Can't get my locomotive shell off!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

So I just recently bought a Bachmann GP-40 Locomotive which is supposed to have DCC already, and even says it has it as well on the bottom of the loco, however, when I put it on the track just like my other engines, it doesn’t respond to any movement commands. I can turn the cab/headlights on and off with the default address(3), but it won’t move at all. I wanted to take the shell off to see if there were any obvious loose wires, but I can’t get the shell off of it either! Any help with either of these problems would be appreciated!

2

Can you put it on a program track and read a decoder? If the headlights are working on address 3 then the decoder is working the lighting part and it is picking up power from the track. If you can not read CVs then the motor circuit has a problem. Try to read some CVs. If you can not read CVs then the decoder is faulty or the motor is not hooked up. Either way I would take it back and exchange it or have Bachmann repair it under warranty.

Pete

3

Carefully pry off the fuel tank. You will find two screws hidden there. Remove them and the shell will come off.

4

[#welcome]Welcome the forums Dpeat

Also what DCC system are you using?

5

I’m using MRC Prodigy 2, or something very close to that… I’m too lazy to walk all the way over to my train and look at the exact name, but thats basically it.

6

Correction: MRC Prodigy Advance Squared DCC

7

Hey thanks for the great response, I did put it on the program track and it was actually reading all the normal CV’s at first. Then I tried to reprogram the address from 3 to the engine number and it didn’t seem to take, so I picked it up and put it on the main line and tried to get it to respond to either number, but it was shorting out my track. So I took the advise from the other response on here on how to remove the shell (which was also great advice btw and worked perfectly) and soon saw a decoder with some ugly burn marks where the black wire is soldered onto the decoder along with the surrounding area. So, I think I’m going to send it back to get fixed or replaced. Thanks again for all your help!

Peat