Bought it for $99 brand new. This will be my first articulated steam engine, so I’m excited.
My N scale DC 2-8-8-2 {I can it the “big boy” even though it is not a 4-8-8-4} has given me lot of enjoyment!
May yours do so as well!
Mine also takes the sharper curves, though I prefer to run it in the broader curves!
LOVE it.
Is yours DC or DCC? Where did you get it?
I will only go DCC now.
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I have a small N scale layout that is 48" by 30". It’s based on the December 1994 issue of Model Railroader’s the Soo’s Red Wing Division, but has a double track mainline for running two engines simultaneously. One section of the inner loop has 9 3/4" radius curves, so I’m a little nervous, but the MR review of this said it will run on that sharp of a curve.
This thing is very smooth, and goes around 9 3/4 inch curves with EASE!
Part 1 video review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7a53QbcKig
Part 2 video review:
The Bachmann 2-6-6-2 has only one issue…wheel gauge. Check it when you get it, they are WAY too tight. It will be an issue the first time you go through a properly gauged turnout.
David B
Thanks for the heads up. I made note of that in the video (Part I) that four for the 12 driver and tender wheels were a little tight. However, it runs fine through my turnouts. I really like the thing.
well shoot I have a 4-8-2 lt mountain love the thing, I could use a big steamer in the GN road name.
Nice. I have a 4-8-2 Heavy Mountain also, and I’m trying to replace the driver wheels because the old ones got out of round and screwed up. Hopefully the new set that arrives today is good.
I’m getting frustrated now. I really like this engine, however, it runs somewhat jerky around my small layout. It will slow down about 50% around one section of my layout, and then speed up on others. I track is extremely clean, the wheels on the engine are clean and in gauge, the gears are lubricated, and there is only a 0.1-0.5VAC voltage drop on that section of my layout where it slows down.
What’s going on?
This is with the stock Bachmann DCC decoder in it.
With the stock Bachmann decoders, can I cut the three capacitors on the stock circuit board in the tender? I’ve read that they’re there to keep the DCC decoder from interfering from other electronic devices, especially in Europe. If I cut them, will that make the stock Bachmann decoder and the way it runs worse?
Did you measure the track voltage while the loco was running in that section of track? If you do and notice a significant voltage drop it could mean an poorly conducting rail joiner or a problem with a feeder. Just a thought.
Joe
Well, if anybody wants more N Scale Articulateds, Bachmann just announced a B&O EM-1 at the NMRA National Convention. There is a pdf of the announcement and other N Scale stuff at Bachmann’s homepage.
I measured it with both the engine running on it and without. Values were the same.
I just installed another decoder in it, and it’s doing the same damn thing: running eratic in only certain sections of my layout (primarily straight sections). It runs somewhat jerky, slows down in these specific sections, and then surges forward (not violent, but it’s noticeable) once it’s out of the section.
I’m taking the capacitors out to see if that fixes the jerky, surging and slowing problem.
So I took out the three capacitors, and it seems to be running a bit better. It’s still slowing down a bit, but it’s not as dramatic as before. I guess I’ll solder feeders to the two foot section of track (N scale) where it’s slowing down to see if that makes a difference.
I tried the Mallet on the inside track of my layout, and it’s still jerky, but not as much as the outside track. So it’s obviously the locomotive, but it’s the only one exhibiting this behavior. My diesels and other steamers (including a 4-8-2 Heavy Mountain and Model Power 4-6-2 Pacific) don’t do this on any of the tracks. I wonder why this 2-6-6-2 Mallet is jerky? It’s obviously the engine, but not sure what else I can do about it.
DISCLAIMER - I have not even touched a piece of N scale anything in about 30 years.
But I do have a few thoughts on your problem. Does this engine have brass wipers on the drivers like the Bachmann HO locos?
What size are your curves?
It is possible that some of the wipers are misaligned, or that your curves are too asharp and this is causing poor pick up by pulling the drivers away from the wipers at times.
Those capacitors you cut out should help performance, on DC or DCC, but it sounds like you have a pickup problem.
Also check the tender wipers and ayou may want to ad a little weight to the tender. It makes a big difference on Bachmann HO locos. The tenders track better and pickup better, and the extra weight also prevents the engine to tender wires from lifting or pulling on either the engine or the tender.
The wires - make sure they are fully pluged in and neatly arranged to not bind. They can lift up tenders and pull on locos, causing poor pickup. It is a known problem in HO, so I’m sure it could be the same in N.
Sheldon
Sheldon,
The engine has small nubs, I believe, that contact the wheels in some way. The tender has axle- end pickups. My smallest curves are 9 3/4" radius curves. However, the engine seems to go a normal speed around curves - it’s the straights that are sometimes the problems.
This engine was slowing down on straights at my work layout too, which runs on Atlas Code 65 Truetrack. Like I said, it’s the only engine I have speeding up, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.
Sheldon, this loco has absolutely no relationship to their HO steamers. Pack it up and send it to Bachmann for a better running one. IIRC, there was qc issues with these locos, and the only solution was to replace. Don’t tinker! David B
Gatrhumpy\If you are having such problems, ship it back to Bachmann’s warrantee service department.
They are supposed to have a FANTASTIC Warrantee Service department who will often replace a loco if it cannot be fixed. I have never had to use ti with my 14 HO DCC Bachmanns, and my N scale DC 2-8-8-2 is so old I wouldn’t expect them to be able to fix it if it ever failed on me, or any other of my other old Bachmanns DC N scale that still run like champs.
They may give you an issue and grief over the fact that you DID try replacing the decoder, should have left that alone.
SEND IT BACK. The sooner the better.
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So I have a question. If I modified the boiler of this locomotive, and installed another DCC decoder in the tender (good thing I marked which wires go where), how can I send it back? Will Bachmann still accept it if I install the original decoder in it?