The noise you hear should be "white noise" like you get from an AM radio tuned between stations.  The chuff sound is created by making and breaking the electrical current to the sound generator (circuit board).  Try hooking up the wires again; this time touch them together momentarily, and then bring them apart.  With the right timing, this should sound like the chuff that you're looking for.

Once you have an engine, the drive mechanism should have a make/break device that will replicate the appropriate timing of the chuff.

Best of luck,
Jay

The top photo is the starboard side of the engine... no air pump.
The bottom photo is actually the port side of the engine, and it shows the air pump where it belongs; the bottom photo is a reverse image.
Jay

Quick answer... yes, the Bachmann skeleton log car has a MUCH shorter "wheelbase."
Can't give you specific measurements, though.
All the best,
Jay

Measure across the bottom of the figure's feet, heel to toe, and then compare that to a pair of your own shoes.  Do the math, and that should give you a close approximation of the scale of the figure.  You may find that the hobo is a bit large for your train; that cowboy figure looks about right to me.
All the best,
Jay

Hi Jack,
You would best be served by collecting the BAC00002-B (wire) and BAC00003 (track clip) from Bachmann Parts, and then getting a universal power supply from a hobby shop (online or otherwise).  You'll be able to get a more powerful (measured in amps) power supply for less money; MRC makes some good choices.  This will give you the flexibility to add more trains, cars, features, etc. in the future if you so wish.
Best of luck,
Jay

For those who may have missed it, Union Pacific has just released the schedule for their Big Boy excursion this fall.  My wife and I have seen the Challenger and the Big Boy in action, and it's quite an experience!  Here's a link to the UP website page that has the Big Boy schedule:
https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

Enjoy!
Jay

There appear to be several garden railroad clubs in New Mexico... here's a link to one out of Albuquerque.  They would be an invaluable source of information regarding local repair services, so I think it would be worthwhile to establish contact with them.  http://nmgrr.com/

All the best,
Jay

With the information you've given, it sounds like a slightly bent drive axle.
Best of luck,
Jay

Good afternoon,
The good news is that the 90037 set that you have comes with the Version 5 locomotive chassis, so if properly cleaned and lubricated, it should give you good service.  Long-term, you will want to plan on replacing your steel track with brass if you plan to run the train year-round; just keep an eye on those curved sections for premature wear.  As others have mentioned, a more powerful transformer is also a good idea.  The Bridgewerks units are about as good as you can buy, but MRC also makes good units that are easier on the budget.  I'm running a no-frills MRC 20-amp transformer that is plenty for most needs.  Others will chime in with more options.
Best of luck,
Jay

Looks good!  What are the wooden pieces for at each outboard crosstie?  Do those enable you to screw the joining sections together?
Jay

Hi Doug,

I assume you are referring to Bachmann product #96214.  If that is accurate, I see no electrical reason that it would not work with brass track.  The problem would be one of mechanically joining the steel track on the crossing gate with brass track on either side of it.  The disclaimer was no doubt published so that a customer with Bachmann's brass track would not be disappointed when they found out it would not fit on their layout.  So in your case, it should work fine if you manage to fabricate some adapters that would allow your brass track to physically (and electrically) join with the steel crossing gate track.

Best of luck,
Jay

Hi Bill,

You might try Trackside Details... they have those in brass, in two sizes.  P/N TD-21 is about 5/16" long, and P/N TD-88 is about 1/2" long.

Here's their website:  http://www.tracksidedetails.com/index.php

Good luck!
Jay

Hello Bill, and welcome to Texas!
I'm less than an hour south of you in Round Rock.  I haven't found much LS activity in central Texas, but then I haven't looked very hard either.
There is a great railroad museum in Brownwood a couple of hours away, and they have some nice layouts there.
We'll have to get together once you get settled.
Again, welcome aboard!
Jay

There's a youtube video from LSOL.com that shows the C-19 to be 8-1/2 inches high... the specs are 45 seconds into the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IsXaR2kAqI

Hope that helps!
Jay

Hi Don,

The only thing I've found on this is via this link on Bachmann's website... hope it helps!
See page 4.

Good luck,
Jay

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/83093.pdf