looking for help please. I run DC only as I have small switching layouts and I have very little knowledge of DCC. I have a Bachmann Vt Rail S4 loco that is DC. It ran very sluggish and jerky. Was sent back to Bachmann and I was sent another loco. This one also runs similar but I ran it continuously and it has smoothed out somewhat. Sometimes it runs good sometimes not. I have a Tech 4 and Tech 6 that powers it. My question is would a decoder possibly help the performance of this? Would a decoder help it to run smoother during its slow switching operations? Or should I just try to sell it in an upcoming garage sale. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Bruce
Sell it.
Actually I searched reviews of the loco and they aren't all bad. With DC increasing the throttle, increases the voltage to the engine. That's easy to understand.
It shouldn't run good some days and bad other. Maybe there is molding flash in the gears, I don't know. DCC doesn't create smooth running in of itself.
One of the maxims of DCC is that it has to run well in DC before you convert it to DCC. There is no advantage in buying DCC locos to run on a DC layout.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
i have gotten under the hood a couple of times to lube it and did check the wheels and gears. adjusted the wheel wipers for contact too. My LHS says that Bachmann seems to be hit or mis on some of their stuff. Said he found 75% of the time they are fine, 25% seem to have issues
alcofanschdy "would a decoder possibly help the performance of this? Would a decoder help it to run smoother during its slow switching operations?"
"would a decoder possibly help the performance of this? Would a decoder help it to run smoother during its slow switching operations?"
No, a decoder will not help. A loco needs to run good on DC before conversion to DCC. Not running good on DC may make it run worse on DCC. A decoder is not a correction to poor perfoming motors.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
What I've seen with another Bachmann loco (E33 electric) was too MUCH grease in the gears. Too much is just as bad as not having any, it can prevent the gears from turning smoothly. If you took the truck bottom plate off - the whole inside does not and should not be full of grease. If it is like that, clean it all out, and put a TINY amount of a plastic compatible grease like Labelle on the gears. Just a little drop on each gear, as they rotate it will spread to all gear faces. That's all that's needed.
If it doesn't run nicely on DC, it won't run any better on DCC.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for the replies, will check the gears again, clean them and relubricate and if that doesn't help will just put it up for sale and get what I can for it.