Hi Trainman203,

Thanks for the suggestion.

On the tender assembly parts sheet that came with my loco the load is part of a casting that includes the whole top of the tender all the way  down to the frame.  I think I could get a B&O or a Pennsy part, but it would not be painted for the 119.  I looked in the parts catalog using the part number shown on my parts sheet.  That part number is used for 126 different Bachmann loco parts, and in the parts catalog none of them is a new 4-4-0 tender top.  Puzzling, but that's what I found.

Hey Bach man,

I received my Jupiter and 119 yesterday, and already I have some things to tell you about the all new 4-4-0 Americans.

I noticed in the Bachmann store that Bachmann designers realized that B&O and Pennsylvania are eastern railroads and therefore their locos are coal burners, so the tenders on the B&O and Pennsy locos have coal loads.  Apparently, they didn't know that in 1869 the Union Pacific was an eastern railroad, so they gave it a tender with a wood load.  If there ever is another production run, please let the designers know that the 119 belonged to an eastern railroad and should have a coal load in its tender.  Strange that the 119 has a smoke stack suitable for a coal burner but it has wood in its tender.

Both my Jupiter and my 119 have front couplers, and the coupler boxes take up the middle third of what should have been a beautiful pilot, or cowcatcher, so, the appearance of the fronts of all the all new 4-4-0 locos are ruined by a ridiculous front coupler when there could have been the elegant pilot that the locos actually had.

Just show them pictures of the replica 4-4-0 locos at the Golden Spike National Historic site and let them take it from there.

Ed Berners in South Bend, IN

Thanks to everyone for comments and encouragement.

Piyer, I hope to stay on that slope now that I'm getting started again.  I'm having fun already!

bbmiroku, I found the article in MR that you mentioned and I have ordered a copy of that issue.    I will guard my own golden spike very carefully.  On May 5 this month, my grandson and my son-in-law and I were looking at the real golden spike in the art museum at Stanford U.  They also have the silver spike that was also driven that day.  It was donated to the ceremonies by the state of Nevada, the Silver State.  There were two other special spikes that were driven, or rather, tapped into the special pre-drilled tie that was slipped under the rails for the ceremony.

On May 10 we were at the Golden Spike National Historic Site for the 149th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.  It was a great day.

Today my two Bachmann 4-4-0 locos, Jupiter and 119, arrived in the mail.  Now I'm on my way.

edpb aka Ed Berners in South Bend, IN

Thanks, Twin Zephyr.  Now I can find an engine house for two of them.  I'm planning a portable layout (much compressed) of the Golden Spike National Historic Site, just to entertain myself and also my grandson and son-in-law who were with me at the site last week.  Operation will consist of bringing the locos out, running back and forth with bell and whistle, and stopping at the tie that holds the golden spike to watch the spike (a gold-painted Atlas track nail?) being driven.  I think it will be fun.

Ed

I would like to know the overall length of the Bachmann HO scale 4-4-0, e.g., the Jupiter.

Hi everybody,

Last week MRC returned my Tech 6 controller and walkaround controller, and their only comment was "Repaired as needed."  Now I am able to program a loco with the walkaround controller and that controller works as I expected and as described in the instructions.  They did not have my S4, so I conclude that the programming problem was in the walkaround and not in the decoder in the S4.

Thanks for all comments -- Ed

Hi everybody,

I found this in the HO thread "Tsunami decoder in ALCO 2-6-0":

> Remember that the Alco 2-6-0 does not come with a Tsunami Sound decoder, it has a "Sound-Value decoder", which although made by Soundtraxx (makers of the Tsunami decoders), it has less features than either a Bachmann factory installed Tsunami or a user installed Tsunami intended for separate sale. <

Still, the info packed with the loco and with the controller say that the combination should program the loco address to any number from 1 to 6.  Or is that 01 to 06?

