Bachmann 2-8-0 Upgrades/improvements/problems

[Shaggy170]

So I have a Bachmann 2-8-0 and I have had if for about a year or so. There are a few things I want to do to it to improve its running and operations.

1) the front coupler.... why they put a dummy there, i dont know but it is annoying. Has anyone successfully changed it to a MT coupler? I read somewhere that a 1015 can be used but you need to do some heavy modification to the cowcatcher to fit the coupler box. Is there another option?

2) the decoder... It has a soundtraxx decoder which sounds fine and has plenty of sound options. I have noticed though that it does not do well on dirty track. If the track is dirty and I try to sound the bell or whistle, the engine will just stop. The second I take my finger off the function button, the engine just starts moving again like nothing happened. I wonder if adding a capacitor would help with that. Has anyone noticed this as well?

3) the only light on it is the front light and it doesnt seem very bright. Is there a way to replace it or make it brighter somehow?

Thanks in advance for any advice, help, etc.

[NDave]

Here's my post on installing a MTL #1015 coupler in the pilot of my Bachmann 2-8-0: https://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?45247-Adding-an-MTL-coupler-to-the-pilot-of-my-new-Bachmann-2-8-0

 It's been working fine for a couple years now (tho' I did trim it a little more and move it a little further back when I "bashed" my 2-8-0 to resemble UP #618: https://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?45247-Adding-an-MTL-coupler-to-the-pilot-of-my-new-Bachmann-2-8-0).

As for the "sound-induced motor stalls:" this sounds like a power pickup/connectivity issue... I had some similar issues with my 2-8-0 before I swapped decoders and tender. Two things I might consider (short of a decoder swap, or trying to figure out where to add a capacitor). First, remove you loco shell, and check that the screws shown by the arrow in the pic below are tight.



These screws (one on each side) connect the power leads from the loco frame to the tender... if one or both are loose (one was loose on my 2-8-0), power is only carried thru the drawbar, which is (IMO) an unreliable connection. One of the screws on my loco came loose from the factory, I think contributing to its pickup issues.

Another (IMO) weak link in power pickup is the way power is transferred from the tender trucks to the tender power bus... using the "ears" or "tabs" on the axle pickups to contact sprung power buses inside. Altho' I totally swapped out tenders, and thus re-engineered the entire pickup issue, I have a Bachmann 4-6-0 running the smaller USRA short haul tender. On all... I trimmed the tender pick up ears, bent them down a bit, then soldered wires to the tabs (TAKE THE TRUCK APART TO SOLDER!):


Pass the wires thru the holes in the tender floor, and directly solder them to the power buses on either side of the tender (leave a small loop of wire, to provide extra flexability for the trucks to swivel).

I also had issues with the brightness of the headlight... which I commented on in the 5th post of this thread: https://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?46735-Bashing-UP-618-from-A-Bachman-2-8-0-Phase-1-Vandy-tender-DCC-install

This suggested to me that the current dropping resistor on the factory decoder board had too great a resistance (I used 1000 Ohm in my install). If you can figure out where the resistor is on the board, you might be able to swap it out?

Good luck!

[TVRR]

I surprised no one has suggested simply cleaning the track. The 2-8-0s with bmann tenders are very reliable and nobodies DCC stuff does well on dirty track.

[ns737]

do you have the older drive or is it a most resent drive?

[Shaggy170]

do you have the older drive or is it a most resent drive?

It is the most recent drive. Came with DCC/Sound.

As for the "sound-induced motor stalls:" this sounds like a power pickup/connectivity issue... I had some similar issues with my 2-8-0 before I swapped decoders and tender. Two things I might consider (short of a decoder swap, or trying to figure out where to add a capacitor). First, remove you loco shell, and check that the screws shown by the arrow in the pic below are tight.



These screws (one on each side) connect the power leads from the loco frame to the tender... if one or both are loose (one was loose on my 2-8-0), power is only carried thru the drawbar, which is (IMO) an unreliable connection. One of the screws on my loco came loose from the factory, I think contributing to its pickup issues.

I'll have to take off the shell and look at it. I didn't think of that. Thanks for this suggestion and the other info you posted.