I got what looks like an almost brand new Bachmann Spectrum Decapod. It is DCC-ready. I'm using an MRC Prodigy Advance2 controller. Problem is, when I put the locomotive on the tracks, it shorts the layout.
Like I said, it looked fairly new in the box and the wheels don't show any sign of having been run. I also tried it with a Bachmann E-Z Command controller. Same result. As soon as it is placed on the tracks, it shorts them.
What could be the problem? Of course, my other locomotives just work fine. Even an old DC-only one.
Thanks in advance for any pointer or info.
Are you operating it on address "00" (DC mode)? "DCC-ready" means that the locomotive is ready for a decoder but a decoder still needs to be installed into it. It won't operating in DCC mode; only DC mode.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Welcome.
One possible cause. Bachmann tenders pickup on one side of a tender truck and other side of other tender truck. Some tenders, the truck can swivel 180 degrees and cause a short. Check that.
If the DC adapter is in place, it should operate like your other DC locos.
I have seen this before in the Bachmann forums.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
tstage Are you operating it on address "00" (DC mode)? "DCC-ready" means that the locomotive is ready for a decoder but a decoder still needs to be installed into it. It won't operating in DCC mode; only DC mode. Tom
Thanks, Tom. I cannot operate it because as soon as I put it on tracks, it shorts my entire layout. I can't do anything when it's sitting on tracks.
richg1998 Welcome. One possible cause. Bachmann tenders pickup on one side of a tender truck and other side of other tender truck. Some tenders, the truck can swivel 180 degrees and cause a short. Check that. If the DC adapter is in place, it should operate like your other DC locos. I have seen this before in the Bachmann forums. Rich
Thanks, Rich. I will examine the tender more closely.
To easy test this, carefully unplug the two connectors and place the tender on the track by itself. remove and place the loco on the track.
The wires are delicate on those connectors. Do not pull on them. I use a flat jewelers screwdriver and pry them out a little. Two wires from the drivers connect to the decoder along with the pickups from the tender wheels. The other connector has power to the motor and power to the headlight.
richg1998 To easy test this, carefully unplug the two connectors and place the tender on the track by itself. remove and place the loco on the track. The wires are delicate on those connectors. Do not pull on them. I use a flat jewelers screwdriver and pry them out a little. Two wires from the drivers connect to the decoder along with the pickups from the tender wheels. The other connector has power to the motor and power to the headlight. Rich
Hello Rich.
I tried what you suggested tonight. It's the locomotive that is the problem. As soon as I dropped it on the tracks, it shorted my DCC layout. I even saw a small spark from the wheel. I tried the tender too but it was ok. Even the backlight was coming on. I did inspect the locomotive's wheels but didn't see anything wrong. Is it a serious problem?
Bachmann locos have a plate on the bottom that holds the drivers in place. This plate also contains the wipers and wiring for the two wire harness/plug which carries the driver pickups to the tender circuit board.
I suspect there is a problem right there on that plate.
With the loco upside down, remove the two screws on the bottom of the loco and gently wiggle the plate off.
Look for damaged wipers, pinched wires, etc.
Bachmann still lists that part as being available if you cannot find the problem an repair it.
Be careful to guide the wipers into their correct locations when re-assembling the loco.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Bachmann locos have a plate on the bottom that holds the drivers in place. This plate also contains the wipers and wiring for the two wire harness/plug which carries the driver pickups to the tender circuit board. I suspect there is a problem right there on that plate. With the loco upside down, remove the two screws on the bottom of the loco and gently wiggle the plate off. Look for damaged wipers, pinched wires, etc. Bachmann still lists that part as being available if you cannot find the problem an repair it. Be careful to guide the wipers into their correct locations when re-assembling the loco. Sheldon
Thank you, Sheldon. I will have a look as soon as I can. Will report back.
Here is a link to the Bachmann Parts page. You can see many of the parts and a break down of the loco and tender.
Pick ups view right below.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/images/ho_parts/H81706.jpg
Parts view below.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=68_158
Take off the front truck and see if it still shorts.
Thank you all, I'm going to test all your suggestions!
Ladder1 Take off the front truck and see if it still shorts.
First thing I thought of.
Maybe fine wire filings between a couple drivers.
Rich.
Well that is a good thing to check, I'm not sure if the front truck frame is plastic or metal, most are plastic, and the wheel set is double insulated, so it seems pretty unlikely.
The drivers are also double insulated, that is the axle is completely insulated from both wheels. That is why I suspect the bottom plate and pickup wipers.
With the plate off, check each driver for a short circuit as well.
Success! I did remove the plate, checks the little tabs pressing on the driver (?). They all seemed ok. I put it back together, then gave it a try on my DC layout:
Many thanks to everybody that did take the time to reply. Thank you!
I guess that if I want it on my DCC layout, I will now need to get the DCC decoder for it. Anybody has any suggestion besides the one that Bachmann sells at over $60?
I'm not sure you are out of the woods. It stalled at 0:06 right over the terminal track.
We can see the whole track, there is not issue with reversing loops or hammers on the tracks or even feeders. It has to run reliably without your finger pushing it before you consider adding a decoder.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy I'm not sure you are out of the woods. It stalled at 0:06 right over the terminal track. We can see the whole track, there is not issue with reversing loops or hammers on the tracks or even feeders. It has to run reliably without your finger pushing it before you consider adding a decoder.
You think? What should I do? I tried other locomotives that are DCC and DC and they seem to slow down at the same spots. I inspected the terminal track but didn't see anything wrong with it. Keep in mind that this is a temporary DC layout. But, if you have any suggestion, I'm open. Maybe the locomotive would need lubrification? It apparently came from an estate. So, maybe it's been in its box for some time. But it's a Bachmann Spectrum, so it can't be that old?
Other people can answer that better. It started OK away from the terminal strip so the terminal strip and the rail joiners are doing their job. Had you started it at the terminal strip and it died at the last rail joiner, that could be a current problem at the rail joiner.
It's got to have good power at the terminal track or it would not run far from that track. It did seem to hesitate there the second time you moved forward. I don't know why going backwards looked ok other than it was moving pretty fast.
Since it didn't work at all and you took it apart and did something to make it better but not entirely fix the problem. Spectrum's have been around a while but that did not look like a lube problem.
Another thought, is the track dirty there? Is there any plastic flash that could be interfering with the loco wheels.
That looked liked a problem with the rerailer lifting the loco or binding the drivers, not an electrical problem? Never liked rerailers.......
nemesys Success! I did remove the plate, checks the little tabs pressing on the driver (?). They all seemed ok. I put it back together, then gave it a try on my DC layout: Many thanks to everybody that did take the time to reply. Thank you! I guess that if I want it on my DCC layout, I will now need to get the DCC decoder for it. Anybody has any suggestion besides the one that Bachmann sells at over $60?
A non sound decoder with eight pin plug can be bought for about $20.00. I have used Digitrax decoders. A DZ126PS is about that price. Good for one amp. I have bought from Litchfield Station. I have used the DZ125 in a couple Bachmann locos.
TCS has some with the eight pin plug that Bacgmann requires. They might cost a little more.
Don't forget to cut the caps on the PC board.They bother slow speed running. Bachmann reps say the same. Don't bother ripping out the PC board. A waste of time. The two inductors that might look like resistors are not an issue. I know. The caps have a C lable. The inductors an L. With no caps, the inductors are really a short piece of wire. I have measured them.
You don't want the Bachmann decoder. Most rip them out and buy a quality decoder.
richg1998 A non sound decoder with eight pin plug can be bought for about $20.00. I have used Digitrax decoders. A DZ126PS is about that price. Good for one amp. I have bought from Litchfield Station. I have used the DZ125 in a couple Bachmann locos. TCS has some with the eight pin plug that Bacgmann requires. They might cost a little more. Don't forget to cut the caps on the PC board.They bother slow speed running. Bachmann reps say the same. Don't bother ripping out the PC board. A waste of time. The two inductors that might look like resistors are not an issue. I know. The caps have a C lable. The inductors an L. With no caps, the inductors are really a short piece of wire. I have measured them. You don't want the Bachmann decoder. Most rip them out and buy a quality decoder. Rich
Thanks, Rich, much appreciated. I will check out what you suggest. What about a decoder with sound?
Great people here!
Plugging in an eight pin non sound is the easiset way to get DCC.
For sound, does you tender have a speaker location in it? The is the rub. Turn it upside down and look for speaker holes. I just looked at the Bachmann diagram and I see they have a sound version so your might have the holes.
Drilling the holes for the speaker will be a challenge. Use the TCS suggestion for a speaker.
Here is a link to the TCS site for their suggestions for some Bachamnn locos for their WOW sound decoders. Not your loco but maybe a similar tender. Requires work.
This will require some experince on your part. It is not plug and play.
