http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/bach_track.php

I currently have two separate layouts.

One of them is  the second layout from the top. I am currently using standard turnouts.

It is not 100% trouble free, but as long as I am careful, with the speed and choice of locomotives. Going through the turnouts,

works fairly well.

I have to add, that at some point I will probably change to #5 turnouts.

We were in Carson City today.

If you haven't already found them, the shop there(Hobbytown, USA) has some SP Daylite cars.  Again,  Athearn.

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a new SD-45(DCC). To my surprise, it came with LED lighting.

I suspect that the reason you don't see more LED lighting is exactly what has been suggested in this dicussion.

Bachmann has a large stock of boards with the older light controls.

Athearn made some nice "Daylight" cars. I have several. My local hobby shop in Reno still has some in stock, though I didn't look at what cars they have there.   It is High Sierra Hobbies. If you are interested, I would suggest you call the store and find out what cars they have in stock.

Thanks.

One quick question.
What is involved in removing the shell?

I think I am going to get the one that I have had offered to me.

Can the Bachmann N & W water tender be used with my DCC N & W J-class 4-8-4?

The water tender appears to have DC lights.  As far as I tell there is nothing else electrical in the tender.

Please verify this yourself.

Bachmann Tech told me the current model FT-A/B use MK II medium length center shank couplers. He gave me # 78025. I hope that is correct as I just ordered two pair.

Good luck

Quote from: mf5117 on October 14, 2009, 02:02:17 AM
on the bachmann site , under product reference diagrams. the emd ft-a unit uses item # 7800  ez mate medium shank couplers .

Yes, I saw that. Unforturnately, like a lot of the information on that web

site and in the documentation provided with the locomotives, it is not quite

correct.

I finally got through  to Bachmann Tech support and got proper product

number. That particular diagram is for an older until and is not what is used

on current production.

Quote from: meguell3 on October 13, 2009, 12:00:01 PM
3 words. ATLAS TRU TRACK!
It connects to ez track and it works a million times better.
Either that or just suck it up and use regular manual switches..
I have 50+ switched and they're all manual..

Thanks. I am having such a high failure rate with the EZ Track turnouts, I will give them a try.

I have been trying to find the same thing.

I have, in two layouts, 21 turnouts, of which 18 are the wired remote turnouts. It took 25 to get the 18 that work properly, for now.

I sincerely hope some one provides you with an answer.
Replacing turnouts that don't operate properly out the box, or fail in 6 months or less is getting old.

On the upside, Bachmann did replace the ones that were bad out of the box, but the postage makes replacing one at a time not acceptable, cost wise.

Quote from: ebtbob on October 12, 2009, 08:54:24 AM
         Why not replace the spring yourself?   Springs are available from Kadee.   All you need is an Xacto knife,  a piece of thread,  and some acc glue.   Put the thread thru the spring and the knife blade into the tight coils at one end of the spring.   Put the spring on the retaining nub at the shank end of the coupler and then compress the spring to allow it to slip onto the nub on the knuckle.   Then remove the thread and put a drop of acc on the shank end of the spring.    This may sound difficult but it really isn't hard to do with very little practice.

I don't know whether to thank you or not.  As I said my eye sight is such that working with some thing small would be improbable if not impossible.
As I was reading your post a second time, my lovely wife was reading over my shoulder. She left the room and came back about 15 minutes later and asked me---"does this work right?" She had put the one spring that I had in  the coupler of the loco that came new with a missing spring. Next came---"If you get more springs, I think I can fix the others. Now came the scary part---But it's going to cost you!!!

SO, Thank you, I think. 

Last year the only remaining store that did much in model railroading closed and all that is left is a craft shop that carries a very limited(and I do mean limited) stock. Thus far I have not been able to find some one near me that is really very involved in HO.

We are going to make a trip to the maninland next month, so I thought if I could find out which were the most common couplers I have in my equipment inventory, I would buy a few pair of each.

That is where the problem started. Trying to determine which couplers to buy. I went to the Kadee web site and made a list of Kadee couplers to look for, but when it comes to Bachmann--forget it.
What is an "Ass Couppler" and where do I find it? Or an H11413 Coupler set. These are but two examples of the helpful information provided with the documentation  that came with my locomotives.

I'll keep plugging away. I'm not ready to give up yet----except with Bachmann.
.

Thanks for the replies. I really do appreciate them.

If I were 20 years old, I would probably have done the spring replacement, but I am well north of 70 and my eye sight will

probably not allow work with pieces that small.

I have given up on trying to find the information via Bachmann. Those couplers that are replaceable with Kadee couplers, which

are available to me out here, have already been replaced.  The FT-A units are a different story. They require a conversion kit

that  I cannot find here. All because Bachmann refuses to supply proper documentation. I have several data sheets that show

"ACC Cooupler" instead of a product or part number, on the exploded parts views

With the poor quality control and the lack of good documentation, I am about ready to give up on Bachmann, at least until they

get their act together.

Lately, I have been spending more time hunting proper documentation and shipping brand new  equipment, that is defective,

back  to Bachmann, than I have enjoying my trains.

Quote from: Pacific Northern on October 11, 2009, 11:31:41 PM
.........................
However, I am impressed with the Spectrum engines and I have multiple engines of all of the Spectrum steamers with the exception of their J unit. ............

]

I have a new Spectrum J. The only problem that I have is, guess what........

Poor Documentation.

Based on my experience with the same unit, I would ship it back.

I sent back two  and finally got one that runs smooth and quiet.

At a three month turn around from Hawaii, that took a lot of patience.