Ed

Hi everybody,

I found this note on the SoundTraxx web site:

> Problem:  My decoder won't change it's address when programming on the main

> Response:  You can only change to the type of address currently not in use when programming on the main.
If using a short address change it to a long address or vice versa. <

When I get my Walkaround Controller back I will have something to try.  I will find out if the Walkaround can send a long address, and if an S4 Tsunami can accept one.  And, my whole layout is the main, except for two short tracks that come off the turntable, which are isolated.  The Walkaround does not program the Tsunami on any of them.

Ed

Hi Sid,

I forgot to say that the first Walkaround, and the first 2-6-0 and the first S4 are now 150 miles away from here, so I don't know if the first Walkaround can or cannot program the second 2-6-0 or the second S4, which are right here with me.

Ed

Hi Sid,

In my family we have a Tech 6 Walkaround that can program either a Bachmann 2-6-0 Sound OnBoard or a Bachmann S4 SoundValue OnBoard to any loco number from 1 through 6.  It can do it any time I ask it to, and it has never failed.

We also have a second, later purchase, Tech 6 Walkaround that cannot program either loco to any loco address but 3.  It seemed quite clear that the problem is in the second Walkaround -- that is, until you told me that the problem shows up sometimes and sometimes not.

Next I will consult with Soundtraxx support to see if they have any advice.

Thanks for your reply!

Ed

I returned my MRC Tech 6 Walkaround Controller with this letter:

> I am returning the Walkaround Controller because it can't control a loco unless the loco and the controller are set for loco 3.  My grandkids have another Sound Controller 2.0 and another Walkaround Controller and the same types of locos as mine, and their controllers work as described in your literature with no problems.

> I have a Bachmann Alco 2-6-0 Mogul DCC Sound OnBoard and a Bachmann Alco S4 DCC SoundValue OnBoard.  The Sound Controller 2.0 can control either loco as Loco 3, forward/reverse, lights, and sounds.  The Walkaround Controller can control either loco as Loco 3, but it can't program either loco to be Loco 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6.

> For example, with either loco as the only loco on the track and using the Walkaround Controller, I push P and then 6 and then Enter.  The display says Send, but the loco does not move as the grandkids locos did.  Then I push Enter for the other functions until the display says Loc 6.  Then the loco does not respond to the speed knob nor to any of the buttons for light, bell, horn, or mute.  The loco continues to make its idling sounds.  If I reprogram for Loco 3, then the loco will respond normally to commands from the Walkaround Controller. <

MRC said today that the problem is with the Tsunami decoder -- that it cannot be  programmed from one two-digit address to another two-digit address.  Funny thing -- I have reprogrammed two Sound OnBoard and one SoundValue OnBoard locos.  MRC seems to think that they can't help me.

Any comments?

Dear Bach-man,

I checked the Modelflex color chart and there is no P&LE green.  I'm not too optimistic about the prospect of trying CNW green, then NP green, then BNSF green, etc., trying to get a match.  Do you know where Bachmann gets P&LE green for these locos?

It's disappointing that it's up to me to make my brand new S4 look like I expected it to look out of the box.

Ed Berners

I have a new HO Alco S4 DCC SoundValue OnBoard NYC P&LE.  The shell color is dark green, the handrails are yellow plastic and the stanchions were painted dark green over the yellow, at least I assume they were.  The stanchions on my S4 have lost about half of their green paint - on one side the stanchions are mostly half yellow and half green.  The other side is not quite that bad, but does have green paint missing.

Most of the stanchions seem to be glued to the shell, so I don't know if I can just replace those parts.  Should I return the whole loco?  I'm asking that because when I try to remove a shell I almost always break something.

Ed Berners
in South Bend, IN

Thanks, Bob -- it was the wipers.  I looked for a way to get the cover off, and I think it hooks over bumps on the ends, and I could get a screwdriver blade in there but it was hard to pry in the right direction.  So, on to the toothpicks.  It took a while to learn how that works, but I got one wiper bent ok, then overdid the next bend but was able to straighten it out and do it better.  What a great tip you gave me -- I don't know when if ever I would have thought of using two.  Now the S4 runs the whole layout, even at speed 001.  Thank you again -- I'm happy now.

Ed

Another thought -- maybe Bachmann will fix it, as one wiper has no bend at all.  It was never bent during manufacture.

Ed