This weekend I picked up a tender shell at Timmy’s Immodium. I had not converted my IHC 4-4-0 to DCC because I just couldn’t run a cool looking engine with a broken tender. So anyway, I’m ready to go.
IF I understand the operation, you powered both sides of both trucks, right?
What decoder did you use? Before I cracked it I envisioned a just using a Digitrax HO, but there obviously isn’t room. I’m assuming you put it behind the motor.
I can probably figure this out, but did you ever put Kaydee couplers on your 4-4-0? If so, what did you do? It looks like you might have put something in the front before you went link and pin. If you did, what did you do?
Did you do the same thing with the trucks on your Bachman before you gave up on it? Mine runs okay. I might consider converting it as well.
The standard 5 will fit in the tender. Nothing on the front and look good. If a small claw to is added to my front link you can use it with KD’s. It will look like a two tined rake. No I have no pictures of that experiment.
The newer Bachmann’s run well enough to try the pickup’s but they are still a piece of crap. I haven’t done it but the performance increase in the IHC 4-4-0 is night and day. The Bachmann 4-4-0’s are too small for my OO scale.
McHenry couplers fit very well in the AHM/IHC old timer 4-4-0 tender. Use a Kadee coupler box cover (provides the required bushing and a cover). The original AHM/IHC coupler retainer pin will work (it will be a very tight fit as it will be going into a previously unused hole). Or, optionally, a tap could be used to cut threads for a screw-on cover.
Has anyone attempted to rewire the Bach-person 4-4-0 so all four tender axles pickup current from one rail and the drivers and front truck pickup current from the other rail? Seems like this might make them run better since out-of-the-box the motor only gets power from “rail A” through one tender truck and “rail B” through the other tender truck and a driver.
