CRAP ... I feel so stupid ... I actually have 3 of them (2 are digital) and a full set of mic's.  Yes, I agree, your suggestion is far better.

Any info on the bearings?

If I am understanding this correctly, it is actually the combination of the coupler box AND the wheel height together that is important, as that determines the actual coupler height above the track, which makes sense as they would both together need to provide the common height needed for all types of cars to line up with all types of engines.  I think I will order a card of 33" wheels to start off and compare the different wheels on the cars, as 80% of the cars I have with plastic wheels are freight cars.  This height being so small a difference to the eye, I think I will align two 33" new wheels on a flat surface and put my target wheel in the center of them and place a straight edge over the axles.  if it aligns, they are the same height.  If it wobbles, the center wheel is taller. 

I only have one B & O passenger set of 4 cars with plastic wheels, as the 5 McKinley Explorer cars are all steel wheels for interior lighting.

Yes, I know that Bachmann only makes 4 of the McKinley Explorer cars with lighting, but I have swapped the chassis on a Chena car and the Kenia car to make a lighted Kenia car.  Worked easy & great.  Man, that's one long train!

If I just replaced them all with 36" wheels, would I have a coupler height problem, or is the difference to small to worry about?

I would like to convert as many of my wheels from plastic to steel as possible, as the MRR club in my area does not permit plastic wheels on the club track.  I see there are 33" wheels, 34" wheels, 36" wheels and probably more, but I am not really sure of the importance of this or how to determine which wheels I currently have, can use or actually need.  I understand what the 36" means, but not how to identify them in HO scale.  Also, what are needle bearing wheels?  Is it just the axle going to a sharp tip or is there a bearing in there.  Seems awful small to have an actual bearing, but I have been really surprised at some of the things I have seen so far, especially in the mechanism on steam engines, so nothing can be "too small to be made and work"!

All help will be appreciated.

That is a very good point.  I will do some testing tonight with that in mind.  I know I have some cars with very loose trucks, and some not so loose.  Will exercise each type and see if this turns up anything.

Rich,

Well, I looked into the DZ125 decoder and read too many complaints about it to feel comfortable with it.  Many complaints about it living far too short a lifespan and having problems.  Not saying they all do have problems, but I am not real comfortable with the feedback.   I was really surprized at the size of some of these decoders.

I also found that TCS makes a decoder, the TCS Z2 which will also accomodate N scale and small HO scale.  It has a continuous rating of 1.0 amp and a peak of 2.0 amps, and is only 3/8" x 1/4" x 1/8" in size.

I have used their decoders in the past and like them, and their no questions asked complete 1 yr warranty even if you screw it up is pretty attractive.

So I ordered one today.  Again, thanks for the info you provided, especially the blow up detail of the car.  Really helped.

I was able to swap the shells on the two cars last night and by doing so have added an interior lit version of the Kenai car to my set and created a non-lit version of the Chena car for someone else's set.  Seems the shell on these particular cars are spot glued in 8 locations with a microspot of glue instead of using snap tabs.  The glue seperates extremely easily and the frames were identical and interchangable.  To do this though, the frames and shells are not interchangable betwen the "A" and "B" series cars, only within the same series of car.  

Thank you and all are great ideas, but my track layout is 95% complete including sidings, inclines and bridges and the locations for a lake and river.  Far too late to re-arrange things.

The siding I wanted to insert was actually an afterthought and is not really required in the overall plan.  It would have just looked cool with an old steam engine I purchased and a construction crane car I have.

I'm afraid that all the methods for getting the turnout in the existing curve will have more negative consquences than not having the turnout at all.

I'm sure something will come to me for using this new setup.

Again, thanks, lots of good ideas, just too late to incorporate them.

I went through all this with Bachmann recentyly and this is what they had to say.

If it says nothing on the box, it is only DC and has no plugs or circuit boards in the engine at all.

If it say DCC Ready, the engine is equipped with the circuit board, the motor is isoplated and wiored to receive a DCC decoder, but a DCC decoder is not provided.  Instead, they install a dummp chip, which routes poser from the wheels directly to the motor.  This setup will run exactly like a DC engine.  To convert it to DCC, all you need to do is get a decoder of your choice with 8 pins, remove the dummy plug and install the 8 pin decoded and presto, your engine is now NMRA DCC equipped.

If it says DCC Onboard, everything is installed to operate in DCC mode.

I had purchased a DCC Ready Erie Lackawanna diesel and it ran fine in DC mode.  Bachmann's tech support told me what decoder they used and they sell it for about $25.00 or so as they cannot compete with their resellers.  I found the decoder on line for $16.95.  I purchased it, removed the dummy chip which is only about a 1/4" x 1/4" circuit board, installed the new decoder in it's place and it now runs perfectly fine in DCC mode.

My problem is, the layout is 98% complete and I used all Bachmann Nickel Silver track with pre-formed roadbed, and I pretty much need to stay with that.  I know I can probably use cork roadbed under the turnout and try and adapt it to look like the Bachmann roadbed, but then I have a Nickel Silver and brass track combination, which I don't want. 

Hey Bachmann --- I've got a great idea for a new product!!  Right and Left Turnouts using a 22" track radius.   

Yes it is a drop in replacement, and I'm afraid you are correct, there doesn't seem to be one.  I will have to re-think the feature.

Hey Mr. Bach-Man

I have already purchased all of the McKinley Explorer (new series 89' cars with the names Talkeetna, Chena, Nenana and Eklutna) which come with lighted interiors.  I would like to have the rest of the series, which contains 3 cars, Kenia, Kobok and Knik (all of the cars in this line are named for Alaska rivers), but they do not come with interior lights, and they look odd when coupled with the lit cars, sort of like they are broken!  Seems Bachmann only used these 3 cars in the train you purchase as a set, and did not see fit to light these three cars, most likely to keep the price of the train set down.  

It looks to me like you can swap the shells on these cars with very little difficulty, but I would like to be sure that all you need to do is pop out the locking tabs in the vicinity of the trucks to remove the shells from the base.  I could then create lighted versions of these 3 cars for my set and actually offer 3 more unlit cars to someone with the unlit train.

Well, I find that a #5 equates to an 18" curve as I thought and a #6 equates to a 33.1/2" curve.  Looks like a 22" curve just missed the boat on this one.  Don't suppose anyone has seen a Bachmann # 5.3 turnout??   

Didn't think so.   

Doneldon, Ken and all the others who actually are attempting to help with my problem,

Thank you, and and you are correct.  Some people just need to put in their 2 cents in even if they need to take out a loan to do so!  From now forward, I am only going to read the comments from those who are addressing the problem and completely ignore the ones who are just filling up space.

I would like to insert a Bachmann turnout into a bend that needs to be a 22" radius curve.  I know a #5 turnout matches up well with an 18" Radius.  Does anyone know what turnout number equates to a 22" radius?