Yes, I also did set CV 8 to 8. Still nothing ! Not sure how to set chuff rate..perhaps this is what I inadvertently messed up whilst making uneducated attempts in 'program on the main' scroll to ' 4-motor', etc. Thanks for so fast a reply...I'll look for your possible next one...Mark 

Hi, I recently had to have my HO mogul replaced by Bachmann..This was done swiftly and problem free..New one is alot better but has a slight juttering as it rolls..Last night for first time I got bold and went into its motor CVs to attempt smoothing out motor via kick rate and 3-4 other actions using NCE POWER CAB..I botched something because now she does seem a bit smoother (although I suspect it's drive-train related as was first loco, not programing). But now loco's chuffs are ,if any, one for every say, 10-15 wheel revolutions..All idling sounds are present and headlight. But, after using 'system refresh' and or' loco refresh' plus 'off/on 6 second' move and other moves, chuffs still won't come back on..What am I missing ?  It's not the button 8 'mute-on' either !! Also, if juttering IS physical, should I replace IT, too ? Do those in forum who own one have no complaints ? It even got a great review in MRR Mag ..         Mark

richg,,just read the wikipedia stories...My HO RR is a switchback, standard guage..This is even more reason to buy the 'Dek'...!

Thanks for the above explainations..Yes, I thought I'd heard the Russia/Wilson story..But I didn't know what US RRs did use them..E Whiz Kid, could you explain what needs to be changed to Americanize loco ? I'm guessing smokestack modified . Or something on the tender, maybe...I'm going to look at her again on ebay, see if I can spot unamerican-looking parts or such..It does look like I'm going to buy one now,though ..Thanks again.....Mark in L.A.   

Thanks rails, this is what I thought..It looks really good.. I Especially like the air space between frame and boiler. My Ten Wheeler has this profile but very poor headlight..While my Mogul has near no airspace as it should but has a headlight which could burn out your retina (and it's not even Spectrum ) !! Go figure !!  Looks like Bachmann has cornered the HO steam-with-sound market, huh ? What a weird felling it is when you're running and hit button 8 and turn off sound ...Hard to believe now that the hobby was silent like that all those decades ; and with all the analog, non-indepenency hang-ups to boot !! 

Hi..Are all HO DCC Bachmann Russian Decapods exactly the same mechanically ? I.E. Aside from road name and with/without white wall tires are they all Spectrum, all with Tsunami decoders, all with flywheels and ( I think I read ) belt drive ? Or, are some non-spectrum?  Also, will they negotiate a 20-22" radius curve ?
Thanks,
Mark

Hi gang, I have already had Bachmann replace a mogul with a drive train problem with another mogul..The new one runs OK..I didn't realize until after purchase that it wasn't Spectrum as is my Ten Wheeler...A few questions: 1) on mogul right side crosshead ( sliding part at end of piston rod) jiggles top to bottom when rolling/piston moving in and out..It behaves like a teensy mirror and reflects room light off it. Is there any way short of another return to Bachmann, to firm this up ? Can rivet be crimped tighter without ruining the valve gear ? 2) Can I assume brake squeal can not be added by say, changing bit and byte values/CVs/forfeiting some other sound function  in decoder ? 3) Can whistle in Ten Wheeler be made more staccato , more boop boop than whooo whooo as it now is ? 4) While lubing axles and rods, is it required to lube motor shaft bearings which would require shell removal ? Worm and gear I'm assuming are self lubing delrin or such..  
Thanks for your help,  
Mark in L. A.    

