Is there a way to reboot the bachmann DCC Santa Fe locomotive using the EZ command control?

Is there a way to reset Santa Fe DCC locomotive using bachmann's EZ command control center?

I purchased in March 2021 the Bachman thunder chief locomotive DCC set. It all worked fine and dandy and now just recently there is no longer any sound, no bells, horns, engine sound. The light will work if I do a f10 and the engine operates very smoothly.

Any ideas why I'm having this issue? Is there a simple way to check the speaker? I have taken it apart and I don't see any loose connections or broken wires that might have shorted out.

As always I'm thankful and I appreciate all your suggestions and helpful answers.

Need some advice or recommendations for a HO scale DCC engine with sound and lights pre installed. I see many that say they are DCC ready or DCC ready sound. I want one that I take out of the box put on the track set the engines number in the digitrack controller and the lights and sound and Horn and engine start up all work. I'm looking for either CSX or Amtrak engines but open to other suggestions. I don't feel comfortable installing a decoder unless someone here has a very good how to video. I do have the bachman controller for DCC and I also have digitrack which I plan to use primarily.

Also question. Is it safe to run DC engines on the track using either the bachmann DCC controller or the digit track controller. When I try to do this the engine's hum before they start moving is that harmful to these older ho DC analog engines I have?   

One last thing I want to give a shout out to doc who passed a few years back. He was always giving excellent advice on here for many many years I miss his comments and suggestions and advice.

I have a new digit track controller to use for DCC and possibly DC. Is it safe to use on my older DC engines? Will it cause damage to them? The engine hums when it's placed on the track is this normal?

I am addicted to lights/lighting. What I do now (don't laugh or judge) I use dollar store strands of lights, 3mm I believe. They use 2- 1.5v batteries (totaling 3v). I use Lemax power adapters that is rated 3v with 4 leads to each adapter. I snip and add one or two from a strand with a quick disconnect wired in for each building or whatever. I do not want to use battery power is why I wire them to an adapter. The problems I run into, 1. takes a lot of time to wire them up like I do. 2. I put too many on an adapter I am losing power, reducing the intensity of the lights. 3. There are now 4 leads with multiple leads coming off each one so it looks like something from another galaxy sent to earth to drain our life force. I upped to a 4.5v adapter with the 4 leads and now bulbs are burning out as they are over heating. I do attempt to solder 3mm and some smaller to wires but they don't always work and still having to wire to an adapter. Resistors are suppose to come into play someplace but not sure were or what omhs they should be.

12volts scares me, not really wanting to go that route.

I found these https://www.amazon.com/Model-Power-Stick-Lights-4-Pieces/dp/B000BQSWJO They are from Model Power, self stick comes in either 3v or 12v. would these be what I should use? I know Woodlands Scenics has some handy dandy lighting system however I cannot afford them.

IF I was to consider 12v won't there be a lot of electric usage? How would I hook them all up? I'm talking lots of buildings and lots of other lighting.

I guess same question on 3v, how do I hook them all up? I don't know much about power/electric stuff and it has to be safe and not a fire hazard.

I hope I gave enough info on how I do it now verses how it should be done. And please take into consideration I am not capable of crawling under a layout soldering stuff together upside down.

Thanks all, you always give the best advice. M

My Grandson who is 8 and I are attending our first Model Train and Railroad Hobby show in a few weeks. We are novices on this stuff and hope to learn from this experience. We are starting our own 4' x 8' layout so figured this would be a good thing right? Question is is there anything(s) to watch out for such as poorly made products or dealers who try to gyp me. Do they generally take Credit Cards or cash only? Also how much money should I bring? Are we talking a domestic type car or a high end type car? I know depends on what I am looking for right? Fellows, we are just starting out so imagine how the 2 of us will look, deer in the headlights, candy stores, Christmas Eve all come to mind. Some things I'm hoping to look for such as the rock wall Jonathan uses, some mini lights or bulbs, need fire trucks, police cars and first responders. Oh the list goes on.

Any suggestions or watch out for is greatly appreciated.

 Hello all! I'm back, its been awhile but I'm happy to report my Grandson has gotten bit by the alluring HO scale train bug. He has me, his Grammy to thank and the fact he's been in love with trains from the age of one has also kept his interest going. He is turning 8 in a month or so. I moved from Reno to New York a month ago to be with my family. If anyone remembers, I was the one who had a Christmas village with a train running through it. I also asked umpteen questions. I got a lot of advice and tons of help so I'm back for more.

I had accumulated quite a bit of odd ball stuff in my quest to create that scene of my Christmas village train. I hung on to the stuff  in the hopes my grandson would find interest down the road. and now we are at that road!!! Moving my village & train was a bit difficult and in the end my platform I worked so hard to get it right didn't make it to NY. It was just to big to pack so I pulled up the track and brought that with me.

I arrived with a box or two filled with train stuff. I am staying with my Grandson & Family. and he has already conned me into letting him play with my stuff. It has been a test to see how he treats my things. Next we sat down and shopped for some deals on ebay. I am not at this time buying high end DCC stuff that my Grandson might (will) break. I have only owned Bachmann sets so that is what I went looking for. My Grandson (Connor) is in love with Amtrak and Metro North so the first items we bought were used Amtrak locomotive and then some vintage (everything is vintage on ebay) Amtrack cars. He LOVES them. I have a budget what I am willing to pay for stuff so when my son in law and Connor came home all excited about a train set they had seen at the local flea market I was hopeful. Saturday Connor and I returned. In a old tin Lionel. box was carefully wrapped train pieces and a ton on Ez Track. Only one piece was unwrapped and it was a small black steam engine in perfect condition. I bought it for $80.00. We got home and carefully unwrapped all the pieces. We ended up with 8 cars, 35 pieces of track including left & right turnouts, people, telephone poles, power pack, that Steam engine with coal car and Connor's new favorite a F9 Sante Fe engine, the shiny chrome one. I'm not sure if I over paid for all of this or not? These are Christmas presents and I told Connor they will be packed up and reopened on Christmas morning.  He's cool with that.

