Bachmann Class 20 DRS

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, 60800 said:

Evening all,

  Does anyone happen to know if Bachmann has tooled up for the 20/3's without the high intensity headlight? 

 

The pairing I ideally wanted was 303 and 305 but neither are possible from the current model of 312.

 

Cheers,

  60800

I dont know but was having the same thoughts.

 

removing the headlight is easy enough, the window screen water jets I could just remove (they look too big on this model).

but moving the cab light clusters down 1mm, and the socket on the nose up, and that headlight looks a bit more of an interesting job than the reward, indeed starting with a pre90’s 20 and doing the re-doing the 20/3 mods might be easier, as you need to re-do them on the current model.

 

renumbering 20312 as another higher number may work, but I have noted the cab number positions are in slightly different places on each one... like this pair.. then look at the bogies, and the holes.

 

(not my image/flickr)

 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by adb968008

[Roy Langridge]

8 hours ago, adb968008 said:

I dont know but was having the same thoughts.

 

removing the headlight is easy enough, the window screen water jets I could just remove (they look too big on this model).

but moving the cab light clusters down 1mm, and the socket on the nose up, and that headlight looks a bit more of an interesting job than the reward, indeed starting with a pre90’s 20 and doing the re-doing the 20/3 mods might be easier, as you need to re-do them on the current model.

 

renumbering 20312 as another higher number may work, but I have noted the cab number positions are in slightly different places on each one... like this pair.. then look at the bogies, and the holes.

 

(not my image/flickr)

 

 

You will also find that the number and position of overhead warning flashes differs from one 20/3 to another. Some are above the cant rail stripe, some straddle, some have them on cab doors, some don’t, some have one on the side of the nose, some don’t...

 

Roy

[charliepetty]

DCKits/Legomanbiffo has a good deal on these decoders at the moment, only £110.00 !!!!

See www.dckits-devideos.co.uk.  Its a limited time offer.

[NIRCLASS80]

DRS 20 with Digitrains sound fitted. 

 

[No Decorum]

11 hours ago, NIRCLASS80 said:

DRS 20 with Digitrains sound fitted. 

 

Superb! Beautifully smooth and realistic starts and stops and excellent sounds. If only …

[NIRCLASS80]

1 hour ago, No Decorum said:

Superb! Beautifully smooth and realistic starts and stops and excellent sounds. If only …

Just a shame they only done the one running number in this livery. 

[No Decorum]

1 minute ago, NIRCLASS80 said:

Just a shame they only done the one running number in this livery. 

20s come in pairs, like marker lights. 

[Erixtar1992]

On 19/03/2021 at 02:51, Richard Croft said:

I think if you took the PCB out it would be hard to re wire the lights, it’s done in quite a clever way so when you press F0 all the lights come on, when you turn on aux 1 or 2 it actually turns off the lights at either end. I’m not sure how they do that. But it’s definitely nothing to do with the mapping on the decoder

I do that on my models, its not hard to map tbh

 

say you have your front & rear lighting on F0,  

 

as an example

f0 - forwards - front light 

F0, not f10 - forwards - rear light

then leave F10 blank

 

so if F0 is on, you get all lights,  but press F10 and itl only turn off the tails.

 

its much easier than having a seperate function button for each aux output

 

[Pillar]

48 minutes ago, Erixtar1992 said:

I do that on my models, its not hard to map tbh

 

say you have your front & rear lighting on F0,  

 

as an example

f0 - forwards - front light 

F0, not f10 - forwards - rear light

then leave F10 blank

 

so if F0 is on, you get all lights,  but press F10 and itl only turn off the tails.

 

its much easier than having a seperate function button for each aux output

 

 

Which way do you have the lights wired with respect to the white/yellow outputs on the decoder?

 

Most RTR setups have one set of head and tail lights connected to white and another connected to yellow; then either white or yellow is activated depending on direction. This doesn't seem to allow for the tail lights to be switched off independently without modifying the wiring.

 

 

[Roy Langridge]

52 minutes ago, Erixtar1992 said:

I do that on my models, its not hard to map tbh

 

say you have your front & rear lighting on F0,  

 

as an example

f0 - forwards - front light 

F0, not f10 - forwards - rear light

then leave F10 blank

 

so if F0 is on, you get all lights,  but press F10 and itl only turn off the tails.

 

its much easier than having a seperate function button for each aux output

 

 

52 minutes ago, Erixtar1992 said:

I do that on my models, its not hard to map tbh

 

say you have your front & rear lighting on F0,  

 

as an example

f0 - forwards - front light 

F0, not f10 - forwards - rear light

then leave F10 blank

 

so if F0 is on, you get all lights,  but press F10 and itl only turn off the tails.

 

its much easier than having a seperate function button for each aux output

 

 

Similar here. I have F0 fronts and rears, F20 train mode (no rears), F21 parking mode (rears both ends) and F22 yard mode (no headlights where applicable).

 

Roy

[No Decorum]

Bachmann seems to use F0 as a master switch for all lights and F1 as a master switch for all sounds. It isn’t a system I like. It means that the “driver” has to start the engine before he can open and close the cab door and he has to turn on the headcode lights before he can turn on the cablight to store his sandwiches and find the switch for the headlights.

[Roy Langridge]

25 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

Bachmann seems to use F0 as a master switch for all lights and F1 as a master switch for all sounds. It isn’t a system I like. It means that the “driver” has to start the engine before he can open and close the cab door and he has to turn on the headcode lights before he can turn on the cablight to store his sandwiches and find the switch for the headlights.

 

Don't think the latest Peaks are like that - just loaded the project and there didn't look to be any "F1 On" constraint on the sound slots. Will check with the actual loco later.

Roy

[pauliebanger]

6 hours ago, No Decorum said:

Bachmann seems to use F0 as a master switch for all lights and F1 as a master switch for all sounds. It isn’t a system I like. It means that the “driver” has to start the engine before he can open and close the cab door and he has to turn on the headcode lights before he can turn on the cablight to store his sandwiches and find the switch for the headlights.

 

These are both features of the decoder/sound project/cv set up rather than a Bachmann* hardware issue. As such, they should be able to be changed to suit individual preferences if required.

 

*of course, Bachmann may have specified the sound project defaults.

 

On the other hand Recent Bachmann and GF hardware (the PCBs) include a method of lighting control which is counter intuitive to regular users of muti-function output decoders. So, although the system works fine for the model as supplied, the normal logic of simple remapping becomes more difficult if you wish to modify the way lights are controlled. E.g. Arranging for all tail lights to be on simultaneously (parking mode mentioned above) would be challenging.

 

The Digitrains sound project illustrated above takes account of these arrangements and operates lights exactly as Bachmann intended. Cab light will illuminate with or without F0 engaged (you will be able to open/close cab doors before starting the engine too). No decoder or sound project mapping can illuminate LEDs which are not fitted.

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

Edited March 24, 2021 by pauliebanger

[Erixtar1992]

6 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

I do if I've wired it but that's not how Bachmann do it, with theirs its just literally F0 Front light and the rear lights also come on, but turning aux1 on turns off one end

More excuse for me to lose that massive PCB in favour of a large speaker then haha 

[Erixtar1992]

5 hours ago, Pillar said:

 

Which way do you have the lights wired with respect to the white/yellow outputs on the decoder?

 

Most RTR setups have one set of head and tail lights connected to white and another connected to yellow; then either white or yellow is activated depending on direction. This doesn't seem to allow for the tail lights to be switched off independently without modifying the wiring.

 

 

If you have a programmer like me then its very easy to swap over which output is for what, so generally doesnt matter.

 

i remove the tail lights from the circuit and have them on a seperate output.

 

usually if im going all guns blazing like on my Bachmann 66s -

white - cab 1 markers

yellow - cab 2 markers

aux 1 - cab 1 cab light

aux 2 - cab 2 cab light

aux 3 - cab 1 tail lights

aux 4 - cab 2 tail lights

aux 5 - cab 1 day headlamp

aux 6 - cab 2 day headlamp

aux 7 - cab 1 night headlamp

aux 8 - cab 2 night headlamp

[Erixtar1992]

4 hours ago, No Decorum said:

Bachmann seems to use F0 as a master switch for all lights and F1 as a master switch for all sounds. It isn’t a system I like. It means that the “driver” has to start the engine before he can open and close the cab door and he has to turn on the headcode lights before he can turn on the cablight to store his sandwiches and find the switch for the headlights.

