Hi
I bought the Acela set, because my daughter will be riding the real one back and forth to school in Mass next yr (an excuse, is an excuse). I held off this long on the sets reputation. Sorry Bmann, LOVE the steamers you are doing. Dissapointed this set never got revised/Spectrumized.

To the point. I was reading (in another forum) that the stand alone Cafe car is of higher quality that the set car.

Bmann, can you confirm if/how the 2 models differ?

Thanks

I have a number of Bmann DCC equipped locos. I just bought DCC. (NCE powercab) So far they seem to have mfr 101 ver 046 decoders.
I have a few questiions
1) Is 101/046 always the built in decoder?
2) Is there a listing of default conditions for the various locos. posted anywhere?
The uberfolded sheets (it's good when the thing I like least about a loco, is how the paperwork is folded, you've come a long way bmann!) suppled with the locos aren't clear andconcise, or I'm not reading them right!
3) Some run quiet and smoooooth as silk, like my 4-6-0. My  2010 version2-6-6-2 seems noisier with dcc than dc. Some have suggested, I change the decder to a "better" decoder and that will improve performance. Has anyone found an across the board decoder that that they like better? Or for now, what do you like in the 2-6-6-2? I bought the 2-6-6-2 new, but more than a year ago, so even if the decoder is just bad and it should run smooth and quiet, it is out of warranty, so I will just change the decoder.
4) Before I buy a 2-10-2, is it smooth and quiet, or will I end up changing the decoder?
5) The decoder paperwork says they are 28 step, but I seem to have 128 step control. Being new, am I just doing it wrong? Is the paperwork wrong?

I have a new J series 4-8-4. Part MTB17 is a little black disk that holds some of the rods together up front. Right out of the box, it is popped off on one side. I removed the front truck for access and tried gentle pressure. No go... Is there a way to pop this back on, or is this one heading to BMann for service? The disk seems pretty substantial and my eyes cant tell if the lip, that would  catch the disk is sheared.
Thanks

just chomping at the bit here

Now I am confused.
My old cardboard and styrofoam box PRR 4-4-0 has the same thin linkage as my plastic box, dummy knuckle unit. A thin shaft with a Tee at each end.

I lubed the new one tried running it tonight. The motor really vibrated in the tender and makes a terrible noise with or without the linkage n place.

This morning I shimmed the motor with a small piece of a business card. It quieted considerably. I've been running it and (as Brokemotto told me in another thread) it is light years ahead of the older units. I still want a Spectrum as I run near our TV and if I can't make it run quietly the family insists it sit quietly.

Any other thoughts on quieting this without remotoring?
On the one hand, it looks like the perfect loco for my first remotor attempt (price). On the other hand... If there is a better way...

Please, can it please. Same size as the old one, only have it run like a spectrum. I'd even wait til Christmas.

Folks there is a little bag with my incredibly awesome, best out of the box Bmann steamer to date.
It contains 2 identical little metal pieces. They aren't referenced in the literature and the loco runs fine without them. What are they? Thanks