Yes. The black is cheaper but requires more maintenance as it gets older. It can also rust. The gray costs a bit more but doesn't rust and requires far less maintenance.

Welcome to the world of tender mounted motors. I've had a couple of those little 4-4-0's over the years and they ran pretty good. It's easy to see that there's not room in the loco for a motor, hence it's location in the tender. Motor power is sent to the loco via a drive shaft which must be periodically inspected for wear and replaced in the event of wear. The power pickups on the tender wheels are problematic at best and can be a chore to clean.

DCC and DC get along like two tom cats in a sack. Not at all! If you're set on having the two layouts join have a section of dead track between them. This track can be connected to a center-off DPDT switch so it can be energized from the DC layout or the DCC layout but not both at once.

Clean the track and the locos wheels.

To my knowledge the track required by the Hogwarts Express is regular Bachmann EZ-Track. If you are replacing this track do yourself a favor and get the nickel-silver EZ-Track. It doesn't require cleaning so often and the train will continue running even when the track is a bit dirty.

Set the address as if it was a loco from another manufacturer and has an address higher than 9. Follow these steps:

Remove all locomotives from the layout. Press and hold the key for the new address you desire the locomotive to have.

Now press and release the 'Stop' button.  Release the address button
The 'Stop' LED will blink fast.

Place the locomotive on the track that you desire to assign a new address.

Press and release the button that corresponds to the new address you desire. This should be the same button you presses in step 3 above.  The 'Stop' LED will now blink slowly.  The programmed locomotive will make a series of small clicks or movements indicating that the programming is successful. 

Now press and release the 'Stop'  button again. The 'Stop' LED will change from slowly blinking to being on solidly. Your locomotive should now be programmed for the new address.

Set the decoder to DCC only and you won't have those runaways.

The EZ-Command is a good system for a beginner in DCC who isn't interested in programming CV addresses or running a lot of trains at once. I used one for two years before stepping up to a Digitrax Zephyr.

Broken wires are a common problem. I've found them even on high-end models.

EZ-Track is all I've been using since the mid 90's and I have to say I like it! Just make sure your trackwork is good and flat, especially around the turnouts, and you shouldn't have any problems.

In this example I have one loco already addressed. It's address is 6. I want to address another loco to 6. It's currently set on 3. I put it on the track and press the 3 button on the controller and hold it down while I press and the STOP button. Now I release the 3 button. Now I press the 6 button then press the stop button. The loco has been changed from address 3 to address 6. To change the direction of travel of the loco I press the 6 button. Now I press and hold down the 6 button while I press and release the STOP button then I release the 6 button. Now I press the direction button for the direction I want the loco to run, forward or backward. Now I press and release the STOP button. The loco should now be programmed to run on address 6 in the direction specified. If it doesn't run in the right direction repeat the part of the instructions above pertaining to changing direction but use the other direction button.

Blue is the common positive (+). White and yellow are both negative (-). You'll most likely need a resistor inline with the LED. BTW, the long leg on the LED is positive.

Quote from: Nigel on November 22, 2008, 02:09:45 AM
If you really like the model, and do not want to make into a dummy, get a new Bachmann B23-7 or B30-7 (make sure the side frames match yours), and swap the shells.  Some minor modifications will be required.

Dump the pancake motor and get one of the new 8 wheel drive chassis.

Loco makes and designs are as varied as the colors on cabooses. Some old locos can be converted rather easily, some others can be difficult but not impossible while some are impossible or not worth wasting your time on. The oldest loco in my collection that I've converted is a Bachmann GP40 that I bought in Germany in the mid 70's. I also remotored it and fitted it with new trucks. All this made the conversion much easier. Would I do it again? Probably not.

You talking about this?
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=205