"Yes, that is what i was doing when the trouble started. Inspection using the Mk.I eyeball method, nothing appeared to be amiss, the noise seems to be coming from the motor area."


That's EXACTLY how mine went.  Worked fine out of the box, it wasn't until about two hours into operation that things went sour.  Terrible grinding noises coming from somewhere and losing power while running slower and slower until it just stopped for good--she ran out of coal I guess--LOL!  Seriously though, I completely share your frustration. Certainly for this kind of money, they should behave better than this...

I agree... But how can FOUR of us on the same forum--with the same loco--have the same problem?  FWIW, I've got an el-cheapo Bachmann F7 that came in one of those pre-packaged department store sets, and it runs flawlessly... Go figure.  

As I stated before, I firmly believe that these issues are from a bad batch that somehow slipped through QC.  Perhaps yours do run fine.  Ours don't and it strikes me as more than just a fluke...

So, that now makes FOUR of us who've had trouble with these?  I think something is up...

Did you run yours through the "break-in" period?  Have you checked the "wipers" on the tender to make sure they're making good contact with the wheels?  It amazes me that Quality Control lets these things slip through...

ABC is right, I originally brought up the issue.  Sorry to spoil to thread.   I'm a newbie around here.   

How many electrical pickups are on these things?

OK, just wondering.  Since my power supply went into overload, I thought it would be an electrical problem too, especially when I could smell something "burning", almost like melting plastic, since it has that distinct acrid smell...

Still...

On a somewhat related note, I suspect this is what happened to me and those other few who had problems with our 2-8-0's.  I firmly believe that a bad batch somehow slipped by Quality Control...  That you also mentioned an electrical fault with the 2-10-0's confirms my suspicions...   But as another modeler pointed out to me, either these things will work properly out of the box or they won't... The good news is that if a problem is going to occur, it tends to show up fairly early on, usually during the "break-in" period.  That's not a given though.  I had an IHC steamer that ran beautiful out of the box but seized up a year later, despite lubrication and keeping things nice and clean...

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

-Brad

DCC or DC?

Sweet!  Looking good, man!  How's she run so far?

Let us know how things work out...

So, were the old black boxed Spectrums the early models or not?  My loco was from the 11000 run...

My 2-8-0 came in an oversized black box with gold lettering... The engine was also surrounded by some kind of spongy-foam material which was also black... Where these the old runs?

It's my understanding that smoking loco's aren't preferred on layouts for several reasons.  They tend to deposit an oily residue all over everything, and they can "gum up" and cause traction/motor problems...  At least that's what the guys from a now-defunct club in my town told me...

While "smoke" can be aesthetically pleasing, it's an overall annoyance.

Now it's me who's confused--LOL.  I though that "Spectrum" was now Bachmann's standard line for steamers???  In any event, it would seem as though I did get an old unit.  Who knows how long it sat at the store?  For $180/Canadian, they better come through on this--LOL.

OK, this too makes sense.  Unless the problem is a minor one, I don't see how the loco is salvageable.  Since I could detect an acrid burning smell, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if something has melted inside too...

The store I purchased it from: Chinook & Hobby West, Calgary, AB.  It's a full-sized stand-alone building...  I would assume they are an authorized dealer...

Bingo... I suspected as much.  So, if Bachmann sends me a new DCC unit, exactly what(if anything)do I need to do to run it with DC?