Model Railroading > Bachmann 44-tonner questions...

Back when Bachmann first released their 44-tonner I bought one and painted it for CB&Q. Now I am changing things to DCC. I am seeking opinions about whether it would be easier to just buy a new one with the DCC already installed versus reworking the old one. Do the new ones run any better? I realize that I won't get more than a couple cars moved at a time, but that's OK for whaty I want to do with it. It's more of an amusement piece (and it looks neat in the CB&Q black scheme).

I've always been a critter fan...so I bought several of these and 70tonners back in the day. You'd be better off to start new with the DCC equipped ones, in my humble opinion.
I have looked and it seems that the old shells wouldn't easily transfer over to the new chassis. With my shift to DCC, I put them away on the shelf. Recently I have been pondering wether I would be able to bring them back out as "power slugs" for the new DCC units-by taking the motors out of the old ones but leaving the power leads from the wheels and semi-permanently coupling the DCC unit together with the old one (Minus the motor) that way, you could get to use the older run units, and also get around the short wheelbase stalling problems that can happen with these little engines... Also would perhaps be able to fit a sound speaker and decoder in the "dummy"
The new version runs really well--I've been very happy with the 44, 45 and 70 tonners. although I had one of the 44 tonners with a burr on one of the gears that caused it to jump and jerk around until I figured out the problem...once I had that filed off it was fine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 17:59 by DrLoco.

I have done several and I wont say it was easy but it wasn't that hard either. I rewired it so the two motors ran in series instead of parallel, this way the two motors ran slower. I used a Digitraxx DZ163 or something very similar to do to run the locomotive. The newer DCC equipped locos run great so it might be easier to just buy a new locomotive. The reason that the bodies don't swap across is because of the change from two powered trucks each with a motor to one motor running both trucks through a gear tower.

Have Fun,
Andre