I have the bachmann ho acela dcc ready set that I currently run on dc. What do I need to purchase to convert and run on dcc?
There is an 8-pin receptacle inside the locomotive. Just remove the dummy plug and plug-in a decoder of your choice. The Bachmann-style decoder will work just fine.
The hard part is removing the shell without doing any damage to the sprung doors or ladders. When you are ready to proceed, post another question about shell removal. Essentially you need to remove the back curtain and nose prior to lifting the shell.
Regards,
Jonathan
I have the DCC-ready set, and I put a decoder in mine. It's not for the feint of heart, for sure! First off, the top is difficult to get off. There's little black do-hicky-roof decorations that aren't glued in that tend to fall out, and to top it all off, the space for the decoder is very cramped. I would get an N-scale decoder, so you aren't stuck trying to get a "normal" HO size decoder to fit. Also, forget about DCC + sound, there's flat out no space unless you start milling away at the weight.
But I will say, once you get it set up, it runs quite nicely.