If you look closely at the stock decoder board you will see....

"R" - Right pickup
"M+" - Motor Positive
"L+" - Light Positive
"L-" - Light Negative
"M-" - Motor Negative
"L" - Left Pickup

Or something similar on the pin outs that the wires connect too. They may be marked on the bottom of the stock decoder.

The slope back tender doesn't have a lot of space in it. The tender that comes stock in the 2-6-0 won't fit but you may be able to fit a micro decoder such as a DZ125 or Lenz mini in the slope back. The wires coming from the loco are all you need plus maybe a 600-1000 ohm resistor on the headlight leads.

The Santa Fe northern can be converted but it requires a little rewiring. No need to change the tender, just add pickups to the existing trucks with a Richmond controls kit or make your own. You will need to isolate the motor from the frame, isolate the headlight, run some wires from the motor and light to the tender. Install the decoder in the tender.

Depends on when it was made. They have been around a long time. The most recent one I have seen comes with dummy knuckle couplers. Not sure if I have seen one with EZ mates yet.

Quote from: richg on December 25, 2013, 08:29:46 PM

Quote from: Hunt on December 25, 2013, 01:58:16 PM

Quote from: skipgear on December 25, 2013, 02:35:28 AM
. . .  I am betting the Tech 6 runs the DC locos by adding at DC voltage signal over top of the DCC signal (the same way many DCC systems allow you to run a DC loco on address 0). . .

skipgear,
DC from the TECH 6 SOUND CONTROLLER 2.0 is not created by DCC signal zero bit stretching.

Correct. It sends PWM to the loco motor. I just did a search for the controller and the method of operation is discussed. Best way to find the correct information.
It can run DCC locos but only with the 03 loco code. It is capable of reseting a decoder to 03 with signals for the different sound operations.
One link described how it runs a Bachmann Peter Witt trolley.

Rich

Just the same, some decoders confuse PWM as a DCC signal and have problems. There have been some previously released MRC throttles that struggled with a DCC loco in DC operation. Prue DC is the most trouble free way to run a decoderized loco on DC. You have the capability to run them as a DCC unit. why not do it?

Since you have the Tech 6, just run them in DCC. Both the S4 and RS3 are DCC installed and when you put them on a track with any sort of DCC signal, they will run as DCC loco's. I am betting the Tech 6 runs the DC locos by adding at DC voltage signal over top of the DCC signal (the same way many DCC systems allow you to run a DC loco on address 0) which is confusing the decoders in the locos. They prefer to run in DCC mode.

CV51 sets the function button that acuates the dimming.
CV52 controls how much dimming.

I think in JMRI there is another CV called out that controls dimming when in Rev. but I can't remember what it is. May be CV53.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/ez_content/1_Amp_Decoder_Instr.pdf

If you are talking the transformer that comes in the set, pretty minimal. This isn't O scale, N scale trains don't draw a lot of current, maybe .25A at the most. We don't really talk in wattage because it numbers are so small.

High wattage leads to burnt motors and melted trucks if you have a short circuit.

Quote from: JHW on October 26, 2013, 08:25:51 AM
find that my ideas aren't easily carried out due to the limitations of easy track.

This is the reason there are not many EZ track based track plans out there. The track system is getting better with new radii coming out in the past year or so and true #6 turnouts but most people don't know that.

Quote from: Yardmaster on October 06, 2013, 08:43:04 AM
There is no "shortage" of product. This is also the first I have heard of any problems with this loco. It is covered under warranty so any issues can be directed to our service department who will be happy to repair or replace any defective unit.

Here is one of the topics with photos of the affected loco's mentioned above.

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?153588-Bachmann-EM-1-problems-on-arrival

Our store got 12 of them in, 1 had a short circuit issue, other than that they have ran great. I did notice the pilots being slightly twisted on a couple, including the two that I purchased but none as bad as the ones photographed in that post. I didn't even look at the problem until those pictures showed up because unless you looked for it, you didn't notice it.

The only other issue that all of them seem to have is the coupler on the pilot is about a half a coupler too high. Some are better, some ar worse and it is probably related to the twisted pilot.

The pilot can be shimmed to cure the twist and the coupler height but it takes a lot of trial and error, and a little filing of the metal mount in some cases. I used small pieces of tape for shims on mine.

I love the loco and will put up with a few fixable issues to have a loco that I never thought I would be able to buy, so much so I was in the process of scratch building my own when these were announced. Both of my EM-1's together cost less than what I had invested in building a single one.

This is not a simple drop in sound install. There is a gentleman posting on "The Railwire" that is working on sound in a 44T but it is requiring rebuilding some of the body shell with thin brass to make room for the decoder.

I would wait till the Atlas S2 with sound arrives and see if the decoder can be transplanted into the Bachmann S4.

They will probably say the HO loco didn't sell very well so it probably won't make it to N scale.

Quote from: DaaSchoe on September 23, 2013, 06:40:20 PM
Do you know the minimum radius for the EM! in N gauge?

I haven't tested mine yet but a few people have quoted that it runs fine on 11 1/4 and struggles on 9 3/4 which makes sense, Bachmann doesn't make anything smaller than 11 1/4.

No...

You need to upgrade to a better DCC system if you want to address more locos. Most of the basic systems from other companies can address 100+ locomotives and can use a 4 digit address so that you can match the address to the locomotive road number, making it much easier to recall loco's.

Quote from: BaltoOhioRRfan on August 26, 2013, 10:57:30 AM

Quote from: dtpowell on August 24, 2013, 05:02:02 PM
I've got my first EM-1 on order. So, how about a B&O caboose? The northeastern caboose will do nicely. Just
need it lettered Baltimore and Ohio with the Capitol Dome. I have the unlettered version and realize I could decal it. However, I thought it might be nice if Bachmann offered one lettered. Any chances?

Affordable HO Scale B&O Cabooses for steam era are hard to coem by as well, I took the NE Caboose and did my own B&O Caboose using a mix of CHAMP and Microscale Decals

There are plenty of good HO B&O caboose options including Wagontops. Some may only come in kit form but they are out there. Road specific cabooses will never be inexpensive because you are limiting your market to only people interested in that road so you will never sell as many as a generic caboose that can be sold to almost anybody when you put their road on the side of it.

The NE caboose makes a decent stand in when there is nothing else available and is certainly better than the Santa Fe offset cupola cabooses that have been used for years. I think the better looking option is the Atlas Trainman C&O major caboose.

There is currently a push to get an HO and N scale I-1 kit to market. The company has done it in S scale and is considering converting the kit to other scales if there is enough interest.

For the N scalers out there. You have currently 1 kit option, soon to be replaced by a RTR version...



The JNJ kits are no longer produced but there are some remaining out there on store shelves.

You can always scratch build an I-1 or I-5. They are not too dificult to build, straight sides and no real odd angles.

Here is an I-1 from an aborted laser cut kit that never made it to the open market:



and a scratch built N&W CF cabin: