how do you add dcc to a bachmann 2-6-0
Which one? Mogul?
Well....I looked the engine up in Walthers catalog and there is nothing that says that it is DCC-ready. That means that for sure there's no DCC socket and it also means that the motor may not be isolated. So....Working in your favor, the tender looks big. Can you solder? I would go to my LHS and ask for advice. Take your engine with you so they can help you scope out the tender and the locomotive chassis. I did check out the Digitrax web site and they do not list a decoder for your engine, but all that probably means is that it's not plug and play. Good luck and don't give up.
Rusty
I had the desire to convert a "non-DCC ready" locomotive to DCC some time ago and abandoned the project. Just setting up the engine to receive a decoder was a daunting task...let alone actually carrying out the task. On a whim, I contacted Tony's Train Exchange (a great place to have decoders/sound systems installed) and got an estimate several times the price of the locomotive! As they said at Tony's; "With so many DCC-ready engines on the market; this one just isn't worth the time/expense." I followed their advice and sold the locomotive at one of our train shows - using the money towards the purchase of another DCC-ready piece.
Just my advice Daylight,
Ray
but should i want to how would i do it?
If you really want to know....
1. Determine if the motor is directly connected electrically to the chassis. If it is, you will have to find some way to isolate it. Often this can be done with electrical tape.
2. Buy a decoder that can handle the current required by the motor in your engine.
3. Find some place to put the decoder. The tender is probably a good bet.
4. Sort out the wires you will need. Two come from the engine's electrical pick up and go to the decoder. Two will go from the decoder to the motor. Two will go from the headlight to the decoder, and if there is a light in the tender, two wires will go from it to the decoder.
5. Solder all the wire connections. Did you forget to put the shrink tubing on first? OOPS.
6. Put the engine on your programming track and program the address. If the engine sort of jerks a little, everything is probably okay.
7. Put the engine on the main line. Select its address on your throttle and apply power. Hopefully the engine will move. Congrats!
Please note: If at any time, you allow the magic smoke to escape from the decoder, you will have to go back to square one. Hope this helps.
Rusty
Easy method. Buy a Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0. Find, buy, aquire a single axle pony truck and mount it at the front of the 0-6-0. You now have a DCC ready/DCC sound onboard Bachmann 2-6-0. AND it has an operating front coupler.
Gene
If this is a regular Bachmann & not a Spectrum, don't do it. It probably won't run long enough to justify your time. On the other hand it could be a learning experience. Just remove the decoder when it dies & use it in another loco. Jerry
Quote from: SteamGene on April 21, 2009, 06:28:08 PM
Easy method. Buy a Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0. Find, buy, aquire a single axle pony truck and mount it at the front of the 0-6-0. You now have a DCC ready/DCC sound onboard Bachmann 2-6-0. AND it has an operating front coupler.
Gene
I hope the Bach-Man is listening here. There seems to be a resounding theme for a 2-6-0. And it's not just here. Go to the trains.com forum, or most of the other popular MRR forums. Do a search for "ho 2-6-0" You'll find a rather large part of the population screaming for a Spectrum 2-6-0 mogul. Why oh why are we not heard? And if we are heard, and something is being developed in R&D, a small leak of info would certainly generate some interest!!!
i took off the pony truck, i only care about thid engine because i personally lettered it.
It is strange that Bachmann offers the -0-6-0 with DCC in their trainset yet does not offer the same engine with DCC by itself.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?quick=0-6-0&start=30
Dear All,
I'll mention this thread to the appropriate folks.
Thanks!
the Bach-man
Jersry,
I have two of the Bachmann Standard 0-6-0s. They run very well. The front coupler problem was handled in the manner described earlier.
Gene
Quote from: SteamGene on April 21, 2009, 06:28:08 PM
Easy method. Buy a Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0. Find, buy, aquire a single axle pony truck and mount it at the front of the 0-6-0. You now have a DCC ready/DCC sound onboard Bachmann 2-6-0. AND it has an operating front coupler.
Gene
This easy method is quite costly. The price of one Proto 0-6-0 without DCC or sound is equal to buying three Bachmann series 0-6-0's. Some of us have to pay attention to cost.
Quote from: SteamGene on April 21, 2009, 06:28:08 PM
Easy method. Buy a Proto 2000 USRA 0-6-0. Find, buy, aquire a single axle pony truck and mount it at the front of the 0-6-0. You now have a DCC ready/DCC sound onboard Bachmann 2-6-0. AND it has an operating front coupler.
Gene
Gene.
What this gives you is a poor quality model (compared to the latest USRA 0-6-0s available) of a USRA 0-6-0 with a pony truck added and not a true 2-6-0. It will look odd, just like the Bachmann 2-6-0 does.
I add DCC to the 2-6-0 two ways. I either use a Digitrax DH123 in the tender or a DZ123 / Dz125 in the locomotive. The decoder in the tender is easier but requires 5 or 6 wires between the locomotive and the tender.
The decoder in the locomotive is harder but requires only 2 or 3 wires between the locomotive and the tender. I always add pickups to tenders that do not have them and my favorite method is to use the chassis of a tender from a Spectrum 2-8-0 with a slightly cut down 2-6-0 tender shell on top. But adding pickups to the tender using modified bronze centering springs from Kadee #5 couplers works well too. The other big advantage of putting the decoder in the locomotive is that it leaves the tender empty for installing a sound bug and speaker.
Jim