I do have a few questions, there is enough track to set up 2 separate ovals. One larger than the other and due to space his layout will be 4'x8'. Question, There is only one power pack and its the older version and I would like to upgrade it and I guess I will need two if running separate tracks, any suggestions on which ones to buy (brands or where to buy them)?

also why do the engines when placed on the track and power supplied they run backwards and will crash into each other? I thought they would follow each other.   

Attaching track, I will be using extruded foam and wood base to support it, what method best to attach track to the foam? My carpenter son in law suggested using a pin nailer gun. I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea?

Is there a trick or something to purchase to line up the wheels EASILY on the track? I find it so difficult to do this especially when the track is sitting on the floor? When I try it looks like I'm trying yoga stances and honestly I'm too old to be doing donkey dunks or walking dog positions. or whatever those yoga names are. It probably will get easier once its off the floor however even then trying to hook up all that stuff well sucks but for now.....?

Happy Thanksgiving, this year especially thankful I'm back home in N Y with my family.

I'm back! I'm starting a new topic as I need less help than I did when I first came to this forum in 2014. I was planning on moving to NY this fall however it is postponed til Spring 2016 So I get to set up Jamestown one more time in Reno. There isn't a whole lot more I could add to to it but as all of you know there is always something more that can be added or critiqued. This year I am adding Flashing railway crossing lights, that is if I can find them reasonable. I am really wanting to add sound to it.

A little back ground on my layout. It's a Christmas village with a train running around it. I am not a model railroader, nothing is to scale in Jamestown. It started with a couple little houses, a few people and a couple of trees. It is now grown to a major city! I am using a Bachmann Steam Prairie loco and a few decorated cars and caboose. I love that it steams and now I would really like it to have sound effects of some kind. It is powered by the original power supply box, not DCC. I don't want to spend a fortune on sound so hoping someone out there has some simple inexpensive ideas. What I'd like it to do is sound like it is idling then bells clang, whistle blows, steam power starting up sound as it goes around the small 4X8 platform. I could just record sound and play it back on a cd but I'd like to possibly simulate as the train is starting up, moving forward and running at regular speed sound like its doing that.

I don't know if there is a kit or sound board that I can place inside the cars or a program I could download to simulate the sounds. I have seen someone install a small one button recorder that you record the sound you want and has push button start/stop. Any help/suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks, Martha

I am posting this in general discussion for the general population to see/read. I am not a model railroader (well not yet) however I have come to this site over and over seeking advice, tips, help, you name it, I asked. I need to let you all know the Bachmann forum is outstanding. The knowledge I have learned from you all really are the reason I can post these videos of my Christmas Village. Happy Holidays to all of you. May the New Year be better than this year!

I started Jamestown for Christmas 2013, 2014 I improved, added, expanded to what it is today.

So here are Jamestown 2013 to view if you'd like   http://youtu.be/kulQYLP7a0M

and Jamestown 2014     http://youtu.be/dV7waLsnU5I

So I am already thinking about my Christmas village I created last year and decided upon completion I didn't like the Diesel looking locomotive I had used. My question to you is ..... Do you know a brand name or model or what ever you may call it for a HO scale Steam locomotive that actually emits Steam (vapor) and whistles? and doesn't cost a fortune? Is there such a thing? If not is there one that just steams or just whistles? I don't need track or cars just a cute little steam engine putting around my village. This village is not up all year so the money spent for an engine needs to be low. As always the help I get from you all is exceptional so thanks in advance. Oh I don't need a brand new one of these, a used working one is fine. Anyone have one for sale or are we not to ask about selling stuff on this forum?

I have the older Bachmann ho scale track and train set and don't know if it is code 100 or 83. I don't have a micrometer to measure the height of the track (I read some place that is how you tell the code).  The curved tracks are gold with black rails, the straight are silver with black rails. I am a novice and ONLY setting this up for my Christmas village that I put out for a few months of the year. I can't afford to upgrade all the tracks or equipment. I do hope to find a few sections of flexible track to use with what I have. I am needing to make a few curves that I think the flex track should do. space is limited to what I am doing and from tutorials seems flex track may be what I need. does anyone have any suggestions and what track is the best for the price? I read Atlas is good but I would think I should stick to Bachmann since everything I have is Bachmann? Thanks for any suggestions or help.

I have Sante Fe 307 HO. The 307 derailed and fell off the table. The front wheels came off and a black wire that connects to the motor broke off. I soldered the black wire back and put the front wheels back on. Now when I put the front wheels on the track the rear wheels spin like 60 but as soon as the rear wheels touch the track, they stop moving and nothing happens. If I continue to try to get all wheels on the track with the power on it will set the circuit breaker off on the power box. Then I have to unplug it and wait to work again. Why is the happening? How do I fix the problem?

My other question is should I be placing the tracks on those strips they show on the internet for model railroading? Not sure what they are called. Appear to be like foam rubber? they also talk about cork ones? Any suggestions on either of them? I am not using the trains as model railroading, I am using them for the center attraction of my large Christmas village I set up each year. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

I just acquired the HO Bachmann Power House train set. Once assembled it measures about 42 inches wide. Is there a way to decrease that size? I would like it to measure about 24 inches. I don't need all the extras this set came with. The width is the issue.