RichG -

Thanks for the quick response. And thanks for the link - it saved the day. Examining the photo clarified exactly where the connector is for the DCC plug. The "jumper" is way bigger than what I was looking for (forest for the trees sort of thing) and when I gently tugged on it, voila!, off it came and the rest is history.

Thanks again! 

Hi Guys,

I thought it would be nice to upgrade my HO Bachmann Spectrum Doodlebug  to DCC. I purchased a Digitrax DH123PS Decoder for this unit and after opening the body am at a loss as to how it gets installed. I thought it just plugs in. Wrong! The little piece of paper that came with the Doodlebug shows the 8 pin decoder plug, but doesn't say a thing about how to install it.     A little help here will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, in advance!

Thanks for the great responses! Should I decide to switch over to body mounted kadees, I'll be able to do so with confidence.   

In the meantime, after very carefully removing the roof/window assembly from the body, I attacked the problem at its core: the little bit of plastic pin that protrudes through the hole in the metal linkage.

I removed the vestibule partition (slips right out) to minimize damage and applied a pencil type soldering iron BRIEFLY to the culprit while pressing the coupler pocket up with my finger. Voila! As good as new, no more sagging couplers for me. 

Having several Spectrum 85' Heavyweight passenger cars  with sagging  couplers, I would like to hear from others as to some practical solutions. I run on very wide radius curves (club layout) so if I have to go to body mounts, that's ok. Of course, I'd rather save a lot of work (and money) and simply repair the existing panagraphic? type couplers.

If body mounts, what Kadees are recommended? 

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions! 

Hi guys!

I know this is an old post, but it's the only one I could find regarding archiving the old board. Has that been accomplished? If so, I would sure like to know how to access it.

Thanks,

MK

BJ -

I just thought of something very important to pass on to you (and anybody else still running these R/C 4-6-0's):

Traction Tires! You need or will shortly need them for this loco. I believe that Bachmann no longer offers them, however, AristoCraft tires work just fine. Don't buy just a pair - stock up! Rubber bands won't work for more than a couple of minutes. Installing the traction tires is very easy, just don't lose the pins holding the side rods on to the drivers. Gently pull them out (they're a press fit), slip the new tire on (you may need a screwdriver or a couple of round toothpicks) and reinstall the side rod and pin... you're done! Enjoy!

MK

I don't know about a manual, but you certainly can get more track. Ebay is probably the best source for old Bachmann all plastic track. It's actually pretty nice stuff and I use it in my coal mining operation (no power). But, you can use any "G" scale No.1 gauge track. Bachmann steel track (indoors only!) or Aristocraft or LGB or... on and on.

On a different note: I, too, have an old (very old) Bachmann R/C 4-6-0. It actually runs quite well but expect glitches from the radio. It has come in quite handy when the grandkids show up without warning and want to see something run. I've also used it while our electrical expert toiled with getting track power. One time I scared the !@#$ out of him when he saw that 10 wheeler barreling down a track that supposedly had no juice!

Bottom line: Enjoy the train, but be ready to move up to some more reliable equipment.

MKBLK