Installing a decoder in the Bachmann 4-6-0

[sizemore]

Well I can see that the red wire is labled M+. Other than that,  I can not see any other wires that I can ID. other than the one marked R
The reason I bring this up is - If there are only two wires needed that is what you would find, not the 6 that I see.
The wire that is next to the M+ on the board I see a wire and terminal that is marked R. Does not this wire go to the right wheels on the loco?
You may have got the wrong trucks mounted at first,  but I still think that the locomotive picks up power from the rails.
Could be wrong and it would not be the first time.
I just can't picture Bchmann using any more wires than needed. 

Honestly I'm lost. You have 2 pickup wires (R/L Rails) from the loco, 2 motor wires (+/-) and 2 wires for the headlight. While the driving wheels might be picking up power, it's not as bulletproof as tender truck connections. The instant I installed the correct trucks everything worked as it was supposed too.

The S.

[woodone]

Well, I am lost too.
In one post you stated that the locmotive DID NOT pick up power from the rail.
I was saying that I thought the locomotive had pick ups to the drivers- you wanted to wager that it did not. Now you say that is does.
 I am lost?

[sizemore]

Well, I am lost too.
In one post you stated that the locmotive DID NOT pick up power from the rail.
I was saying that I thought the locomotive had pick ups to the drivers- you wanted to wager that it did not. Now you say that is does.
 I am lost?

If the locomotive did pick up power (both right and left successfully) then I wouldn't have a problem in the first place, I would have never known that the proper trucks were installed. Since the dawn of N Scale steam locomotive pick-up has stunk -the smaller we go, the less wheel's we have "the suck" increases. Hence my point that the locomotive was solely relying on the tender for pickup. The wires might be there but there is something preventing pickup from actually providing a function, I haven't had the time to go through it thoroughly.

I wagered that the red wire from the locomotive was not rail pickup from the locomotive.

Anyway it's fixed now, and others that are attempting the same surgery will know what to look for!

The S.

[Mark5]

For reference:



Gotta modify the drawbar but this is a start.

The S.

Looks a helluva lot better with a smaller more reasonably sized tender.

That's a huge leap for the fireman but I'm sure you can close the gap a bit.

[sizemore]

Looks a helluva lot better with a smaller more reasonably sized tender.

That's a huge leap for the fireman but I'm sure you can close the gap a bit.

Yeah I hate it too. There are different sized drawbars coming out on those Bachmann tenders too. I ordered a slopeback tender for parts fodder, hoping the drawbar will be short enough to look prototypical, but long enough not to hamper operation. Tomorrow we'll find out!

The S.

[alhoop]

I am strictly a DC guy. Bachmann included an important notice with my 4-6-0 that said to
remove the suppression capacitors and inductors if a non-NMRA conformant decoder is used
to replace the Bachmann decoder. What is a non-conformant  decoder?
Al

[sizemore]

I am strictly a DC guy. Bachmann included an important notice with my 4-6-0 that said to
remove the suppression capacitors and inductors if a non-NMRA conformant decoder is used
to replace the Bachmann decoder. What is a non-conformant  decoder?
Al

I thought the same but it was not necessary, the problem I was experiencing revolved around tender pickups and poor loco pickup.

The S.