Quote from: trainman203 on November 08, 2025, 05:47:32 PMI have a secondhand Bachmann ten wheeler that came with a small lead weight on the pony truck instead of the spring and it tracks just fine.

Well, my issue is not that it derails without the spring, the front of the locomotive sits low enough without that spring to catch on the rail joints.

I paid $199 for it with the factory Soundtraxx DCC Sound in, other than the spring, like new condition.

I recently picked up a Spectrum High Boiler 63" Driver 4-6-0 at a train show that was lightly used but looks brand new, however it's missing the pilot truck spring and the front pilot steps catch on the rail joints of my track. I tried looking for the part on the parts page but couldn't find it. I was considering using the one for the 2-8-0 but was wondering if anyone had any advice.

The coaches of which you speak were only available as part of the Bachmann Hogwarts Express train set which was discontinued back in the early 2000's after the release of the second movie "Chamber of Secrets" and to my knowledge  were never available as separate sale coaches.

Quote from: Crayfish on November 18, 2018, 03:04:35 AM
G'day all, I have a HO spectrum consolidation 2 8 0 with a broken crank pin.
Replacement wheel sets are no longer available and I am wondering is there another loco with the same size wheel sets.
I have contacted the service department but they have not replied.
Thanks for your assistance.
Bushcreature, Australia.
[/quote/]

Best bet would be to look online like trainman said. Ideally I would look for one that is being sold listed as "for repair or parts" and use that as a parts engine, like when a person buys 2 of the same classic car at the same time that are both in need of work and they take the good parts from the worse of the two cars and put those parts in the car that's in better shape to get it running again.

Quote from: [email protected] on October 18, 2018, 02:46:19 PM
for example - would this work?

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/soundtraxx-ho-852003-mc2h104op-4-function-dual-mode-decoder/?ne_ppc_id=1079742151&gclid=CjwKCAjw3qDeBRBkEiwAsqeO7og7UPA6WCfo6dbffF56VgATBGIH1L0gnrHjTi5rmLO0gHtER3-dSRoCJ4MQAvD_BwE

It would, if it were a sound decoder. That one is a DCC Non-Sound decoder. Like flare said, a Soundtraxx TSU-2200 decoder would work. Best way to do that is to use some double sided foam tape to mount the decoder under the coal load. And as for flares concern about the speaker, the speaker in the tender is a 28MM speaker as Soundtraxx recommends a 28MM speaker for the 2-8-0. I would personally recommend the Soundtraxx 1" (28mmX4.5MM) round speaker part #810153 as well as the 1" speaker gasket part #810119.

Quote from: Rickenbacker 325 on October 14, 2018, 11:26:39 PM
So by keeping the main headlight on attached where it always is, where would I put the wires for the mars light? Would I have to run new wires to the tender? Side note, what do the 6 wires going from the tender do? Meaning each individual wire.

Just one wire for the positive lead for the MARS light should do the trick. The wire for the negative lead can be hooked up the same spot on the engine's PCB as the wire from the negative lead from the main headlight. I did the same thing on my SP GS-4 from Bachmann that I fitted a sound decoder.

Quote from: Trainman203 on September 24, 2018, 08:10:11 AM
I understand, it's just very, very hard to resist rambling on about one of my favorite subjects, steam whistles!

Sierra No 3 has been in umpteen movies and TV shows, and has had many differently whistles on it that I've seen and heard .  The one I remember best was a  beautiful 3 chime on it when she was in several episodes of a 60's TV western called "The Virginian."  The Soundtraxx B4g whistle is a dead ringer for that one.

The sound of the Soundtraxx Nathan 5 chime(no. 38 on the Tsunami2 decoder) is more akin to a 6 chime whistle.  There is another Nathan 5 chime, no. 39, that sounds like an actual 5 chime. If no. 38 is the sound you want, there are several new 6 chimes on the new Tsunami2-2 that has just come out with (😮😀🤪) NINETY whistles!  To me they all sound better than 38, but that's a personal choice.  Go to the Soundtraxx web site and listen to the sound samples.

