar which is a PITA to install and remove. I just permanently installed it and left it as such. Other than that it runs and sounds great with a TCS decoder, not a gimped one it has all the standard factory features of an off-the-shelf TCS decoder. I only paid $200 for it new. Some of the diesel models with lighter paint, the headlight can bleed through the shell. To solve that you can either paint the inside of the shell or lower the brightness of the light (I chose the latter).
The New York Central Hudsons are also great that I have two of them ($260 and $180 respectively). It was able to pull my 20 car plus mail train mixed with heavyweights, reefers, and box cars without any hiccups or derailments. The die-cast shell is a beast and adds so much weight even without traction tires.
A lot of the new ones are using TCS and Soundtraxx Econami/Tsunami 2. They make the model run really well. Depending on what era you model or what type of locomotive you like, their best models are the steam and electrics. Diesels are hit or miss unless you get them at the right price. All three of my Bachmann diesels were purchased around $100 give or take. I never pay MSRP for Bachmann or even standard street pricing for that matter. All of them (30) are DCC Sound factory equipped except a few where I had TCS decoders installed. My most expensive is the B&O 2-8-8-4 EM-1 that they are re-releasing with Tsunami 2 boards in them now which will make them run so much better than the first 2011 run.
So overall, I am satisfied but I model the transition era so options particularly steam are more limited making Bachmann an important source. If you model freight operations in the modern era, then you have way more options to choose from. Passenger-wise Bachmann got a license I believe to do Amtrak so if you do modern passenger operations like Amtrak then you want Bachmann. Reviews say the Siemens Chargers they made are top notch
John Licharson
New Member
Question re the Bachmann modern 4-4-0:
I have stripped out the OEM (non-sound) decoder and its pcboard and am replacing it with ESU sound.
I note from the exploded parts diagram that the front headlight is a described as a diode.
Question is: Does the White or Blue power lead to the front headlight now require a resistor in series? And if so, what value (DCC track voltage 15.5V-16V)?
Tks for any advice.
[PS: Before it is asked, I stripped out the OEM pcboard because it had lots of undocumented circuitry/components on it and also took up too much of the tender interior free space.]
I have stripped out the OEM (non-sound) decoder and its pcboard and am replacing it with ESU sound.
I note from the exploded parts diagram that the front headlight is a described as a diode.
Question is: Does the White or Blue power lead to the front headlight now require a resistor in series? And if so, what value (DCC track voltage 15.5V-16V)?
Tks for any advice.
[PS: Before it is asked, I stripped out the OEM pcboard because it had lots of undocumented circuitry/components on it and also took up too much of the tender interior free space.]
Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
LEDs do require a current limiting resistor. Depending on how bright you want the LED to be, you can go from 460 to 2K or more, but the ESU has the ability to adjust brightness. I still use at least 1K so that I dont have to attenuate as much.
John Licharson
New Member
Tks vmuch!
I suspect I may now have blown the LED. (Everything seems to get harder as I get older!)
Next step is to replace it and get things right.
I suspect I may now have blown the LED. (Everything seems to get harder as I get older!)
Next step is to replace it and get things right.
John Licharson
New Member
I have a clear white, a warm white and a yellow.
Not sure yet how to get the old one out.
Once I do, I will probably have to use my lathe to turn whichever one is closest down to size to fit.
Not sure yet how to get the old one out.
Once I do, I will probably have to use my lathe to turn whichever one is closest down to size to fit.
Jim at BSME
Member
Some ESU decoders have current limiting resistors built in for the LED lighting, if you could provide the model number of the decoder more appropriate help might be possible.
Since LEDs are polarity sensitive, try switching the blue and white wires from the decoder. A google tells me for those decoders without built-in resistors a 2.2k resistor is recommended.
You can also test LEDs with a multimeter that has a diode function, again since the LED is polarity sensitive make sure you try with the meter leads swapped if it doesn't light on the first try. Also you may get the voltage reading of the LEDs, and that would be useful for knowing how big of an current limiting resistor to use.
Lastly you might want to start your own thread so it gets more attention, especially since the originator of this thread was talking about a N-scale RS-3 and you are now talking about a HO 4-4-0
Since LEDs are polarity sensitive, try switching the blue and white wires from the decoder. A google tells me for those decoders without built-in resistors a 2.2k resistor is recommended.
You can also test LEDs with a multimeter that has a diode function, again since the LED is polarity sensitive make sure you try with the meter leads swapped if it doesn't light on the first try. Also you may get the voltage reading of the LEDs, and that would be useful for knowing how big of an current limiting resistor to use.
Lastly you might want to start your own thread so it gets more attention, especially since the originator of this thread was talking about a N-scale RS-3 and you are now talking about a HO 4-4-0
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