Yard Master - How can the On30 demographic grow if Bachmann doesn't drive the demand?  Who else is producing On30 trains?  If Bachmann doesn't produce it, where does that leave the On30 community?  You guys started strong and created the "On30 phenomenon" for all intents and purposes.  And then you all but abandon us who converted to On30 and began buying your products.  So where does that leave us now?

  The news released today regarding Bachmann's 2013 New Products Announcement shows only a Whitcomb 50-ton, Center Cab DIESEL in On30. No steam engines!!!! - no Coloradio Narrow Gauge!!! - especially disappointing - no RGS #74!!!!!!!  I guess that the company that gave us On30 scale has abandoned us for "Thomas the Train" and "Chuggington" Toys.  I expected the HO guys would get most of the attention - but come on Bachmann - throw us a bone we can get excited about.  Can't tell you how disappointed I am in Bachmann at the moment.  It's a sad day in Mudville.

Just ask Bachmann to pretty please come out with a RGS #74.  Can't believe they'd say "No!"

See my post on "Adding Sound to a C&S Mogul"  It's really fairly easy despite what some people say.  FWIW

NM - Neat idea with the braided wire.  Next time at my LHS I'm going to check out the slot car parts.  The flange thing doesn't seem to be a problem.  First because I'm running on Bachmann EZ Track which is Code 100 (I think).  But moreover because I've checked everything with NMRA gauge.  I think a bigger problem is the rail joiners and switch frogs.  I've soldered some joints and got a much smoother running layout.  But I'm not sure what to do about the switches.  Any ideas?  Peace - Craig+

I recently entered the DCC world with a Bachmann EZ Command sytem which I bought on eBay for $69.00.  It works great for my small layout.  I'm running 3 locomotives and two Geese (yes, I'm into Rio Grande Southern).  As my space right now is limited to a 14x8 layout, I don't have immediate plans to need anything larger than the EZ Command system which will run 10 engines.  The one draw back to the EZ Command system is you can't access CV's to change sound and throttle values.  My solution was to buy a QSI Sound Programmer for $89.00 which hooks up to my laptop and a section of track.  With it I can download sounds, program throttle and sound functions, changes sounds on a current sound decoder, and reload previous decoder settings saved on my laptop.  So for $160.00 bucks I've got an easy-to-use DCC Command System (albeit limited to 10 engines) and a similarly easy-to-use Decoder Programmer.  I'm happy with my choices.  And it didn't take a bucket of money to achieve my goals.  Nor did I need to devote considerable time getting everything running.  FWIW.  Peace - Craig+

BTW - Bachmann includes a pretty good DVD with  the EZ Command system that explains things in simple terms.  I had my system up and running in under 30 minutes.

More snow today so I had time to address the poor pickup on my RGS Goose #1.  The pickups are located in the front truck.  Examining the truck I found a lot of side-to-side play in both the front and rear wheels.  The problem is that the electric pickup depends on small copper wipers that rub against the inside of the wheels.  And with the side-to-side play the wipers easily loose contact with the wheels.  I tried prying the wipers out so they rubbed better on the inside of the wheels, but with no improvement.  Then I got an idea.  Using the small, lightweight spring that are supplied with Kadee couplers, I ACC'd two springs between the frame of the truck and the pickup wiper.  This pushes the wiper against the inside of the wheel and greatly improved the electrical pickup - no more start-stop-start jitters. Still having some problems when crossing over switches and re-rail sections (any suggestions?).  But all-in-all a BIG improvement.  Anybody else had luck with a different approach?  Cheers - Craig+

I kept reading that adding DCC Sound to a2Bachmann 2-6-0 C&S #22 Mogul is nearly impossible - don't believe it.  I'm a newbie to DCC, but after reading the Soundtraxx Instruction Manual it looked easy enough.  So as they say,"fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

I bought a Soundtraxx Tsunami light steam decoder and a Soundtraxx 27mm dia. high bass 8 ohms speaker, along with a Miniatronics 2-pin and  a 4-pin connector.

I started off hoping to mount the speaker in the tender pointing up, but because of the curved backside of the part molding, I decided it was easier to mount it face down.  Drilled some holes in the floor of the tender, then using an adhesive mounting ring, I installed the speaker.  Easy job.

I then moved on to the locomotive.  After a lot of exploring, I finally figured out how to remove the boiler assembly from the frame.  It's as simple as prying the rear cross member back to release the tab holding the boiler/cab assembly to the frame, and then pulling the boiler up and off. 

The pickup wires (red & black) are connected to a small pcb (printed circuit board) that in turn connects to the motor.  Pull off the two clips holding the pickup wires to the pcb.  Solder the 2-pin male connector leads to the pickup wires - noting the polarity.  Then using the 4-pin connector, I used the two outside leads for the motor connection, and the two inner leads for the headlight.  The motor connection was done using the same manner as the pickup wires were originally connected to the motor - using the two plastic slip-on connectors.  The headlight leads were then soldered to the inner two leads from the 4-pin male connector.

On to the tender.  I mounted the Sound Decoder to the inside of the tender shell with double sided tape;  connected the two purple leads to the speaker; the red and black decoder leads to the 2-pin female connector - again noting the polarity; then the two outer leads of the 4-pin female connector to the orange and gray decoder leads; and finally the blue and white leads to the two inner leads on the 4-pin female connector.

I routed the 4-pin and two-pin leads in a opening cut into the cab-end of the tender shell; and then put the shell back onto the tender.  I then took everything to my layout; plugged in the connectors from the engine to the tender; and miracles-of-miracles the locomotive runs great and the sound is pretty amazing.  Not bad for a newbie!  And all it took was about three hours.

So next time someone says how it's nearly impossible to add DCC or Sound to a Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul don't believe 'em.  It's really a pretty straight forward project.  Of course I'm not done yet.  I still need to route the connector leads through the boiler/cab assembly and reassemble the boiler/cab back onto the frame.

Peace - Craig+

I recently upgraded to DCC on my small layout.  My problem is that now my Bachmann coach cars light up too bright.  It there anything I can do to dim the lights to more of a glow like they were when I was using just a DC transformer?  TIA - PadreCraig