I've searched for this topic on the board, and the issue doesn't seem to have been addressed in many years.

I'm new to n-scale. I'm finding that the couplers on new Atlas rolling stock I recently bought do not securely engage the couplers on my Bachmann Alco RS3 diesel. Both are knuckle-style couplers, but the Bachmann coupler seems bigger. I can sometimes get the couplers to engage for a little while, but they come uncoupled within a few minutes.

I've tried two different Atlas freight cars, both ends, and the front and rear couplers on the RS3. Same results, so it's not just one bad coupler.

So, I have the following questions:

1. I'm not sure whether the Bachmann diesel has EZ-Mate or EZ-Mate Mark II couplers. Would that make a difference?

2. In general, are there some brands of n-scale couplers that are compatible with the  standard Bachmann couplers, and some brands that aren't? If so, which?

3. How do I go about fixing my current problem? Can any of the couplers be modified (bent, adjusted, etc.) so the Bachmann and Atlas couplers will engage properly?

4. If answer to 3 is no, is the next step to replace one or both sets of couplers? If so, I see at least three possible options: (a) replace the Atlas couplers with EZ-Mate couplers; (b) replace the Bachmann couplers with Atlas couplers; or (c) replace both Atlas and Bachmann couplers with a third brand, such as Micro Trains. Any recommendations on which approach is best? And if I go with a third brand, am I better off with truck-mounted or body-mounted couplers?

5. I've heard about outfitting a car with, for example, an Atlas coupler at one end and a Bachmann coupler at the other end. Is that a practical solution? Seems like it would limit where the conversion car is positioned, and it will have to be used every time the two brands of couplers are involved.

6. The couplers are so small I'm not sure these aging eyes and not-the-steadiest of hands are up to the task. Is it difficult to swap out couplers? Are there services that will handle these swapouts for less than the cost of a different brand of rolling stock?

I know that's a lot of questions. If you've read this far, thanks. And thanks in advance for any insight anyone can offer.

Thanks, Railsplitter. Good instructions, very clear.

Might be more than I can tackle, but I'm going to give it a try.

I'm trying to replace a window on the cab of my Bachman Alco S4 that's gotten punched in. I've removed the body from the chassis, but I can't get the cab off the body to get access to the interior of the cab. I don't see any way to reposition the window without removing the cab from the rest of the body.

Looks like the cab might be held to the main body section by four tiny plastic tabs, but I can't tell for sure. I don't want to break anything, so I'm reluctant to apply any force until I know what I'm doing.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Trainman, I may not have been clear. I didn't hook up a different power source, I hooked up a different controller—DC vs DCC—with the same powerpack. To me, that suggests the DCC controller is the problem.

Flare, at first I was skeptical of your suggestion that the controller knob stopped working. But I was limiting my thinking to a mechanical failure of the knob, and I realized after awhile that the section of the CPU that receives and processes signals from the knob may have gotten zapped. So you were probably on to something.

Anyway, it's still under warranty, so I'm sending back both the DCC controller and the powerpack. I'll let Bachmann figure out which is defective.

Thanks to all for the input.

Don't have another layout to try them on ... but I hooked up a Bachmann DC controller to the same track in place of the DCC controller, and the engines DO run in DC mode.

Setup: small oval of HO EZ Track, Bachmann EZ Controller DCC and powerpack. Everything was running fine. Then today the DCC locomotives will respond to function commands (lights come on, sound works), but they won't move.

Problem persists with two different locomotives: a Bachmann Alco RS-3 diesel (DCC on Board) and a Bachmann Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive (Sound Value on Board).

Makes no sense to me why sound and lights work but neither loco will run. Signals are clearly getting through to the locomotives. Discussions of similar "lights work, loco won't run" problems on other forums have pointed to a loose connection within a loco between the pickups and the motor, but the odds of connections suddenly becoming loose on two different locos simultaneously are astronomical.

So I'm looking at the EZ Controller and/or powerpack as likely culprits. I've checked wiring connections to the track and checked integrity of connections between track sections. I've unplugged everything and let it sit for several hours, hoping a breaker will reset, but no change.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the feedback.

Mark, that is GREAT info, thanks!

I've been to your Spookshow website numerous times, and it's a wonderful source of information. Thanks for that public service as well.

Okay, I'll just accept the fact that the Bachmann 4-6-0 is going to be slow. That's disappointing ... it somehow fits the image I have in my head of what a steam loco should look like. (YMMV 😊)

Does anyone happen to know whether there's a 4-6-0 from another manufacturer that runs faster? Or whether there are other Bachmann steam locos that run faster than the 4-6-0?

Changing the CVs you mention might slow down the diesel, I'll give it a try, thanks. But if I slow down the diesel to match the speed of the steam loco, both will be running too slow.

Can anything be done to speed up the 4-6-0? It seems to be running below scaled prototype speed.

I'm just getting back into model railroading after a number of years. So far I have just an oval of Bachmann Track and the DCC EZ Controller ... just dipping my toes in the water.

I have two locos at this point, both Bachmann ... a Baldwin 4-6-0 steam loco and a EMD 3 diesel. Both have DCC factory installed. No sound on either, just the DCC. No modifications to the CV values, they're both at factory default.

My problem is that the diesel goes literally two-and-a-half times faster than the steam loco at full throttle. On my oval, two laps around the track took the diesel 9.25 seconds, but the steam took 23.5 seconds.

Is this normal? The diesel is greatly exceeding scale prototypical speed, but the steam isn't reaching full prototypical scale speed. I can always throttle back the diesel to proper speed, but I can't speed up a loco that goes too slow.

Mostly I guess I'm just puzzled by the huge discrepancy between the two and whether this indicates a problem.

Thanks for any feedback.