That doesn't sound like new old stock, to be broken and tampered with like that.  There are shrink wrap machines today that can fool anybody. I remember seeing a steam engine from another company in a bargain sale at an LHS, an old model long out of production, but nicely wrapped up like it had never been opened. Something just didn't smell right about it. I didn't get it.

And for zinc rot to set in, man, how old does that thing have to be?  This is not a knock on the product, it's a warning to people who seek bargains for Model Railroad stuff which every time I look seems more and more a place to con people.

It's almost tragic, reading this forum and seeing almost every day how someone else has been taken in by some kind of endless chicanery with models, which ought to be fun and free from all this kind of concern.

Even after many years in model railroading, I too am a recent victim, via an online auction which selectively avoided the flawed area in photographs posted on the site.  So don't feel alone.

You find the screws that hold the shell onto the mechanism, a PhD is not required to do that.  Remove the shell and sparingly apply light grease to the gear train.  Shop online for light grease intended for model railroad use, don't use light oil or it will migrate everywhere.

If both of those tenders you saw have couplers on both ends, what difference does it make?  I've seen one online with Horn hook couplers which means a very old model. You may have to replace the couplers, but that would probably be it.

You buy two of the cables and cut the prong section off of each and connect them so you have a long cable with two female ends.

You find out if you have it inserted into the other rerailer incorrectly if it shorts out. If it shorts out, pull the plug out, flip it over and reinsert it and everything oughta work.  When you have it working correctly, put a little dot of paint or something on each piece where they line up, so you know where to put it in the future if you have to unplug it.

First of all, you probably are going to stick the wrong wire in the wrong place trying to do multiple wires yourself.  I've had one wirescome loose in the past and I was able to jam it in enough to work for a little while until I could get it to my tech friend to get the entire plug system replaced. 

This is a job where it would be best for you tofind a tech to do it for you. A good tech will install a better plug system than the one that came with the locomotive.

Bachmann Service department

Quote from: Peeweedinkle on December 31, 2025, 07:38:04 PMI have just bought the bachmann rail chief ho scale train set. I am wanting to get a locomotive that has sound and smoke. I need someone to explain exactly what I need to buy to convert my set and please be patient as I am a rookie. Thanks

To get sound and smoke, you'll have to buy a locomotive that has a DCC decoder in it that feature sound, it has a smoke unit installed.  The power packs had come with train sets don't handle DCC, you'll have to get an entry-level DC controller such as Bachmann Ez command.  Don't try to run to DCc locomotive with the train set power pack, you'll burn the motor up.

The Bach Man probably needs to snip this post and start a new thread to get it out of the discussion of the Digitraxx problem.

No problem asking.  That's what this forum is for.

You need to find an independent tech to help you with this.   They are around, Google is your friend.  You have to pay them of course, they aren't doing it for their health.  But with the two involved vendors pointing fingers at each other, you need to get someone outside of that corral to independently investigate.  I wish I knew someone I could refer you to, but I don't I'm sorry. 

There's a Digitraxx iO forum you could join.  Someone there might be able to answer your questions. But if they can't, between all those people, they'll know someone you could consult with independently.

Good luck on this. Get it solved. Model railroading is too cool to walk away from.

Maybe a Digitraxx question should be asked on a Digitraxx forum?

This is a forum for Bachmann products.

Those older generation Bachmann steam locomotives are not always very well thought of, often with what it is called a pancake motor which are very inferior to today's 2-8-0.

I think you'll be lucky to find a set of wheels like you wish you could have. Typically with older stuff like that you have to buy another model to get the parts you want. And when you do that, you might well fall into the framework of the old joke, about the guy who had two pet chickens, one of them got sick so he killed the well one to make chicken soup for the sick one. 😱🫨😮😂

I often feel like I have to repeat this advice to newer people trying to pick up bargains.....

Verily, verily I say unto thee.  Bewarest thou of the pig in the poke known as the used model railroad locomotive.  Knowest thou not of the travails the lamb has suffered in its previous life, from dropping off the table to being a weapon with which to beat up the younger brother. Seek thou rather the path of righteousness of new purchases often with warranties to avoid the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.

On the programming track, you can read a number for the decoder manufacturer.  On my NCE system, the programming track first reads. 1-STD 2- STD.  Selecting "2" leads to the succession that gives me a code number for what the decoder actually is.

I've never had to do it, but there ought to be a table online of those numbers that tells you who made that code and what version it is. Once you know what it is, you can seek manuals are possibly even online information about it.

Please report back

People don't expect automobiles to jump up and hop and run when they've been sitting a long time, but expect Model Trains to run perfectly after no motion for decades.  This is a very frequent subject on this forum. Any machine with moving parts will seize up after time in different dimensions.

In reality, every electrical point of contact in everything on your train is likely solidly oxidized at this point. That's not just the track, that's the motor connections, the motor brushes, anything where two electrical items meet are connected.  The slow behavior of your engines says poor electrical contact at least one and probably multiple connections between power source and motor.  Gummy lubrication should be doing that too, I'll talk about that in a minute.

Emery cloth is the worst thing you can use to clean track and wheels. It creates little scratches and fissures that provide even more surface for oxidation, and miniature canyons to collect dirt.  A large pink block pencil eraser is a lot better to use. It is still abrasive but a lot less so  Some people use Goo Gone on a rag. I use a specialized Model Railroad cleaning block called a cratex block.  I suspect that it might contain a little abrasive, too,  but way way less than emery paper, that's for certain.

Also, as has been alluded to, 50 years is a long time to expect lubricants to not become a solid.  They all contain volatile solvents which evaporate over time. You probably need to go into the gears and clean every tooth out with a wood toothpick, then re-lubricate with a light grease, sold through model railroad outlets.

3x6 is a very small table to put Trains on.  Did that work 50 years ago with the track you had then?  I have a feeling when you actually put your curves on the table they are going to be too wide.

I suppose you mean the outside of the engine and cars, right?

The less impact you have on the item the better.  Gentle brushing with a medium stiff artist brush and application of spray keyboard air will probably get a lot of of it off.  Try that first and see what it does. If they're still a lot left to get back to us and we'll figure out Plan B.

I agree.  I have two of the oil bunker Vanderbilt tenders.  I only wish I bought 10 while they were available.

The Bachmann spectrum consolidation is an Illinois Central Harriman engine, fairly close in appearance to both SP and UP engines. With replacement of the pilot ladders with sheet metal steps like both prototypes had, you could have a reasonable SP or UP engine, depending on if you put the coal or oil tender behind it.  I know that there are multiple incorrect details in doing this, but you could get close enough to satisfy a lot of people by doing the above work.

In the past year or so complete tenders for the Low driver ten Wheeler were available at the Bachmann online store.  I bought about five of them while I could and have used two of them already., notably behind the Bachmann mogul whose stock tender is very awkward in appearance compared to the replacement one.  And while you're at it, bring back the alternate oil bunkers for both the ten wheeler and the consolidation.