Hi All,
A good friend of mine gave me her recently deceased husband's old 1950s B&O train set manufactured by Tyco/Gilbert (apparently) with four passenger cars. Needless to say, the set is in pretty bad shape. To my surprise, though, when I got home and put one car on the track, it worked as the lights came on!!!!! The trucks have metal and plastic wheels on opposite sides, and some of the original horn couplers still survive. I would like to bring the cars back to life (the locomotives are beyond repair) by perhaps replacing the trucks (or at least the wheels) with new ones, as well as the old couplers with knuckle ones. Since the cars have electric pickup trucks, what do you recommend? The trucks are in fairly decent shape, but which wheels would work? What about the couplers? Which ones? Any suggestions are very welcome. Please keep in mind that I want to keep the bill contained.
Best to everyone,
El Novato

 Bach man: Do the new 85' smoothside lighted passenger cars operate on 18in radius curves?

Thanks very much for the information!!!!!!

Quote from: jbrock27 on June 01, 2015, 07:43:41 PM
Utilizing the ANYRAIL track program first when you are resigned to use EZ track, cuts down on a lot of the trial and error and unnecessary purchases.

THANKS!!!!

Hello,
I see that the EZ Command Walk Around Companion box (44907) is sold out everywhere on the internet AND it is not included in the most recent catalog (2015 hard copy). Does this mean it is out of production? If not, is there an estimate of when it will be available? I have a simple 2 train small layout and that is exactly the one I want.
Thanks

I use NS EZ track (HO scale) and is fine. Sometimes one of my locos derails on turnouts, but this seems to be a relatively common problem you can solve filing the turnout edges. The only drawback is the lack of "versatility". You have to be pretty creative while designing the track, since the pieces are of a given size and you could end up in a constant trial-and-error for everything to fit nicely (meaning buying extra track and find some pieces unused.
Hope this helps.
Best!

I have a Bachmann F7A DCC (no sound) locomotive that came with a Digital Commander set I bought. I was wondering if Bachmann's F7B body shell (catalog part H638X-00A01-SF-R) available would fit the chassis of my F7A. The reason is that I upgraded to an F7A sound locomotive and I'd rather have the A/B combo rather than two F7A's. Inspection of the parts diagrams of both suggests they are. Any thoughts?
Thanks,

Hi there. I bought 2 sound value locos (F7A and GP7) and love them. I have the simple EZ Command DCC controller (grey box with 10 buttons). If I upgraded to a Dynamis controller, could I use more sounds in addition to those of the prime mover, bell and horns, or are those the only available in the decoder? In other words, the sound effect limitations in these models are determined by the decoder or by the controller (or both)?
Thank you all.

ACY thanks. Why is that? I ask because it is the same length as the Athearn Streamlined ones I have on my Bachmann Soundvalue SF F7 (72 feet or some 10 inches long). Is it because of the body vs truck mounted couplers? Is it the 2 vs 3 wheelled trucks?
Further insights very welcome.

Hello everyone. Does anyone know what is the recommended minimum radius for the new Bachmann #13702 72' Heavyweight Coach B&O 5482 HO? Other brand's streamlined passenger cars that are about the same length (a bit less than 10 inches) do work on 18 inch radius curves, but have 2 wheel trucks (as opposed to three in Bachmann's). I have a small 7x4 layout with a 3 car (diesel) Santa Fe Train and I am thinking of adding a similar B&O (I know, it is an odd mix).
Best to all,
El Novato.

Thanks! I guess I omitted a useful peace of information: I have an EZ Command DCC controller. Also, I am a newcomer to this great hobby and have not yet bought a sound loco. I was thinking Bachmann's Boston and Maine Alco RS3 for my freight train, and the Baltimore and Ohio Alco FA2 for my passenger train. I want to combine each with my DCC on board (no sound) Alco and Baldwin locos, respectively. I might wait a bit instead if I cannot combine sound/no sound locos without losing sound functions if on the same address.

Hi all. I saw a video where it is shown how to assign the same address to two (DCC on board) Bachmann locomotives (to have two locos pulling one set of cars of course). What is not said is if you can control light functions separately for each loco. My guess is you cannot. Also, what if one of the locos has DCC and sound but the other does not? Can you still blow the horn or ring the bell on the one equipped? Is the Bachmann system capable of identifying that one of the two locos on the same address is sound equipped but the other is not? If not, which one "dominates"?
El Novato

Thanks all. Joe, it is the standard Bachmann NS remote turnout matching an 18" curve (44561 and 44562). The frog (if I have the correct idea of what the frog is) is plastic I believe.

I have looked everywhere and still have not been able to find exactly what I am looking for. I found a pair of LED turnout indicators I want to connect to my DC command layout (NJ Int'l is the brand of those indicators). Each indicator comes with a green light, a red light and 3 cables (common ground, red with resistor for one led and yellow with resistor for the other led). In some video someone uses a relay, but in other not. Is it enough to connect each power cabe (the resistor one) to each of the diverging rails and make the ground cable connection "move with the turnout"? Alternatively, what would be the easiest way to connect these indicators?
Thanks.

Jim, I meant a turnout. I appreciate all your advice (meaning from all of you of course).