Is ATLAS Dash 8-40 C compatible with Bachman?


L

Louisiana Planter

New Member
I am at retirement age and thought i would try to interest grandchildren in railroading (also Grandad). I purchased a DCC set made by Bachman (loco, cars, track, E-Z controller, etc) and it runs the included locomotives with no problem. Then I find a new (2004) ATLAS gold loco.w/QSI sound at a good price so I purchase it only to fnd that this old man cannot get it to work--nothing at all--no sound, no power--Nothing. I tried to perform the various troubleshooting tips listed in the owner's manual but I get the feeling that the Bachman controller is inadequate to check or perform all programming. Please someone out there throw me a SIMPLE solution.:confused: :confused:
 
Hummm, it might be the controller, though I have no clue. Hopefully someone can think of how to fix it.
 
Are you talking about the Bachmann Digital Command Control system? I use that system (sadly) and I think it doesn't work because it only programs one digit addresses and most decoders take 2 or 4 digit addresses. Maybe if it's not a Bachmann decoder it probably won't work. I am changing from the Bachmann controllers to a NCE DCC system. If thats not the problem than I don't really know what is. I will be purchasing a Atlas engine with sound within the next two weeks and I'll let you know if it works or not with the Bachmann controller.
 
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I use QSI sound card equipped models with my Bachmann EZ Command system with a mix of Proto, Atlas, and Bachman engines and they all work fine. There are few sound features that don't work, like F9 for shutdown, but evrything else, like bells horns, air let-off, and squealing flanges work fine. Check the documentatin that came with your engine. Atlas engines typically come with a jumper so they will run on DC out of the box. You need to take of the shell, find the jumper, and remove it. I'll bet it will run fine on standard address 3 then.
 
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EvoMan454 said:
Are you talking about the Bachmann Digital Command Control system? I use that system (sadly) and I think it doesn't work because it only programs one digit addresses and most decoders take 2 or 4 digit addresses. Maybe if it's not a Bachmann decoder it probably won't work. I am changing from the Bachmann controllers to a NCE DCC system. If thats not the problem than I don't really know what is. I will be purchasing a Atlas engine with sound within the next two weeks and I'll let you know if it works or not with the Bachmann controller.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I suspect that Bachman may be the problem here but please keep me in mind whenever you get the Atlas unit.
Thanks,
Gene
 
Thanks Jim,
I have read & re-read all the paperwork including the owners manual and have found no reference to a jumper. The manual says that the loco should run on DC or DCC right out of the box. I have e-mailed Atlas, but as of yet have no response from them--may have to send loco back to them for checking.
thanks,
Gene
 
The QSI-equipped locos do not have a jumper; the jumper ones were the old Atlas 2/4 function decoders that had no sound capability.

As far as starting up the loco, you might try to set your Bachmann controller to the short address of '3'. That's what the loco should come out of the factory at. Don't punch in 0003, that's the long address version of '3'. Just hit '3', and enter. That might do it. If it still doesn't it might be in shutdown mode, can't recall what the startup would be.

Now that I'm thinking about it, did QSI really start supplying Atlas with sound decoders back in 2004? That seems to be an awfully early time ago.....

Kennedy
 
Thanks Kennedy, but using address 3 was the first thing I did. Now Atlas mentioned the shutdown mode in the owners manual and they include a magnet tipped "wand" to take the loco in & out of the"sleep" mode. I positioned the magnetic wand against the cab as shown in their diagram and got no response-(the engine is supposed to speak the word ready). I left the magnet in position for one minute (the manual did not specify how long to leave it there).
Another day gone and still no word from ATLAS' tech. dept. Maybe I can find a phone # and give them a call.
I appreciate your taking time to respond to my post, thanks again. When I find the cure to my problem, I will post for all to know.
Thanks,
Gene
 
Try non-single digit ID reprogram steps

I have some Atlas non-sound but with factory DCC Master series engines that I run with my Bachmann DCC Command system and the ones that did not respond to ID #3 right away had to be reprogrammed. Then they worked fine.

Try following the steps from Bachmann for reprogramming non-single digit ID locos. I believe that would be to leave the engine off the track while setting the control into reprogram mode. Once the light is flashing indicating you are in reprogram mode place the engine on the track and select the new single digit ID you wish to use. You should then receive the slight response movement from the engine indicating that the new ID took. Has worked on several Atlas DCC engines for me...

Joe
 
The QSI 'Magic Wand" is a little vague. On my Mallet, it takes a bit of "feeling around" with the wand on the tender to trip the reed switch. I am thinking of trying a stronger magnet, but am worried that maybe too strong a magnet might ruin something. ( I have some REAL STRONG magnets! ) :D

Rotor
 
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Atlas also had some incorrect drawings for the correct location of the magnetic read switch. Try th rear of th engine behind the exhaust stack. You should feel the magnetic reed switch being pulled from your hand when you've go it in the right spot. Once you find the correct place, you should hear the sound of a big air let-off and then engine should say "Atlas" very clearly. If you only hear noise, it's time for a trip back to Atlas service department. I had the exact same problem with a P2K GP=7 and Walthers replaced the sound card since it was defective.
 
Gene,


I have found that Atlas is notorious for programming the last two digits of the engine number into the decoder rather than 3 as most manufacturers do. Have you tried that?

Bob
 
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