Trailblazer

[Modeltrainer4]

Hi,
I am just starting to DCC chip my engines and I am wondering if the 4-6-0 from the Trailblazer set can be DCC chipped?
Many Thanks

[Mike C]

 It should be DCC ready and already have the decoder mounted in the tender . Try it on address 3 to check .

[Bucksco]

The 4-6-0 in the trailblazer set is not a DCC equipped loco. It is DCC ready in respect to the motor being isolated from the chassis but like most N scale locos it is not a "plug and play" situation. The decoder will need to be hardwired and will require soldering skills. You might consider a DCC equipped set such as the Golden Spike item #24131.

[Modeltrainer4]

Thanks

[Mike C]

I'd thought that all of your 4-6-0's were DCC on board .  I know that there were a number of people , when it came out , that were wanting a straight DC loco and complained about having to pay for DCC when they didn't want it . Now I'm confused .  I did not know that you made a non DCC version of this loco .......

[brokemoto]

It must be available in the train set, only.

Still, with the number of non-DCC users out there, I would think that B-mann could turn a little profit selling these separately.

[brokemoto]

I am dredging up an  old topic.


I found one of these sets for a really good price, so I bought it.

I  must state that the locomotive runs very well.  The slow speed control on DC (MRC 2800 or MRC 2400 with pulse OFF) is better on the version without the decoder than that with the decoder.   As there are no wires in the trainset version, swapping out the SPECTRUM USRA standard for the USRA short was easy.  It looks much better with the USRA short.

The locomotive comes lettered for C&O.  It has a "Russian Iron" boiler.  The locomotive details are the same as for the DCC version, except for the rods and valve gear.   All that the trainset version has is the side and main rods.   On the whole, it looks pretty good, with one exception.  The factory in China did a sloppy job of applying white on the tyres.  It is nothing that a little sanding or scraping will not cure, but it is to be noted.   The pulling power is pretty good:  six loaded Bluford  Shops P&LE seventy ton hoppers, two loaded Intermountain forty foot gondolas, a loaded Red Cabose thirty six foot flat car, the B-mann tank car that came in the set and the B-mann four wheel caboose that came in the set up a one per-cent grade at twenty scale MPH with no sign of slipping.  

I suspect that B-mann might be marketing this as a set with an "entry level" steam locomotive that runs well, but it DC.  The locomotive runs well, so it will not discourage the purchaser from pursuing the hobby further.  I runs so well that the person who pursues the hobby further would keep it on his roster.  Still, B-mann might want to consider marketing the non DCC version of this one.

The rest of the set has:

The B-mann standard trainset power supply that appears to be a knock-off of the Kato:  You have the cord with a big fat plastic plug and a grey thing with a dial.  It is allright for a trainset, but, even on the trainset, the purchaser would do well to purchase a better DC power supply if he has no plans to use DCC.

B-mann  E-Z TRAK . a terminal piece, a few straight pieces and enough eleven and one quarter track to make a roundy-round.   There are parts of my pike that have E-Z TRAK, so I can always use the track.

A boxcar that is lettered for the Rutland, but is too clunky for me to use on my pike, even if it does fit my era.   I guess that I could use it on N-TRAK or something.

A forty foot gondola lettered for Wabash.  The build and new dates are slightly out of my era.  I could change them, but I would have to do something about the ride height, as well.  It would work as-is for N-TRAK, though.

A tank car.  This one looks pretty good.  I am going to run this one on my pike.

A four wheel caboose.  B-mann lettered it for the C&O to  match the locomotive.  As the locomotive has become #5 on my non-historic Short Creek and Nopedale, the caboose is going to my nineteenth century pike.  I have some old MDC C&O passenger cars and two MDC 2-6-0s lettered for C&O.  Now I can have one pull a freight train and one pull a passenger.

B-mann's "Sunnyvale station".   I have another one of these that I received when I bought this huge box of buildings for five dollars at a show.  I wonder if I could put two of them together.

B-mann gives you some telephone poles and signs in this, as well.  There are numerous places that I can use those.

On the whole, this is a pretty good set.  My main interest was the locomotive, ever since I learned (from this topic, in fact) that a non-DCC version of the ten-wheeler existed.  I was not about to pay for the whole set just to get the locomotive, but the price on this one made it worth looking into it.   The locomotive runs and pulls very well.   It is a very good "entry level" steam locomotive that you would want to keep if you pursue this hobby further.  Too many people have gotten discouraged often due to poor quality locomotives in train sets.  This one is an exception.  I would recommend this set to any beginner.