I'd like to use spoked wheels on kitbashed tender made from a Big Hauler bobber caboose frame.

The Thomas line has spoked wheels that I like, but are Bachmann's Thomas wheels the same diameter as the ones used in the Big Hauler line, and will the axles be compatible?

I was considering getting a large Scale Rail Truck, but just read the threads from last month regarding their gears.

Are the gears for the Rail Truck as bad in this scale as the On30 ones were?

I recently got a GREAT deal on a used lot of steel Bachmann G-gauge track, but the rails could use a good cleaning and some need rust removal.


I've heard that a Scotch-Brite pad can be used to remove general build-up without scratching the rails, but is that only for the "Non-Scratch" version of the pads or will a regular pad work just fine?  Alternatively, what would you advise?


I assume water or anything containing it is NOT the proper solvent to remove the grime on the sections that were used outdoors;  What do you guys use that doesn't risk rust, and what do you use to remove existing rust?

I'm looking for an adhesive that will bond Woodland Scenics' foam Track-Bed to the underside of E-Z Track.

It has a similar contour and the material is sound-deadening, so it seems perfect for filling E-Z Track's 'echo chamber', but I haven't seen anyone try this combination online.

What adhesive is compatible with hard plastic but won't melt the foam?

Hello all.

I read someplace that DC power works for turnout snap coils, but uses a different voltage than the 16v AC found on analog speed controller accessory terminals.

Since I'm using a DCC system, and don't want to add addresses to the turnouts, what is the ideal DC voltage for a wall wart power supply?

I've always wondered which locos these two Porter models were based on, but now that I'm adding sound one I want to know which whistle is most prototypical.

I've found a few on Youtube that look REALLY similar to Bachmann's On30 offernings, but their whistles all sound different.

My Christmas Village Streetcar auto-reversing set just arrived, and the pole on the roof broke off during shipping.  (It's a used set so no warranty)

I tried removing the roof from a spare United Traction body I have, but the poles on the ends got bent while trying to pull them out from the holes in the corners.

What can be done to prevent bending the poles when I order a new roof?

Can somebody tell me how tall and long the crane is on the On30 derrick car?

Thank you.

Greetings,

My On30 Porter's headlamp lens fell out, and super-glue fogged it up when I tried to put it back.

The lens is a simple round disc that goes directly onto the slightly smaller hole from the front of the model, what adhesive will dry clear without affecting the lens' clarity?

My goal is to re-number on one of my Porters.

I tried removing one from a dead loco in my parts bin but it snapped off, and I suspect the base is glued in place because I can't push it out from the other side.

Is there a way to get the boards out without breaking them, or any solvents for the glue that won't affect the paint?

I'm curious what voltage the Porters use for their LEDs.

The PCB attached to the decoder doesn't have any resistors that I recognize, but I could be mistaken since I don't know a lot about components.

Are the LEDs 12 volt?

I'm building an On30 Porter tender and would like it to have spoked wheels, the Thomas line looks like a good source.

I need the wheels to be 24" in 1:48 scale, are there any wagon or coach wheels that might be large enough?

What kind of LEDs does the On30 Heisler use?

I don't see them in the list of replacement parts.

I just ordered one of these gems and I'd like to build a tender with a Keep-Alive capacitor inside when it arrives.

Looking at the decoder board in the e-store, I see two pairs of soldering points that are separate from the eight DCC connections.

https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=71_677&products_id=10471

Might one of those pairs be compatible with a Keep-Alive to keep both the sound and motor going for a second or two over unpowered turnout frogs or other trouble spots on a layout?

Mr. Bach Man, I'm looking to acquire a 0-4-0 Porter but they're almost impossible to find.

What would be needed to get them another production run?

(A run with sound pre-installed would be awesome)

I was browsing their site and noticed that some of their On30 train pictures now show 4-6-0s instead of 2-6-0s.

A few descriptions still say 2-6-0 though, can you shed some light on this?

I'm considering replacing the decoder and sound module in my Heisler for a sound decoder that's more power-efficient.

But I want to know if I can re-use the stock speaker before I begin.

I'm thinking of using a Soundtraxx Tsu-1100 Steam-2 decoder, which can drive a 1-Watt 8-Ohm speaker.


Edit:  Found it, the speaker is rated for 1-watt, 8 Ohms.

Now that I've started installing sound in my DCC locos, I've found that my layout is becoming 'too noisy' considering that I only run one train at a time.

Is there a way to reprogram the locos to be quiet that doesn't involve going through the roster to mute each one each time I power the layout, reprogramming their volume to zero, or installing power switches for their sidings?

(I apologize for making a second sound-related post, but this one is for a specific model)

I see that my Articulated's tender has a unused speaker housing, and solder points for speaker wires on the main board along with what appears to be a NEM 21-pin connector.

However, I don't see a sound module listed for this model.

Would I be able to use a SoundTraxx TSU-21PNEM in there or is the wiring proprietary?

I would like to add sound to my Rail Truck, 0-4-0 Porter, analog 2-6-0 (already converted to DCC), and 2-6-6-2, but I have questions.

SoundTraxx's website points me to appropriate decoders and compatible speakers for these models, but are the Mini Cubes any good compared to larger ones?  They might be the easiest option for the more cramped spaces.

If I go the Mini Cube route, will I need to get a baffle or any other accessory, or do I simply glue them in place and that's it?

Also, has anybody ever done a DCC/sound conversion on a 2-6-0 WITHOUT using the tender?  I would like to make a 'tank' conversion down the road and put everything in the cab if that's possible.

Finally, I see that my 2-6-6-2's tender is designed for a 28mm speaker, but will I need to get SoundTraxx's baffle or anything else to mount it properly?