All DCC decoders that are NMRA compliant are "dual mode". It was a backwards compatability feature that was included in the original design params. There are a lot of things said so far that just aren't true. I'll add to the congecture. ***The Bachmann OEM decoder, although not small by today's standards, will fit in any of the tenders except the slope back. The decoder would not be a reason to use the larger tender. They also just announced a smaller version in this years announcements. ***The 0-6-0 / 2-6-2 Standard line loco is an excellent running loco. It's only issue is with power pickup because it lacks an all wheels live tender. The 4-6-0 is apparently going to have an all wheels live tender. The 0-6-0 / 2-6-2 is dated because the shell is tooling from the 80's. I would bet the shell on this one will match current spectrum offerings. I think the cost savings is in using a similar chassis to the 0-6-0, which doesn't bother me a bit. I have half a dozen of them that run great. Here is a video of one my my older versions, the new ones run better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfexe3C22w4 Here is an album of pictures of what the 0-6-0 can look like: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/2106 I bet the 4-6-0 will look and run as good as this if not better. ***Bachmann, in all scales, seems to be working toward DCC in everything. If you notice, almost all of the new releases have DCC in them. They have slowly been upgrading all of their standard line HO stuff to DCC and the N scale will follow. So far in HO, it has translated to only about a $10 increase in price on the shelf to do this. Pretty darn good if you ask me. *I think they chose standard line for this loco because of its size. Small loco's command small prices in the market. Customers seem to equate price with size, even though it takes just as much work and reasearch to build a Big Boy as it does to make this loco. Making this a standard line loco lowers expectations relative to price.
Considering the last Spectrum steamers have listed at $275 and $285 each it is very much standard line pricing.
I guess I might be missing the boat [train ] on this Dual Mode decoder moniker... I thought it was a decoder which works equally well on a DC layout as on a DCC layout. For instance... if I buy an Atlas DCC equipped model and run it on a DC layout... it won't run very well and may fry the decoder. The Dual Mode DC/DCC decoders I have on Athearn, LifeLike/Walthers, PCM/Broadway Limited and Bachmann Spectrum will run well on either setup. Now I don't know if that is simply the Lenz decoder used on Atlas models or if the Lenz technology is restricted to DCC only...but... Even the hardwired Digtrax decoder I have in a Kato RS-2 is able to respond to DC... though it runs poorly in DC. When I see Dual Mode DC/DCC... it get the impression that it is made to run well on either type of layout... and can detect whether the power is regular direct current or that 'square wave' direct current from DCC. It could be that this is the 'backward' compatibility which Tony [Skipgear] is alluding to... that the new decoders are made to work on both types of layouts. As for the 2-6-2 I have... It's not a bad runner... besides it only cost me about $45.00. It could be 'tweaked' to be better by substituting a Spectrum tender. Tony has done a great job detailing his 0-6-0 to the level of a Spectrum quality. Tony alluded to the 1980's body design of the Prairie (2-6-2) & the 0-6-0 switcher... that is one of my points of concern for the new Ten Wheeler... where it looks like the details might be molded onto the cast metal boiler. As far cost goes... I'm not happy with the increased price point for Bachmann branded items. It took me years to get back on the Bachmann bandwagon... and at that... only trust the Spectrum brand for the better [expected] quality. Spectrum brand generally does deliver a better detailed and more reliable runner [though some may dispute that]. I'm not dismissing Bachmann with the prior comments... just that I'm still not convinced that the better elements of the Spectrum brand are going to filter down completely to the Bachmann brand. Since none of these recent announcements are absolute must have models... I'll wait for someone elses on-track experiences before I commit to buy one on a whim... like that SP GE 70 Tonner .
Spectrum Heavy Mountain - Retail $275.00 http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1980 Spectrum H4 (2-6-6-2) - Retail $285.00 http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=3234 Even the Revised Spectrum Consolidation w/DCC will retail at $200 http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=3449 Keep in mind, this is MSRP, not what they actually sold for at shops. But since the 4-6-0 is not here yet, we can really only compare MSRP, although Chris noted that one shop has $112 pricing listed.
I started a thread back on the AFT GS4 back on July 9th, Kato Freedom Train? - TrainBoard.com. Interestingly a Japanese hobby shop was the first to break the news. If you mean has anyone seen an actual model no one has come forward and admitted it yet but as they are to be released in November they must be well along the assembly line.
I forgot to address this before. The only issue I have seen running a decoderized loco on DC is when using some transformers with pulse power. The decoders can read the DC pulses as a DCC signal and get confused. Bachmann uses basically the same stripped down Lenz decoder design that Atlas has been using in their loco's.
Retail price I notice the spectrum connie 2-8-0 has a retail of $200 but usually sells for about half that or even much less on ebay at times. Makes one wonder what the price3 might end up at. The last specvtrum steamer(H-4) retails at $285 and I have seen them for as low as $150 with simething around $200 or less being common.
The current Consolidation has a retail of $150. The Consolidations listed on Bachmann's site now have DCC installed, thus the price jump. Still, the original Consolidation suffers from over production. There are just so many of them out there that the price keeps dropping. They are now available, new on Ebay for cheaper than our shop used to buy them for at cost from the distributors.
Here's a bashing possibility . The San Diego & Arizona Eastern's T-58's ( for those of us who aren't SD&AE fans but want an sp look, a t-1 with an MP vandy tender might work, too) And if you have a bachmann 2-8-0 & MP vandy lying around, make a c-9 2-8-0 or t-31 4-6-0 (see diagram)
Great news, been waiting 35 years for a ten-wheeler. The industry had about 5200 of them and N manufactures have been producing one-of-a-kind engines just to try my patience. Fortunately I lived this long! Will have to buy a "few", any ideas about how to explain this to the wife? Yippie! Ernie C
