Brokemotto! When you removed he decoder, were you able to salvage the led light, on the decoder? If not, were you able to match the color?
Thanks

Don't let price fool you. These have been selling for pretty low prices with DCC. Its a beautiful model, but an almost beautiful runner. If you you have rapidity couplers it's old, but I bet you have a newer one. Open it and look. I've got a replacement decoder ready, for after my latest trip. It would be nice, if they redid it, with a great drive system. Spookshows advice holds, if you have a warranty. If not, I'm not sure what parts are available, or if it isn't cheaper to google the model and buy a new one. Figure which model you have and go from there.

So
As the "if Bachmann makes steam, I buy it, guy". Is there a way to tell which model it is 2012 vs earlier release. (since almost all buying is online)

Hi
Light or Heavy. The newer Heavies should do 9.75, with no issues. Light Mountains can't do less than 11 slowly and have pilot truck derailments, even then.
So, if it's a heavy, I recommend watching it, with LED lit magnifying specs and see it'd it's trackwork, or wiggling something. If it's a Light Mountain, I haven't seen a solution, sorry.
Edit - Spookshow has a write up on these. While there is no solution offered, he does show a completely disassembled Heavy. Since the heavy doesn't have an inherent derailing issue, maybe you will note a mod you can make?

Embarrassed?!?
I asked for a similar cord (controller to track) I couldn't find it. Asked here. Someone posted link. And I'm in the states. It's listed under "General parts" or something.... It wasn't an obvious find.

Is this the elusive part? I hope it is.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_74&products_id=7542

They are 89 feet long, but theydid themselves no favors, with truck design. The unpowered cars roll poorly on a tilted wood table, much less straight track. The wipers are the longest I've ever seen. They make direct contact with the light board at the top of the car. There is probably a torque issue there, that contibutes to derailing on curves. The trucks are stiff. The cars are poorly lit, despite the novel wiper design. Th diaphrams and nose catch. And on mine, something else catches on a truck, where no other train has an issue. They sold the set, with their own 19" track. So where is a Bachmann product to run, if not on its own track? If the cars rolled well and they had been marginally aprototypical, in the truck spacing, on the power car, these things would still be selling. As is, it's a really nice shelf queen, that you can make run better, if that's where the hobby takes you. That's the only real advice, we can give anyone that is coming into this disappointment.

I just ordered the article. There is a thread about this, on another site, right now. From what ive read, he was able to get 10smph and 15" radii

I have 3 shelf queens.
1) The Acela set. I took it down, for this conversation. My main is Unitrack, and is all 28" and 19" radii, with double crossovers and #6 turnouts, along the way. It shorts my track, going through the double crossovers and some 6s (but, not every time). It pulls apart heading through a specific 6 but I can't see a flaw, in the 6. I run a ton of long passenger and long freight, behind Bmann steam and assorted other locos, without issue.
2) Arnold HN2000 - which is my favorite. It's a DB VT 08.5, celebrating the 1954 World Cup. It runs DC, but has a clicking sound, like the motor slips. Someday, I hope to find someone, that can open and remotor it. The directions mention a motor that will.. LOL, never need service. No instructions came on opening it. I should send it to a cousin In Germany, and see if he can find someone willing to take my money, to fix it.
3) An Athearn Challenger, with an MRC decoder. I have the repair set up, but the guy I like, for repairs, is busy with kids sports. (I can wait)

I see no solution, for the casual modeler, for the Acela. Bachmann won't touch them. And I've never read anyone, who wrote "pulled it out of the box, put it on Bachmann R19 track and run it, with no issues. I even asked a Bachmann rep, at a "Worlds Greatest Hobby" event "Why didn't you guys fix this? It's beautiful, but with a few mods, could run well? His response was "To get the rights, they couldn't vary from the prototype enough to get better turn radii" I thanked him, for his time.

I mention my other 2 shelf queens, as problems aren't unique to Bachmann. On the contrary, when there is a problem, Bachmann has come through in every other instance, so I shrug this one off.

Read Spookshow's writeup. Ron Bearden did an N Scale magazine write up on improving it. I once had the article and I'd purchased Kato wheels etc, to give it a shot. Never did. Can't find the stuff now. I' like to give it a try.
I'm not gonna beat it up here. Search "2 questions on bmann acela", over in Trainboard, for details (I did not do the updates, in the post. I copied them fronm another post, in the old Atlas forum)

19" minimum radius required, for that set. There are extensive write ups, on modifying the set, using other wheels and such. I too have the set, and many of the parts, to affect the modifications. I'm just not there yet.

rlionel
Can yours do slow speeds. I returned the one I bought, because 3 consecutive controllers (the original and 2 warranty replacements) went from 0 to 6.6 volts, as soon as you turned it on. This made my Bachmann and other brand trolleys shoot back and forth. I think I've settled on a different solution, but I'd love to hear your experience

The other half of the board is connectivity for running in DC Mode. I know it can all come out, but then you lose the ease of connecting the various wires. I believe they are clearly labeled, but be careful, as they are all just red or black wires, once removed.

Be careful. Bachmann has a habit of ignoring NMRA wire colors. The back half of that board snaps off, to allow room.

Quote from: kewatin on May 19, 2017, 09:23:19 PM
looks like the leading winner by a large vote is the DREYFUS HUDSON. not really of interest to me as so few roads used them.main user was the N.Y.C which they used to haul their top name trains like the 20th century etc. hudson locomotives were used mostly on level terain and their pulling power diminished greatly on anything with hills.would i like to see a hudson loco ,of course ,but not a dreyfus streamliner.also i can't see KATO making one as they usually stick with western roads.this could also be hype on their part to see what the market place is looking for.also i am sure one wouldn't see this for another 3 yrs.i will take my chances on BACHMANN to re release their heavy mtn again as so many have been asking for it.you can't even find them for sale ,and if one is available they go for a premium price.
regards&later KEWATIN

I just put a new decoder, in my Bmann Heavy Mountain. It runs every bit as good as ANY (and I have about 30) N steam loco, I own. Not even a growl. C'mon Bman! A little attention to the decoder (good BEMF really helps) and you could own US prototype steam. In the words of Roy Schneider "you can do it!"