Product Code: 50598
Is this the same mechanism that has been around for 15+ years, or has this been updated and re-released?
-John
No, it's a new mechanism. Here's what someone else on the forum said about it a couple months ago:
QuoteIt runs great and after a hour or so on the tracks and a slight lube job its amazing how well it will crawl....on 2.5 to 3 volts.Stalls around 2 volts.
Great! Thanks!
Anyone do a DCC conversion?
-John
The 0-6-0 is a very good loco. There are some simple things you can do to improve it though. The most dramatic thing to do is add one of the spectrum USRA standard tender to it. The slope tender it comes with is wrong for the loco. The Spectrum tender will also improve pickup and pulling power dramaticly over the stock tender.
There is an article in the Ntrak Steam handbook 2009 addennum that covers quite a few of the upgrades as well as how to build a new drawbar for the spectrum tender.
Here is what you can end up with:
(http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/2106/Fireman_three_quarter_above.jpg) (http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/114568)
The tender shell on that one is from an old Atlas 0-8-0 over top of a spectrum tender frame.
As far as DCC goes, it will require some hard wiring but it is not hard. If you use the Spectrum tender, it gives you a light board that you can solder the decoder too and a plug out to run to the loco. Bachmann sells the female mate to the plug as a part of the wiring harness for some of the DCC installed loco's.
The biggest shortcomming of the loco is a lack of a headlight. That can be fixed with a drill and some fiber optics.
Excellent info - thanks!
I'm thinking there may be more steam heading my way this year!
-John