When it dries out again the color will come back . Ballast will always get darker when it gets wet and lighten up when it dries out .

 I had a problem on mine also . It was a first run loco though, there was no board in the tender, the decoder went into the boiler. Anyway I found out that the solder on the motor wires was also touching the frame on both wires . Once I carved a small amount of the solder off everything worked fine . Those boilers are a real B*%$h to get off and on though.

 No I don't think the decoder is fried .  OK you have power up to the decoder . If you touch the loco it will move . So I believe that there is an interuption between the decoder and the motor . Does this loco have little tabs that contact between the motor and the decoder . If so probably one of them isn't making contact all the time . Sometimes a small blob of solder on the decoder board on the contact strip will ensure that it's contacting the motor better . 

This may help......http://trainweb.org/passengercars/Bearingblock.pdf

Yes , that will work .

I think it's going to be more like next year.  Think they said first quarter...

 It won't connect directly, but all you should have to do is cut the track end off of the EZ command wire, and cut the transformer end off of the Unitrack wire , and then connect the two . I don't think it will matter which wire goes to which wire , just insulate the bare connection so they don't touch.

This should help . http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Bachmann/Spectrum_4-8-4_Class_J/bachman_Spectrum_4-8-4_Class_J.html

No need to take the tender apart, the decoder goes in the boiler like this . http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Bachmann/2-8-0/bachman_n_scale_2_8_0.htm

 Or even better add another power feeder / rerailer track to the other end.  With the switches sometimes it helps to have multiple feeds for the electricity .  You could also solder wires to the track if you don't want to spend money on the track section.

The track will just BARELY fit on a 2' wide board.  If you can add 3 or 4 inches to the width it would be much better. On 2' the track will be right on the edge and not leave room for safety if the train derails.

  The MRR add was a cut n paste of the HO 2-8-4 . I doubt the N scale version will have sound, But I am definately in for 1 anyway. YEA !!

  Both Bachmann and Atlas make an old time 4-4-0. The NEW Bachmann is supposed to run real good . The Atlas one runs great , but tends to be a bit delicate to handle . Bachmann also makes some other really great older steamers, the 2-6-0 and 4-6-0 run really good. Then the 2-8-0 is a bit newer and also runs great.  If you are looking for sectional track there is nothing better than Kato Unitrack . Its the best ! .....Mike

 You could try cleaning out the oil from the rear truck and then putting a small bit of toothpaste in the gears and running it for a while. The toothpaste will polish the gears and it may fee them up a bit and make it quiet down.
I don't know if this applies to your loco, but a common mod is to take one bearing out of the drive shaft on each end of the motor. look down about the middle of this page http://www.spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp3840.html  too see the process. This will also quiet the loco.

 There is a rather long discussion of oil and graphite use over on the MRH magazine website . I don't use either my self, but I switched every car I have over to metal wheelsets. I believe that its the plastic that causes a lot of the crud , Without the plastic wheels I rarely see any black crud on track or wheels.
  But getting back to the 0-4-0, any kind of added pick up is going to help it. Don't have one , but I bet it has some real difficulty running through any kind of switch. Its just the way it is , ....Mike