Hi Jim, I just now got to read your explanation of my jumping locos via momentum change at idle..It is a very informative response ...Thank you for easing my mind about it all. That sounds spot on about Ten wheeler not jumping at first due to new drive train parts and such and how the jump shows it's a quality loco..Surprised too to learn it occured on the Realroads  ( as I've coined it ) too !!  I have learned to set momentum and just leave it alone longer or change whilst rolling..While you are reading this I do want to ask: If Mogul has no brake squeal do I assume correctly that I can not add it with present/factory decoder ?   Thanks again,   Mark

Hi, I was under the impression that a momentum value can be added while loco is rolling or not..Of course I have done both..But I don't understand why, when idling-loco receives a momentum value/change, it lurches/jerks forward a few scale feet...I could swear my first HO DCC loco, Bachmann Ten Wheeler never moved a scale inch when adding momentum at idle..Now, having added Bachmann Mogul, both lurch forward when adding/changing momentum ( I don't mean at same time)..I think Mogul is not a Spectrum..If so, has she possibly affected Spectrum Ten Wheeler ? I know this sounds crazy...But ,again, I could swear Ten Wheeler didn't jerk at idle...I realize, too I can add momentum while under way with no lurch and or leave loco this way..But the jerking action at idle is so unrealistic; a loco jumping forward on the rails...I've even coupled on to cars I was not meaning to couple to due to lurch...Well, fellas in NCE/DCC forum say the lurch is normal as it is a programming action , seperate from F1-F0 function keys...What's the bottom line ?? ...In a related topic, is Mogul capable of having a CV/ binary-code changed in order to add brake squeal, which is so nice on Ten Wheeler ? ...Thanks much,   Mark In L.A.

  Rails, thank you very very much for all the support. I wish I had studied electronics in my younger days. I  fully understand the difference between digital and analog , AC/DC,  all live /power routing T.O.s, Standard gauge/narrow, shoveling coal/automatic stoker,3rd rail/catenary (on a hot tin roof) ,etc. But,.... bits and bytes ( other than being binary numbered/located ), CDMs, horn packets, F0-F-14 ( why the name/categorization instead of just more CV numbers ),' Key Table Chart ' values and "Shifted Key" values in NCE manual, are all so vague to me..All this technology has both improved our hobby bringing it closer to the real thing,  and greatly complicated our hobby by requiring so much more time just getting things up and rolling.. For me , so far, it has been a love-hate relationship with the digital control system. But the love IS gaining quickly...As I said, I wish I had studied electronics...Mark   

Hi .. I recently went digital with an NCE Power Cab..I own only one digital loco, a Bachmann Spectrum ten wheeler.. As I have a hearing deficit I got bold and made an attempt to go into the CVs and got up CV 128  'overall volume control '.I raised some numbers a little , hit ' enter ' and returned to cab home base..Well not only did this not raise volume, but, due to making umpteen feeble attempts to regain original sounds, have now lost the chuffs , hitting bell-button sounds non-stopping whistle, headlight gone, and even ' system refresh' doesn't correct and put all back in order .
Please, if possible , can you write a step by step course of instruction to get me out of this horror I've created..All I wanted was to make sounds louder and hopfully brighten headlight..The NCE manual is quite thorough but assumes too much that we all savvy all the tech talk ; CMGS, Packets, hexadecimal/ binary codes,  what/where F0 thru F10 is, etc. I know I must have opened these variables blindly and should have studied up more before leaping in..But CV 128 looked so easy and inocent a persuit..Doh !!
Thank you,
Mark In LA

Sorry if this has been delt with before...I saw an Ad for an HO Bachmann 2-6-0 which states : brand new, DCC with Tsunami sound..Why then is this NOT of Spectrum statis ? Is motor not 5 pole/skewed ? Or maybe no fly wheel ? Is it that detail is low ? Or to put it another way, what DOES constitute a loco as Spectrum more than what I just described in first sentence ?  Thank you...Mark

I am considering buying a E-Z Command throttle as my very first digital control system. But I am not sure if E-Z offers a walk around throttle in the set up. I.E. I wish to both run trains from a fixed position and/or be able to plug into outlets along the layout edge to walk along with a train..Does E-Z offer this ?? Also, in a related question, I own a Tsunami HO 10 Wheeler and as it is dual-mode I run it on my still analog layout. Problem is it hesitates at low start throttle and thus won't creep  . I am presently using my old MRC Tech II analog power pack. Will this jerky hesitation disappear once I go digital with the E-Z Command ?   Thanks, Mark