Just received a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation #11422...For conventional operation ,do I connect both orange connectors between the engine and tender?
The short answer is yes. When you say conventional, do you mean DC?
Simon
Yes.
If I recall correctly, one connector is for the motor leads. The other is rail pickup and headlight.
Good Luck, Ed
Yes just transformer control.I was concerned because it would not move at all when I first put it on the track(clearly has not been run for an extended time)but after I cleaned the wheels and gave it a nudge it started to move but jerkily.As I ran it back and forth on the test track it smoothed out and the voltage required to get it moving dropped a great deal so it looks like a keeper!
Those locomotives are decent runners and pullers, but can be improved in the pulling department with some added weight.
As for running qualities, I found the circuit board in the tender (I think that it may have been set-up for the addition of a decoder for those wanting to convert to DCC, but it also controls the lights on the locomotive.I model an era where headlights weren't normally used in the daytime and I don't do night operations, so I simply removed the circuit board and the multi-wire plugs, as they can sometimes cause the tender to derail. I also found that some wires were easily self-disconnecting from the plug, and depending on what each particular wire's function was, affected the loco's performance.
I replaced the factory-applied plugs and wires with simpler ones which supply power to the motor (in addition to the pick-up wipers on the loco's drivers).
Bachmann's tenders collect current from one rail, using uninsulated wheels on one side of one truck, and return it to the other rail using uninsulated wheels on the side of the other truck, while the loco does the same through its wipers on the drivers....
However, the pick-ups on the drivers route the current back to the tender, and though the circuit board there-in, then, in conjunction with the tender pick-ups, the current is routed to the motor in the locomotive.
I've found that the loco responds better to DC throttle commands once that circuit board is removed, but if you want working headlights, you'll need to either keep the system as it comes, or modify it to maintain headlight functionality by doing some re-wiring. There are others on this Forum better-versed in those machinations than am I.
For my "skip the headlights" version, the excess wiring is removed, and replaced with a pair of mini-plugs between tender and loco. Here's the mini plugs.....
...and the connection from tender to loco, in this example, on an Athearn Genesis Mikado...
When the tender is attached to the loco's drawbar, I use tweezers to shove the plugs and excess wire into the tender, out of the way of causing any interference.I use this set-up on all my steamers, whether plastic, brass, or cast metal. Without the circuit board, there's also more room in the tender for additional weight, which will improve electrical contact with the track. I also add weight to all of my locos, for better pulling power, but that's a topic for another thread.
(If anybody needs one (or some) of those Bachmann circuit boards and the plugs and wires which go with them, I have a bunch available. You can contact me through the PM system here, but I am unable to reply, so the best way to get them is by sending your e-mail address to my "Messages" thingy, so that I can contact you.)
Wayne
Thanks for the detailed info!I like my headlights to be on so the circuit board will stay .I have noticed that the headlight will be turned off when you run it in reverse! I am pleased with it and the price I paid was well under 100 bucks so I consider it a win!
I call it the slammer! https://youtu.be/rr4ibHsYadY
I don't have a photo handy, but there are two capacitors on that circuit board that you can remove that will improve the DC slow speed performance of the loco.
If the search function worked on this forum, it would be easy to find.
These capacitors are part of a noise suppression circuit you don't need or want but is required to sell the loco in Europe.
A general search of the internet might turn up a picture or a thread from this forum covering this info in detail.
I will see what I can find.
Sheldon
If you have an older one, it should look like this:
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fmarkgurries%2F_%2Frsrc%2F1468863114112%2Fhome%2Ftechnical-discussions%2Fdecoder-motor-drive%2Fmotor-capacitors%2Fbachmann-engines%2FBachmannEMICap.tiff%3Fheight%3D290%26width%3D400&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fmarkgurries%2Fhome%2Ftechnical-discussions%2Fdecoder-motor-drive%2Fmotor-capacitors%2Fbachmann-engines&tbnid=Y1JDyyo0VZ9eMM&vet=12ahUKEwjVxMmW9czvAhXLAt8KHRpuBQoQMygAegQIARBJ..i&docid=WSjOiKPK843G5M&w=399&h=290&q=bachmann%20noise%20capacitor%20removal&ved=2ahUKEwjVxMmW9czvAhXLAt8KHRpuBQoQMygAegQIARBJ
You can just clip the capacitors off, no other action needed.
If it does not look like this, post a picture or do a google search for more info.
Also, regarding the wires, add about two oz of weight to the tender and carefully arrange the wires not to bind, solves all the wire issues, and improves the lectrical pickup.
Dr. Wayne, unable to send you a PM (tried couple of times but never got "sent"), could you please email me at leofuture at gmail? Many thanks!