you may run into fitmint issues if you want a smoke unit like the MTH or BLI units have.

the other issue is that tsunami aux output may not give the voltage needed to operate a smoke unit. you may need to add a relay and use a 12v power source that is controled by the relay? you would louse alot of weight adding all this stuff and traction may be an issue then?

Yes that loco has a 8 pin plug in the tender shell. If you want to get real trick  a QSI has a sound file for a C&O Berkshire. Its basicly a match for a NKP Berkshire except I think the whistle is diffrent from the real loco?

http://www.qsisolutions.com/products/techinfo/revolution/q-revo_codes_steam.html

if the Bachmann Gp35 just has basic motor control you will likely have more luck getting the QSI equipped engine to match it by adjusting its speed tables. most times its the mid point settings need to be adjusted to speed match locos with diffrent gearing

John
Good minds think alike.  I agree that with any med-large steam or 6 axel diesel engine you should take the MFG suggested min radius and add 2" to their statement. This is a good rule of thumb for any large loco. Im my experince a 4-8-4 will grind around 18" but only "X" many times untill it derails. they are just not happy on 18". However I think small driver wheeled engines such as a 2-8-0, 2-6-0, 0-6-0 etc... can safely be used at the suggested 18". I think the MFGs try to make there large engines get around tight 18" so that the guy with the 4X8 can enjoy them also.

The Tsunami Heavy steam has options for articulated chuff sounds. If your loco is not DCC ready you will need to hard wire in a decoder. if this loco has a teather from engine to tender you will have to find the specific use for each wire and attach the correct decoder wires to them. you can also use there small or medium steam decoder for the 4-6-0. A cheeper decoder would be the MRC steam but i have no experince with them.

this is classic!!! Sounds like we agree to disagree and im fine with that.   

what bends them so easy? Its rarely it has to do with handeling the engine. Simply Derail your engine over a switch and you have a 50% chance to bend one of those tab. we all know you cant prevent derails. If that does not bend them wait untill you place it in the box and see what happens when you remove it. Be as carefull as you want but if you use that engine as intended it will happen. The design was a problem and Bachmann did the right thing by fixing it on later models. Fact is, if it was not a issues there would not be a thread about this problem every month and Bachmann would have not changed the design.

this is a very common problem with that loco. those tabs bend so easy and are a real PITA to maintain. As said above Bachmann did the right thing and changed the design after all the issues it presented. My Mountain needs more than half of those tabs to be in good contact or the engine will not run smooth.

I have the factory Bachmann / Tsunami in my 2-8-0 and it sounds great. speaker is facing upwards and hidden by the coal load

put a Tsunami in my Spectrum 4-8-2 sound facing upwards as well and the sounds is almost as good as the 2-8-0

put a tsunami in a IHC hudson sounds ok. the speaker is faing the tracks so this may be why I like the others

Im thinking of buying the QSI sound for the NKP 765 as I think QSI did a sound file  for the C&0 Birkshires?

no locks dennis. if it keeps coming uncoupled just bend the draw bar a little to hold the center of the stud better

If its a steam engine I just put it on the track and let it pull a good string of cars in the direction that it is intended to run(forward) after a few nights on the club layout its well broken in and should run smooth.

if its a diesel I run it a few laps in forward then in reverse. after about 50 scale miles (5 laps) its about as smooth as it will ever get.

stay away from the plastic nuckle couplers with plastic wiskers

the plastic couplers with springs are ok for trains less than 30 cars or so.

kadee metal couplers are a must for people running long trains as they will not bend at the shank when under stress of a large string of cars. many times I will see a plastic couplers lift when a car near the loco go over an uneven track. A drastic speed change such as a short in the power will cause slack in the train and the shock that the plastic couplers see can snap a shank or cause them to climb and uncouple.

I have also noticed that the plastic couplers dont work very well over magnets.

again nothing wrong with plastic but they are not very good for long trains or used with magnets

this is an easy fix.

remove the boiler and you can add about 2.5oz of weight under it. if you can get the full 2.5 oz up front then you can safely add another 2oz in the cab. When I recived the engine it would struggle with 30 cars on level track.  With the weight I added I Currently can pull about 48  40' Blue box cars with close to stock weight, metal wheels up a 1% grade.  I also added a new decoder and got much better motor control. I can now pull that 45 car string at 2 scale MPH now. before I was lucky to maintain a steady speed below 40mph

Proto 2000 made them a while ago with some very nice details and if I recall not to pricy?. I make my own lit cabosses from old tender pick up tabs and a bulb that can handel 16volts.

best bet is to get a replacement from Bachmann as that screw may have a surface for the side rods to swing around on. or you could pull the same screw from the other side and see what thread pitch it is and head to a hobby shop that sells small screws.

Trent