Can change this in the decoders file, probs be a nightmare via CVs mind without a programmer.

[SouthernMafia]

On 24/03/2021 at 17:29, Erixtar1992 said:

More excuse for me to lose that massive PCB in favour of a large speaker then haha 

 

I will be very tempted to do the same when the early DRS ones arrive, since it will always run with another loco I won't need lights at the bonnet end, and I'd rather have a bigger speaker. Has anyone looked at finishing off what Bachmann should've done and added a marker light at the cab end yet?

[Dicky L]

14 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

Finally managed to get a second one sound fitted, they look and sound great to me, I can overlook the issues that have been mentioned because there’s so much else to like about them. 20309 came from Rainbow Railways which saved me renumbering one myself!

 

 

Richard

Thanks for another useful video Richard, whilst I have my issues with this model,  like you say there is plenty still to like. Despite toying with the idea of cancelling my order for 2 HNRC versions of the 20/3 I have decided to go ahead.

 

I would be interested to know if you have a personal preference on the different sound files you have available. 

[JackB95]

HNRC and original DRS livery varients now showing in stock for most stockists 

[adb968008]

Has anyone seen anything odd about a Bachmann class 20/3 with a regular Gaugemaster (non-feedback) controller ?

 

ive run a test tonight on two different DRS class 20’s on DC power...

 

everything is equal until one of them is put on a Gaugemaster LT (a non-feedback ordinary DC controller).

 

I understand you cannot use a DRS 20 on a feedback, or with a track cleaner... but this is a standard 12v DC controller...

 

so which is wrong, the 20 that screeches, or the controller, especially when the other 20 exhibits non of that behaviour ?

 

I have a Gaugemaster W and a Q upstairs (both also non-feedback) to test with tomorrow, and a Hornby set controller, so I can test further, but I hope that this Bachmann class 20 does work with Standard (non-feedback) Gaugemaster controllers, otherwise I need a unique controller just to run my 20’s, when everything else seems ok ?

 

anyone else seen this behaviour any thoughts ?

Edited April 1, 2021 by adb968008

[TRAILRAGE]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Has anyone seen anything odd about a Bachmann class 20/3 with a regular Gaugemaster (non-feedback) controller ?

 

ive run a test tonight on two different DRS class 20’s on DC power...

 

everything is equal until one of them is put on a Gaugemaster LT (a non-feedback ordinary DC controller).

 

I understand you cannot use a DRS 20 on a feedback, or with a track cleaner... but this is a standard 12v DC controller...

 

so which is wrong, the 20 that screeches, or the controller, especially when the other 20 exhibits non of that behaviour ?

 

I have a Gaugemaster W and a Q upstairs (both also non-feedback) to test with tomorrow, and a Hornby set controller, so I can test further, but I hope that this Bachmann class 20 does work with Standard (non-feedback) Gaugemaster controllers, otherwise I need a unique controller just to run my 20’s, when everything else seems ok ?

 

anyone else seen this behaviour any thoughts ?

Use Guagemaster model W controllers that I have had for well  over twenty years. No issues whatsoever. In fact I would have to say its the quietest and smoothest Loco I have other than my 07.

 

Hope this helps

 

CheersTrailrage

 

[adb968008]

Ive emailed both Bachmann and Gaugemaster for guidance, one of the retailers I acquired a 20 from was prior aware of this behaviour, and I want to check their guidance.

 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by adb968008

[SouthernMafia]

Latest early DRS 20 is OOS already at Kernow (their stock hasn't even arrived yet) and showing OOS at Rails. 

[The Black Hat]

5 hours ago, SouthernMafia said:

Latest early DRS 20 is OOS already at Kernow (their stock hasn't even arrived yet) and showing OOS at Rails. 

Flying off shelves so it seems. Just got last 2 from somewhere as well. 

[Markn]

The original DRS livery certainly seem to be popular. Phoned up to pay for mine earlier, and they said out of 16 that came in, there were 2 spares. Picking it up tomorrow, can't wait.