Bachmann does not use the NMRA colors for the loco wiring. You have to trace carefulloy and use a meter. I answered someone here a few years ago about sound in this loco.
http://www.tcsdcc.com/
SoundTraxx has a decoder selector.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step1.php?s=HO-Bachmann
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/189877.aspx
If you get really desparate, Google, bachmann ho decapod dcc sound install
richg1998 Plugging in an eight pin non sound is the easiset way to get DCC. For sound, does you tender have a speaker location in it? The is the rub. Turn it upside down and look for speaker holes. Here is a link to the TCS site for their suggestions for some Bachamnn locos for their WOW sound decoders. Not your loco but maybe a similar tender. Requires work. This will require some experince on your part. It is not plug and play. Bachmann does not use the NMRA colors for the loco wiring. You have to trace carefulloy and use a meter. I answered someone here a few years ago about sound in this loco. http://www.tcsdcc.com/ SoundTraxx has a decoder selector. http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step1.php?s=HO-Bachmann http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/189877.aspx If you get really desparate, Google, bachmann ho decapod dcc sound install Rich
For sound, does you tender have a speaker location in it? The is the rub. Turn it upside down and look for speaker holes.
Thanks, Rich. Much appreciated, once again! I tried to do a search yesterday but didn't find anything cheaper than the one sold by Bachmann. I believe they use Sountraxx decoders in their factory installed decoders. I think I've read somewhere that they have 21-pins plugs, which would be the Econami ECO-21PNEM which is basically the same price than the one from Bachmann. But I will research what you suggest.
I'm good at dissassembling things. I've been in the computer world for more years than I care to remember. I used to be able to completely dissassemble a laptop to repair it. With the miniaturization craze these days, it's incredibly harder...
I have no experience with 21 pin decoders. Out of my league. Sorry. Sounds like ripping out the PC board. Make sure the lights are light bulbs or LED’s I am sure you know. Bachmann goes both ways. No idea the age of your loco.
Google Litchfield Station for DCC products. I have used them over the years. Very good for shipping. They use to have a relationship with SoundTraxx. Not to far away from them as I recall.
Tony's Trains is also very good. I see both once a year at a local train show.
Bachmann on board decoders are low end Lenz. They do not sell sound decoders. Last I knew, they sold a couple sound modules.
Their sound locos have come with stripped down SoundTraxx decoders though.
Check that Decapod link for wiring info.
Good luck. Sounds like a nice project. You should do good with this.
nemesys What about a decoder with sound?
What about a decoder with sound?
I have a Bachmann Russian Decapod, and I installed a sound decoder in it years ago. IIRC, it was made specifically for the Russian by Soundtraxx. It may be no longer available.
Gary
I should have looked more closely at the Bachmann parts page. They still sell the sound module for this decapod with instructions. Go look.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_158&products_id=10451
Have you taken time to look at any links?
richg1998 I should have looked more closely at the Bachmann parts page. They still sell the sound module for this decapod with instructions. Go look. http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_158&products_id=10451 Have you taken time to look at any links? Rich
Yes, I looked at the links. I thought someone said earlier *not* to get the decoder from Bachmann? Anyway, after finding nothing for an soundtraxx decoder and seeing that some generic steam decoders were almost if not more expensive than the one from Bachmann, I will most likely get the one from Bachmann. I still have to remove the bottom plate on the locomotive. I think something is wrong with the drivers. I ran my other DC-only locomotive and it definitely didn't have all the hiccups that the Decapod was having. But, right now, I'm rebuilding my layout so I'm out of tracks to test and am busy preparing my benchwork.
Thank you, Rich.
Common knowledge the "sound" are SoundTraxx from Bachmann. Non sound have been low end Lenz. Some do not mention differenrence.
I have to assume youi are not looking at the Bachmann web site. Bachmann mentions a lot that sound are from SoundTraxx.
richg1998 Common knowledge the "sound" are SoundTraxx from Bachmann. Non sound have been low end Lenz. Some do not mention differenrence. I have to assume youi are not looking at the Bachmann web site. Bachmann mentions a lot that sound are from SoundTraxx. Rich
Rich,
I used the same link you had in your previous message.
garya nemesys What about a decoder with sound? I have a Bachmann Russian Decapod, and I installed a sound decoder in it years ago. IIRC, it was made specifically for the Russian by Soundtraxx. It may be no longer available.
The decoder I have is the Soundtraxx DSD-B210LC plug 'n' play decoder for the 2-10-0. I'm guessing it's no longer in production.