OK all I hope this is the right spot to bring up this subject, I modeled when I was younger with my father long story short girls, work and sports brought me away from the hobby but I still had a love for trains. Recently this Christmas I received a Boston Red Sox Bachmann Hawthorne Village Ho Train Set ever since it has brought me back to the hobby and I am finishing my layout design and finally about to lay track! I have bought a few used engines since that set, one life like and two older AHM. The Bachmann runs smoothly and perfect on the EZ track (I plan to move to Atlas Code 83 for my layout), the life like runs but sounds like it is skipping which I believe just needs traction tires which I have ordered to see if that will help but for now it often does not respond and I have to tap it to get it to go. Then one of the AHM I am currently trying to get running the other runs but loud and sluggish but I believe that is just its old age and I don't complain about it. I recently got a Union Pacific GP9, not sure of the maker but from Yugoslavia, and it runs much like the life like sometimes not responding and I have to tap it to get it to go and even then runs rough and the light flickers like its losing power. I have also ordered two Bachmann engines new off trainworld, one NECR unit and a switcher. Of course I plan to move to DCC but I need to find a good book to introduce me because I am clueless about the subject but for now I use the Bachmann transformer that came with the Red Sox train, it is 16V AC. The question I have is this the wrong type to be using that is causing the issues with the other trains that I have bought or are they just broke units? I plan to mainly run my NECR unit but I wanted to repaint a few of these used units to Guilford (MEC colors) and use them on there as well.
The one which is "skipping", it could have gear issues. The other which is "sluggish", assuming the motors is OK, could need some cleaning and fresh lubrication.
Most old school power packs are variable DC with AC for accessories, usually the turnouts that use twin coil snap type controls. “Good” books for DCC don't really last to long as DCC is continually evolving which you find out. There are literally hundreds of DCC links/sites on the Internet. Here are a couple. Take your time and look at all the links. Curriculum is a good place to start. http://www.mrdccu.com/ http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm Above all, don't assume with DCC as your only point of reference is DC. DC, is two wires. Basic non sound DCC is seven wires. It is too easy to smoke a decoder as some have done with little DCC knowledge. Rich
It just sounds as if you have some of the older 4 wheel drive engines with traction tires. They don't run very good and lack electrical pick-up on the wheels with traction tires. Switches and dirty track will cause nothing but problems. Try to stay with engines that have all wheel drive (no tires) and electrical pick-up on all wheels. Look for DCC ready also. On the older engines you may have to add extra pick-ups to get good runners. You can always take the motor out and run the bad ones as dummy units. Bob
please know there is no disrespect intended! I learned a long time back (while still in HO Scale) that it is better in the long run to buy quality and avoid the lesser. I remember buying a diesel loco that died 2 days after buying it. the motor worked fine but it would not move. upon inspection, the gear box (with all plastic gears and axels) was packed with vasoline like lube that melted the teeth off the gear...and no replacement parts were made available from the manufacturer. not naming company as I understand that is against policy here. but the lesson learned was the less expensive stuff was just not worth the money even though they cost less. fwiw...again, no disrespect intended...Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