Whistle #39 is the one to which I was referring. I for the life of me couldn't remember the number for the CV value and didn't have the reference sheet on my screen at the time. And I will agree with you on #38 sounding more like a six chime. One other whistle I always liked hearing on the #3 on TV was from when it was on the old "Casey Jones" show with Alan Hale Jr. which sounds like #1 which is the Baldwin 3 Chime.

Trainman203, I only mentioned the Nathan 5 Chime whistle as I have found from listening to the whistles on a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 decoder that the whistle that Soundtraxx calls a Nathan 5 Chime is the one that sounds closest to Sierra Railway #3's whistle that it's fitted with currently and in Back to the Future Part 3. I do understand that any whistle can be used with this particular prototype depending on the road name. I'm just saying that if Bachmann does make a Rogers 4-6-0 like Sierra Railway #3, if in Sierra Railway or CPRR #131 liveries, that the Nathan 5 Chime whistle on the Tsunami2 Steam Sound decoders would be the best whistle if it was DCC Ready and it were fitted with an after market Tsunami2 decoder.

I would love to see a model of Sierra Railway #3 in it's Sierra Railway #3 and Central Pacific #131 (as it was in Back To The Future Part 3) appearances in HO Scale. DCC ready so I can use a Tsunami2 with the Nathan 5 Chime whistle.

I would recommend a Soundtraxx or ESU brand decoder. Both have great motor control but Soundtraxx decoders are a little less expensive. Soundtraxx makes one that will replace the PC board in your engine for only $26, they also make 8 Pin ones for $27.95 for the #852003 8 Pin decoder, and $19.95 for #852001 that is an 8 Pin direct plug (no wiring harness as the pins are integrated into the decoder). ESU LokPilot (DCC no sound) decoders range from $26.20 - $40.90 but for the S2/S4, I would recommend the Soundtraxx #852001 or ESU LokPilot Micro V4.0 with 8 Pin Plug. However, with the ESU decoders, I think you might have to insulate it by putting some shrink tubing that is available at any hardware store for only a few bucks for about 15-ish feet worth of it. But, I am unsure of this as the ESU decoders I do have came insulated (except for a couple 21-pin decoders I used in a couple British engines) but were marketed under the Bachmann Branchline product range.

It is going to be the Hook and Loop style coupler. Best replacement would be a Bachmann #78979 Hook and Loop Coupler. Bachmann MSRP for them is $13 for three pairs. And looking at the picture on Bachmann's website, they do include the mounting screws.

You remove the shell in the same manner as the GS-4 tender. If you flip the tender over so you are looking at the underside, there will be a screw hole near the holes for a speaker. Remove that screw and use a flat head screwdriver as a wedge where the boxes on the bottom of the tender in the center on both sides and lift the sides of the tender shell away from there like you would use a big stick to move a boulder. Once the shell is loose from the two spots I just mentioned, lift the shell away from the frame by grabbing on to the back of the shell and rear tender truck and lifting up. There is a tab on the front of the frame that slots into the front of the shell. Once the tender shell is angled towards the front, slide the shell forward to release it from the tab on the front of the tender frame. Follow the steps in reverse order for re-assembly. Easy way to do it that I thought I would mention, disconnect the engine from the tender. Saves you from having to flip both over for this.

The 52204 is the new DCC Ready Version that is part of the Standard line while the 82032 is the older Spectrum line version. Not much is different about the two as they are the same running number but the Spectrum version's tender doesn't have the mounting point for the speaker in the tender chassis while the standard line version has the mounting point in the tender for a speaker but lacks the cab figures that the Spectrum line version has. Also the wiring harness that connects the engine and tender is different between the two as the Spectrum one has the 4 pin and 2 pin connectors while the Standard Line one has a single 6 pin or 8 pin connector and the standard version also lacks the sliding cab windows like the Spectrum version.

For your Acela set, I would recommend the Kadee #19 or even the #18 couplers as the #17 ones would just be too short. And while the shank (the part that goes into the coupler pocket) is plastic, the coupler head itself is metal.