I have lost through an accident,one front ladder from my Spectrum 2-8-0. Taking it out of it,s original box after some storage,was difficult as the foam box liner was tight. It  must have broken off. No results in searching,as I did not connect it up that day,and did not know it was missing.  Any suggestions from the Forum,to procure  this vital part ?.  Thanks  Owen

All the above ideas and methods are great,and I have learned something new at 83,that is the metal washers in the botton for easy extraction.
I would like to offer a  product for consideration, that I have used for years,that looks like coal,but gives off a sparkle in changing light conditions. It is Carborundum that painters glue on to step treads,and paint over to for safety non slip useage.
I do not know what ore it may represent,but it is a great eye catcher. My son gave  me some many years ago,which I used on an outside  wooden step to the shed.

Thank you all for your help,I tried the moves suggestedv and found that the RS3 has a faulty decoder.It is  now on it,s way back to the dealer. Thankfully it was bought in Oz.
Owen

Doneldon, Thank you for your assistance here,the instruction sheets will be kept in my DCC Folder for future reference.

I have  three Bachmann DCC Silent Decoder Diesels,and two Sound types,all good.
I would appreciate a print out  of the decoder specifications for the silent DCC models if it can be sourced . Maybe I could then find the right CV to fix the problem below
I am still unable to change the default address #3 on my new RS3 Silent Model,and think I may have my first imperfect Decoder in a  Bachman DCC Loco. It runs great, but only on #3.

Thank you Doneldon. I thought it might be for that as an early DCC/DC Atlas Diesel has a similar thing,but I did not want to assume. In this case there was no instructions of it's use.A bit hard on the new people in the hobby.

I have just received my new Bachmann Denver & Rio Grande Western RS 3 D Item # BAC 64202,and it works well on DCC and DC.  I Have discovered a small 6 pin Plug in a plastic bag attached to the Inner Plastic Box,and though I don't need it to operate on either system,what is it for ?. 

Thanks Doneldon, When I was 17 (1947) I wrote to The Association of American Railroads,who gave my name to many great roads. The local postmaster could not believe  the amount of stuff I received. I Had a print  of the Super Chief Train, made like a large school map   about 4ftx2ft. .Wish I had it now . However I have the A and B units and some cars,lov-em. Cheers

Thank you Jeffery, That is really what i want to know.The layout has been made  and altered many times,and if I were smart enough I could put up a photo of it. I can do photos for eBay,but cannot get them small enough for the Forum.I was not looking for exactness  in my layout,but for a small rural town,with the Grain Elevator  being the largest building,I  wanted to keep my loco collection to the limits you describe. Hence I would run the Santa Fe Super Chief around the outside track for a while,just to love watching it. My Grandchildren age from 34 to 7,and Great Grandchildren from 4 to 12 months. A 3 year old  operated my Esy DCC controller and pressed the buttons as shown.Some time later at home ,when she was being talked into going to sleep,her Grandmother asked her if she played with Grandad's trains,and she said "yes,1 for the bell and 2 for the whistle". At 83,I am still learning.Thanks again for your input

Thanks Sunny, I think 1940s would be a good start point. I have a Spectrum 4-6-0,a Richmond 4-4-0,and a Mogul 2-6-0.Would any of these be suitable ?.

I am looking for advice to specialise in the last of steam and the early diesel era,for my 10x5 US Small Town Layout.
I have several Bachmann steam and diesels units,but for 2014,I will downsize variety for the purchase of best suited equipment.
Could you advise on any Bachmann/Spectrum models for this project please. Happy New Year to All

 I have an old one owner Bachmann Plus 4-8-4 Model # 11315 in good condition,but I have had to make a new drawbar for it.  A sturdy piece of plastic works fine,but I am anxious to know if the Forum could set me straight on a description of the original one please ?.

Thank you all for the information,and the real life photo. I am afraid I am the "Ding Dong"for if I had have inspected the S4 Switcher underneath with my tri-focals on I would have see the HO Bell just in front of the battery box.
Congratulations to Mr Bachmann for this important piece of fine detailing on this  model.

I have had a Bachmann S4 Union Pacific Switcher # 1167 for some time,and it is a very good model both in looks and operation,but I just realised that it does not have a bell on the roof as do other similar U/P Switchers. Where is the bell located ?.  Owen

I had a new Spectrum 2-8-0 some years ago, and was enjoying running it on my 10x5 layout,but it got caught on a set of Peco small Curved points,and stripped the gears. I had a tech.repair it as new and sold it because of fear of this happening again.However I later updated my layout with the larger Peco Curved Points(Turnouts),and wished I had kept my "Connie". These small radius  points are alright for diesels,but even 4-6-0,s have a problem here. It, history now,hope it helps others.  Owen