I just got a brand new bachmann spectrum 70 tonner with dcc chip installed for less than 30$ on ebay. While i run DC on my layout, the cheapness of that engine , combined with the fact that i only need another engine on the layout ( the smaller bachmann spectrum unit) has got me thinking about dcc. I know the bachmann system is out there and is seem real simple. It is fairly cheap to get and from what i read it perform decently as a “first time system”.
i have a couple of question though. first off i know that you can use one dc engine and one dcc engine at same time, question is: because dcc require full power to track at all time, how can you run a dc engine or, more accurately not run it while youre dealing with the other one? do i still use my power blocks and if so, what good is dcc for me then? i run a small layout (8 by 8 on a 1 foot shelf) its primarly a switching layout. Cost is a major function for me. I cant afford the more expensive nd more complicated stuff, i dont want sound or separate light function or all the fancy gizmos the more elaborate system provide. id just like a bit more flexibility on my layout and get my feet wet with digital. any advice, comment would be appreciated. thanks
The Bachmann DCC system is OK as a “starter” system, but its biggest drawback is that you can’t expand it. If you contrast that to a Digitrax Zephyr, which you can add on to and increase capabilities as your layout grows, and you will see why many users recommend spending a bit more to get a lot more.
You should probably look at the DCC information available at www.tonystrains.com for an explanation of some of the internal details of DCC. The “single DC engine” part of DCC is done by adjusting the “waveform” that appears on the track, and it does work, although most of us think it works very poorly. If you’ve only got a few other engines, then the right solution is to convert them to DCC. Once you’ve connected your system up to DCC and run one locomotive, you’ll be convinced. Yeah, it’s really that much better.
People with block wiring can convert easily to DCC by just setting all the blocks to the same cab and then hooking up the DCC system to that. If you have a large layout, then you might want to divide the blocks into “power districts” with their own DCC booster units, but when you do that you will maintain single-point control of all your tracks anyway. Be aware of reverse loops, which are best handled by purchasing a DCC reverser module, although you can still run them manually with a DPDT switch if you want to. The reverser unit makes the whole thing automatic, though, and after a while you don’t even think about it.
The simple answer is this: With DC, you run the track. With DCC, you run the trains.
Off topic of what you asked, but how do you like the 70 tonner? Does it run well? How’s the slow speed? Does it stall on turnouts? What’s your overall take and rating on this engine? [?]
Agree’d on the Bachman - easy but unexpandable. The two starter systems (aside from the Zephyr) that seem to get the most attention these days are the NCE Pro Cab and the Prodigy Advance.
I’m happy with the Bachmann 70t’s. To my amazement, Bachmann produced the engine in the exact paint as the rest of my custom engines-- Green with Yellow Handrails.
The engine runs ok. The only reason is sometimes stalls on the yard tracks is because my turnouts are old, dirty, and need to be replaced.
got the engine yesterday, put it o nthe track…nothing… i attached lead to it…nothing. i used a bit to goo gone to clean the wheels and slowly the engine came to life. i set it on the track and let it run for 20 minute one way and 20 minute in reverse, decrease current to 50% then ran it again for 20 minute both ways… works like a charm now. it creep appropriately on track (c100 w/ peco turnout) . only thing i have to get use to is the slight delay when switching direction but aside from that its a great companion to the 35 tonner i already have.
Not all DCC systems have the ability to run a DC loco. Check into that on the one you select if it’s important to you. I have a Digitrax Zephyr and am very happy with it. It does allow a DC engine to run.
In DCC, you select a loco number (which you assign to the DCC engine – most of us just use the road number or the last 2 digits of the road number). To operate, you punch in the number, then you have control of that loco. For the DC engine, it is automatically assigned number zero. Punch in 0 and run or stop that engine only… while other DCC locos are still running or stopped.
The catch is that it’s a work-around, so you’ll hear a little whirring/ whistling sound from your DC engine even when it’s stopped. Many have stated that prolonged periods of it sitting in stopped mode like this isn’t good on the motor. Also, while you’ll find that old engines with a decoder added will run better in DCC than they did in DC, running a loco in DC mode (0) isn’t as good as running it in straight DC.
I have only one DC engine which I sometimes run with my Zephyr in 0. It doesn’t have much get-up-and-go that way, but runs perfectly with a DC power pack.
70 tons is what it weighs. Basically, it’s far less less than a fully loaded modern covered hopper.
While I don’t have the weight for an E6 at hand, here are weights for some other locomotives from the same era (the late 1940s/early 1950s) for comparison, taken from a C&O roster.
ALCo S2: 117-121 tons
ALCo RS1 w/steam generator: 124 tons
ALCo RS2: 122 tons
ALCo RSD7: 195 tons
Baldwin AS616: 179 tons
EMD NW2: 123 tons
EMD BL2: 110 tons
EMD E7A: 159 tons
EMD E8A: 167 tons
EMD F7A: 124 tons
EMD GP7: 129 tons
EMD SW1 (600 hp, just like the GE 70-tonner): 96 tons
These numbers represent the approximate weights of the locomotives ordered by a specific railroad. The weight of a specific diesel could vary by quite a few tons depending on what options a railroad ordered, such as dynamic brakes, a steam generator, or extra ballast to increase tractive effort.
A good example of this would be EMD’s SD7. The ones the Milwaukee Road bought to use on branch lines weighed about 148 tons. The two SD7s the Pennsylvania ordered to lug freight up Madison Hill in extreme southern Indiana were loaded up with extra ballast until they weighed 180 tons.
The prototype use of the GE 70 and 44 tonners depended on the railroad. In Maine, the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR, a short line from Belfast, ME to an MEC connection in Burnham, used 70 tonners almost exclusivly. Maine Central had 5 or 6 of the 44 tonners. As an example, they used them on smaller trains between Bangor and Calais. One book I have shows a photo of a 44 toner pushing a snowplow extra in the spring when there were a few snow drifts on the track that had to be cleared. Size matters not!
I didn’t know that Bachmann made a “regular” 70 tonner–the only ones I have seen (44 tonner or 70 tonner) were the Spectrum line.
And yes, 70 tonners (and 44 tonners) were used in mainline service on some short-line railroads. The Sacramento Northern used them because they didn’t want to hire firemen (their earlier electric locos only required a crew of one) and weight restrictions due to the trestles, steep grades and ferry crossings on the SN limited the amount they needed to carry. Central California Traction used a gaggle of 44 and 70 tonners to replace their electric freight motors too. For the most part, 44 and 70 tonners were used as industrial locomotives or switchers–they weren’t really set up for long-haul service–but they were of course not limited to that role. Some even pulled passenger cars, if you count railfan trips as passenger service.
