Bachmann DCC units.

[Trainman1965]

Is there anyone here that has any of the Bachmann DCC units. If so how do they run and how is the detail on them.

I have been looking at some of the CSX unit they have and for 35.00 -40.00 bucks with DCC that is not a bad price.

[domiluk]

I have 4 of them 2 santa fe ac4400 an 1 csx sd40-2 and a cnw ac4400 I'm not a rivet counter so to me i think there great they have better detail them athaern blue box they run great they are a little hard to program to run with other dcc units but can be done I have the 2 santa fe engine mu witha kato ac4400 with a digatrax 123 decoder in it the csx sd40-2 I've got it set to run with a broadway limited some times you know like a lease engine. Some people say if you change the decoders out and put in a digatrax or a nce decoder they run even better I don't know to me thats a wast of money. they pull great the one I have will pull up to 50 cars that weigh about 4oz ea and i have 2 3% grade on my layout. To me there a great buy for people that don't have a lot of money to spend on there railroad. [I'm trying to get the money up for a bachmann spectrum santafe 2-10-2 they sell at the hobby shop for about 159.95dollars an they are going on ebay for about 78.00 good buy]
ps. i just got one for 16.00 dollars. off ebay

[Trainman1965]

Sounds like you like yours a lot for the money. I was thinking they mite have the good old bachmann grind to them like the others i have. I got one specrtum GP30 it makes so much noise you cant talk in the room with it going. some of the others i have are not as bad as it.

[domiluk]

the ones that i have are so quit you can't here them at all. like i said the only problem i have is that they are hard to program with other dcc engines.I have 3athaern RTR engine an there real noise I've got that I hate the new athaern .

[thogan3]

I have 2, no match for the $100 + loccos.....but here is an interesting link to improve them:
Improving a Bachmann DCC-Equipped GP35 « Bayside & Tidewater Model Railroad

[sajay]

Thanks for the above link back to my site! ;^)

I have two of those Bachmann GP-35's with decoders. I paid $35 each for them so I thought, "what the heck". They ran ok but had poor slow speed performance and hummed a lot especially at slow speeds. I tried cutting off the capacitors and resistors on the bottom motor contact, but it made no difference. So I installed an inexpensive NCE D13SR decoder in each one and they run like a dream now. Then I found out NCE makes a direct replacement decoder for these locos that would have been a bit easier to install. Either way, they are great running locos and run as good as, or better than, some $100+ locos!

Scott Jay
Bayside and Tidewater
Bayside & Tidewater Model Railroad