I recently purchased a Spectrum Dash 8 in Santa Fe ( Red /Silver)Factory DC with an aftermarket decoder from a reputable US store.A very impressive loco.After looking at it for a couple of months I placed it on a DC track.It quickly caught up with the DCC Conrail Dash 8 and the DCC Union Pacific SD40.It  lost its forward headlight, so all three locos were reversed a short distance and stopped.I connected a higher quality transformer/controller from a 70's Tyco set built for Australian use?!*%#!!On applying power to my red and silver pride and joy, I immediately fried the decoder, with a great gush of whitish smoke from under the front trucks/ bogies.On examination, the small decoder was sitting loosely on top of a long PCB board.The power pickup came from two screws inserted in the top front of the frame halves (are these original?).The decoder has the 'black hole' on the side where the red and orange power wires meet and a cut off green is on the edge.Did I get a spike in voltage as power was applied to the tracks?
This loco has black painted flywheels(rather than clear brass)and no windshield wipers(not in packet inside).What vintage is this loco?I have seen brass flywheels elsewhere on 2005 forum posts.Furthermore,the
Santa Fe red signage on both sides is coming off after very little handling.(Was this common?) I have purchased lots of Bachmann locos during the past few months and they do not exhibit the paint problem.Can anyone tell me more about this particular Spectrum model?I have not been able to pick it up from Google.Where do I find replacement safety railing and wipers? Please excuse my lack of knowledge at this stage.

Many thanks,
Burto                ( PS I have better controllers on the way from the US)

I have purchased about 30 Bachmann locos during the past four months.I do not have a problem with noise.Show me a real life locomotive that does not make a noise.Obviously if you have a squeal or a screech then look for something untoward, but noise is part of normal operation.I am awaiting the arrival of a BLI and an Athearn and I'll compare.I have some 70's Lima locos and the Bachmanns are about the same or even quieter.My Fairbanks Morse N&W with the dual flywheel motor arrived yesterday from The Favorite Spot,along with a second Conrail Dash 8 and other Bachmann stuff.I'm wrapped in the Fairbanks Morse so I have ordered the Virginian livery.
BURTO from'Downunder"

Have you thought of keeping the larger radius and using your woodworking skills to modify the rear of the couch?

I read the above posts after discovering for myself how well the joiners are attached to the track.Plenty of muscle, after prying apart a little, removed one joiner.Having kept the track horizontal as I muscled the joiner off,I found I had pulled the track out about six millimetres.This tapped back into place with the side of my long nosed pliers and a tack hammer.I don,t think the EZ track will have a contact problem on the factory fitted end of the joiners.The joiner appeared to be pressed or welded to the rail on one side and was doomed on removal..