Agreed. I love my 2-8-0 the best.  Yeah, same issue in order to keep up with either my f7 or 4-8-4 I have to use 60% throttle as opposed to about 30%-ish on the others.

You can hear the engine screaming at a high pitch too, as the gearing makes it run like that, but I have one steep grade on the layout, and it hauls everything up it like a breeze.

Thanks Charles.

I'll save that PDF for reference.

I put in a DZ123 into my 2-8-0 consolidation over the weekend, and have been up and running DCC all week.  It's certainly superior, and quite different operating a DCC engine.

Regards,
Jay

Actually it's not AC voltage. It's DC voltage switched back and forth ( fwd and reverse ) within a digital timing sequence.

So the buzzing the the motor slightly moving fwd then reverse, many times a second.

the way DC engines run on DCC, is called Zero Stretching. where a digital zero on the track, is "stretched" out so long, as the DC engine receives DC voltage.

It's not an analog AC alternating current like in a wall outlet.  It's digitally alternating.

Guys, I've searched online all over and I am unable to find replacement headlamps for my analog bachmann engines.

I've got a Spectrum Santa Fe F7 A & B, and I bit of oil ( I'm guessing ) got between the light wires and it burnt out in a flash.

My bachmann engine docs says its a part # 10015.

I also have a 4-8-4 Santa Fe, and it appears as if the lamps would be swappable, they mount the same and look to have the same physical space allowed, and the bulbs look identical.  That part number is N58002.

Same deal on both, NO DICE GOOGLING, EBAY-ING, or searching individual hobby sites.

Please help. That engineer needs to see !!

Jay

I currently have mine is a state ready for my decoder installation.

As I have investigated pretty much everything about it, I can tell you, the headlight is not only an LED, but it is on a 1/2 cm x 1/2 cm board with a resistor to limit the current.  Since's it's still only dcc ready, an LED up there needs some sort of resistance.

You could probably install a lamp from other bachmann engines.. I have a 4-8-4 analog, which has a bulb directly wired between positive and negative power.. I can't see what that would not work, but fitting it and wiring it would tough.

Jay

Welcome Iron Horse ! 

I'm new to N as well. Building on 3' x 6'.  Steam transition to Diesel era.  I'm a big fan of Santa Fe as well, as I have picked them as my main line hauler, in addition to my local engines ( as yet unlabeled ) hauling coal gondolas from the mine.



Jay

Thanks for the  feedback everyone.  I have my dcc controller now, and am looking at various places to get a DZ123.  I just need to pick one.

Does anyone know why an analog engine buzzes when stopped on a DCC track. I'm guessing this is what causes the overheating.

I guess I'll need one line of the engine yard to be electirically isolated from the DCC, and run it purely off my DC power pack, so I can have analog engines sitting on the layout, and not buzz and burnout cause I'm working with DCC locomotives.

Anyone doing this, or have a better idea ?

Jay

Like having two kids, you better come home with 2 ice cream sandwiches.

I see that the e-z command, isn't as sophisticated as some of the more expensive systems, and knowing me and how I fiddle with everything, it won't be enough to hold me for too long, but hell it was $54 on ebay, brand new, so I saved $20 on retail, which is enough for a DZ123 !!

Another question.  I read somewhere, that even after I have my DCC Onboard, the engine will still run on an analog system.  This gives me the impression that they are backward compatible. 

Regards,
Jay

Thanks Mike !

If your computer is down, how did you post ?

I checked out the DCC Wiki at http://www.dccwiki.com/Main_Page and it was helpful, and I have searched this forum.

I have an e-z command controller on the way, along with a DCC Ready F7 Diesel A & B , Sante Fe Warbonnet. 

I have a small layout, on a 3' x 6', with 2 nested lines, with overlapping figure 8's, and a lot of trestle work.  At most I can only see two engines running on the main lines, and maybe a switcher of some sort doing a bit of work in the yard.

I read that the e-z command would run up to 5 engines, and I didn't want to spend a ton on some fancy DCC controller, for what I see as 2 engines running most of the time.

How many different types of decoders are you using ?  I'll need another one for the diesel on the way.

Thanks again,
Jay

I'm new to all this DCC technology.

I just bought my first DCC Ready engine, a Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation N Scale, Unlettered.

I started with the empire builder set, analog controller.   I built up the track using Kato unitrack, and all is well with where I am with that.

So I was shocked when I put the new 2-8-0 on the track and it ran.  I read on some site that it was not recommended running it on a dc system, so I stopped.

Now I've read two separate statements, one on a  bachmann web page, and another on this forum, that it's just fine.

So can someone point me to a good DCC FAQ on what is different about DCC Ready versus an Analog Engine, and can someone recommend a good decoder for this engine ?

Thanks.
Jay