Not sure what Model Power has to do with anything. And I have that website bookmarked on my IE.

No, the flanges are the pizza cutter things that stick out on the insides of train wheels that ride on the inside of the rails. They are larger than the actual wheels that ride on the rails.

They need to be gauged right using an NMRA gauge. Place the flanges in the indentations. If they won't fit or are tight trying to fit them in there, then they need to be slightly pulled apart to get them to fit.

First thing I did was to get a Bachmann Spectrum short tender with all wheel pickup. You can pick one up from Modeltrainstuff.com for $15. This is essential for DCC.

Next thing I did was to flip over the drawbar. Normally, the drawbar looks like a 'z' that flips down. Well, in order to adapt it to the 2-6-2 Prairie, you have to flip it up. However, once you do this, you will run into two problems. 1. The end of the tender will interfere with drawbar performance and it being able to go around curves, and 2. There are two knobs on either side of the bolster pin on the bottom of the front tender that need to be grinded off. This is so that the two stiff metal electrical contact pieces don't interfere with the drawbar turning around curves.

Now I'm in the process of isolating the motor and running wires to the tender. I will post pictures later today and tomorrow or the process.

First, you need to get an N scale or HO scale NMRA gauge, whichever scale you're modeling. Google how to use it, and check your rolling stock, engines, and turnouts to make sure they're properly gauged.

Second, make sure the wheels on your engines are properly spaced apart using the gauge. Please the flanges of the wheels between the indentations. They should freely fit in there. If they don't you need to loosen them.

These tips will help get rid of the majority of derailment problems.

With the near non-availability of the N scale Heavy Mountain for under $150, would it be possible to put the Heavy Mountain shell on a Light Mountain chassis? Maybe with a little grinding?

What is wire 3 for on the N scale DCC decoder? I've never seen it before on other Bachmann decoders.

On the N scale version of the EM-1, what is wire 3 for? I've never seen it before, and it's not on the wiring diagram on the link above.

I have a Bachmann N scale 2-6-6-2 with an ESU Loksound Select Micro in it. It runs very well. Search Youtube for my video under gatrhumpy1.

On the stock Bachamnn DCC decoder for the N scale EM-1, there is an extra wire that is not on any of the other DCC decoders. It's wire 3. What's it used for? I want to replace the stock decoder with a tsunami, but don't want to fry it.

Quote from: Country Joe on August 06, 2013, 04:17:53 PM
I have never tried. I'm replying so you know this is being read, I would think very few have tried.

I'm trying this weekend with an ESU LokSound Select Micro Steam Decoder.

No one?

Has anyone ever put in a sound decoder in an N scale Bachmann 2-6-6-2 with Vandy tender? I was looking at the Tsunami, however, the Loksound Select Micro is $40 cheaper, doesn't need the thermal management like the tsunami, and is smaller in space (where space is limited in the Vandy tender). Has anyone ever installed a LokSound Select Micro in an N scale 2-6-6-2 with Vandy tender?

For some reason, on another forum, a member said that the long-haul tender shell was made of metal. Is this true?