Just bought a GP9 loco at atrain show.  The loco was on the table marked 50% off list price. The Blue box is marked  "DCC ON BOARD" Item No. 62810, HO GP9 Giesel Loco (DCC) CN# 1725.

I expected the loco to have a DCC decoder installed base on the following statements printed on the box:
 DCC-Equipped Locomotive DCC ON Board
 Main track programming
 28-step speed control

Put it on  my layout wit an NCE PowerPro DCC system.  No response.  Tried the program track and No decoder found.  Tried it on DC test track loco did run.

The vendor made no mention that the loco inside was not provided with a decoder.

Please verify the IT No 62810 and the package should contain a HO GP9 Giesel Loco CN# 1725 with a DCC decoder factory installed.

Thanks
Ed

Update

I Put loco on the programming track again changed long address to loco No and CV29 to 34.  Placed the loco again on the main  track and have been able to run the loco on DC and DCC.  I don't known what the problem was the first time; it's running now.  Right about the humming for non decoder locos.  I also looked at the assembly drawing again and have been able to remove the shell Knew there had to be screws somewhere ( under fuel tank shell)

Guys
To remove the two truck climax trucks just carefully pull them off. There are no screws holding the trucks on.  The truck has a post that snaps into the chasis.  To get to the gears remove the 3 flathead screws holding on the bottom plate.  Carefully set these aside so you don't loose them on the floor.  The 4 screws hold the upper and lower parts (truck bolster and gear carrier) of the truck together.

Ed

There are a number of issues with the climax -gears-trucks
1. A single universal does not have to be in sinc.  They do have to be in sinc if you have a shaft with a universal at both ends, the climax has a single universal.
2. Another problem with my climax is there are 2 rings on the 4 wheel shafts that locate the shafts from side-to-side.  they are split.  Tough replacement; you need to remove the truck wheel(s) to replace these rings.  I am working on another method that will not require wheel removal.
3.  The drive universal between the main gearbox and front truck drive shaft is split; like the gears.  These are really small universal yokes.  Not sure if one from a shay will work.
4.  I heard recently that NWSL is working on the gears - they told me the gears are coming.

That is good to know.  the climax has one truck gear split and all the axle rings (used to center the axles) are split.  Any idea  when NWSL will have gears and driveshaft?  Hope soon

I was at the NMRA National Train Show (displayer) where Bachmann Rep told me to send loco back with $ and they will repair.  I don't have a warm fuzzy about doing this based on past forum discussions.  Also is it a fix or just a temporary fix; split gear(s) again.

Wonder if Bachmann was waiting for someone else to solve problem?

Mr Bach Man

Interesting that some of us who have the HO climax with problems are getting them fixed while others are ignored.
I bought a climax in Feb of 2007 and ran it a total of 1 hour.  It stopped running due to the front drive shaft falling apart and a mis-aligned drive bevel gears in the front truck.  However now it seems there is a material problem.  I returned the climax to Bachman within the warrenty period in 2008.  They couldn't find the loco because the person entered the loco in your computer system by my first name only.   I was then told it was un repairable and they would sent me a Shay replacement  I turned that down and had them return the climax to me.  It now sits in the box on my shelf.  It looks like the shay are having the same problems.

What does it take to get it repaired by Bachamn as it should have been earlier this year when I sent them the loco?

Ed

See my message about HO Climax repair on March 21, 2008.

After 8 weeks I called about the repair.  I was told they didn't have parts and offered a Shay. I had them return the climax to me.  They did even read my letter because new parts were not needed.

For the forward drive shaft I have the same problem with an HO Climax.  When the truck swivels too far right or left the square shaft comes apart and can be put together with tweezers as stated. 

I think this can be fixed if we replace one of the square drives  parts, either the solid shaft or hollow tube.  Only one of the shaft parts needs to be longer; either the hollow tube or the square shaft.  Does any know if individual repair parts are available for the HO Shay in particular the square drive/U-joint shaft as it is a similar type drive.

As for the other problem with front truck gear mesh that the climax has that also only needs the gears on the two front truck axles moved closer to the axle centerline so they mesh with the drive gears.

I am a little disappointed with Bachmann's response to a simple fix for the gear mesh.  The loco was with them for 8 weeks and until I called it would still be there in the que. 

I'm an mechanical engineer and someone really botched the design and quality control for the climax before release.  I think this had to have shown up during production because my problem developed in less then 3 hours of running.

If anyone has another fix please let me know.

Hi
I have a HO Climax that has no more then 3 hours of operation on it when it developed a "hitch".  Apparently the drive gear and axle gear are not meshing and are jamming, and the front drive slip joint is always falling out.  I bought it up at the Amhearst (Springfield, Mass) train show a year ago.

I sent the Climax to Bachmann to be repaired on January 29, 2008 and called them today to be told they  haven't gotten to it yet and when they do there are no parts.  Just great!  Service?  Apparently they have a lot of returned stuff that needs fixin'.

Reading some of the other posts is there seems to be a serious flaw in the loco design and manufacturing and it is not giving me a warm fuzzy feeling that the Climax will be repaired.

It looks like they didn't do the design, engineering or quality control very well.

BTW.  I noted that there are others with the drive problems.  Has anyone tried using North West Short Line gears and other parts to repair the drives?  How about MDC shay universals?