Bachmann 31-626-3F

[john flann]

I acquired this loco some time ago and have just got around to thinking about using it. The first tender loco I've had in years.

 

The loco and tender are linked by two wires-why?

 

If' it's anything to do with DCC I don't use it. Plain DC for me.

 

If I cut the wires will it still run?

 

As is, it's fiddly to lift on and off the track and I'd like to achieve a closer coupling.

 

Will any member who knows about these things be kind enough to advise me.

 

Thank you.

[Poor Old Bruce]

I acquired this loco some time ago and have just got around to thinking about using it. The first tender loco I've had in years.

 

The loco and tender are linked by two wires-why?

 

If' it's anything to do with DCC I don't use it. Plain DC for me.

 

If I cut the wires will it still run?

 

As is, it's fiddly to lift on and off the track and I'd like to achieve a closer coupling.

 

Will any member who knows about these things be kind enough to advise me.

 

Thank you.

 

There are four wire on my 3Fs

 

They are for a DCC chip to go in the tender. There is a plug and socket between the first and second tender axles. **I think Coachmann has said he cuts the jumpers and solders the two outer ones together. I havn't tried it myself though.** I would have thought it would be better to mount the plug on the engine rather than the tender and supply a blanking plug for those of us whe are DC users.

 

The engine and tender have to be railed as a single unit. If you find this fiddly, perhaps installing a section of concreted track with just the flangeways below rail level would make life easier or use one of those plastic railing ramps.

 

For closer coupling, look under the tender. There is a screw head ahead of the leading axle which secures the tender coupling pin on a slider, adjust to suit and re-tighten. Sadly, although Bachmann have done a wonderful job with the 3Fand all praise to them for it, the fall plate attached to the back of the loco cab still doesn't reach the tender but at least you can uncouple engine and tender when short-coupled which is more than I can with the Super D and the screw on the O4 is directly above the axle and thus inaccessible. Great models but slightly let down by tiny design details. The only alternative I can think of the get scale coupling distance is to abandon the supplied coupling and fit a staple (paper stapling machine type) to the front of the tender and a downward 'L' hook to the engine drag beam, then they could be railed separately.

 

** Edited to say that this bit is wrong. The outer wires are from the collectors so soldering them together would create a short circuit.

[colin penfold]

surely it transmits pick up current from wheels to motor, without which you will be picking up on less wheels

[Poor Old Bruce]

surely it transmits pick up current from wheels to motor, without which you will be picking up on less wheels

 

 there are no tender pick-ups on the 3F.

[john flann]

Thanks Bruce for your time and answer. Answers like that one would normally get at the local model shop. Any dealing with Bachmann questions are for me, thousands of miles away. And that's where being a member of  RMweb is so beneficial.

 

As I said I don't need DCC and are never likely too.  It just complicates matters  ( for me.)

 

So it appears I can happily cut and remove the wires, the loco will still run, and get closer coupling using a staple. That will suit me and my simple ways.

 

It did and does strike me this was not cleverly engineered in the first place.

[stewartingram]

Personally, I prefer pickups wherever possible. So my tender locos have extra pickups added to the tender and wired across to the loco.

 

Stewart

[buffalo]

...So it appears I can happily cut and remove the wires, the loco will still run...

No, it won't. There are four wires from engine to tender, one from the leftt hand pickups, two from the motor and one from the right hand pickups. Inside the tender they are connected to the DCC socket and a blanking plug is used to join each pickup wire to the corresponding motor wire. If you cut the wires you will disconnect the pickups from the motor.

 

If you want to get rid of the wires, you'll have to take the engine apart and connect the pickups directly to the motor.

 

There are some photos and discussion in the 3F topic, buth this and this from the topic on the similar 4F may also help understand how it is put together (note, however, that the 4F has additional tender pickups, so it's desirable to keep the wires even for DC).

 

Nick

[john flann]

Nick, that is very definite information. It all seems rather complicated and something I'd sooner not venture upon. If Bruce and yourself want to pursue this subject I shall happily retire to my corner.

 

Stewart, also thanks for your comment, I'm getting good running as is, so would not want the trouble (at least to me) of venturing upon adding additional pick ups.

 

With all due respect to Bruce it now looks as if i should leave matters alone. And accept any slight inconveniences.

 

There is a saying here I like-"if it works don't fix it".

[Poor Old Bruce]

After trying to sort out a recalcitrant 4F, I agree entirely with what Nick has said above. I had obviously misunderstood what Coachmann had said about the wires so ignore that bit of my previous post.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... I'd like to achieve a closer coupling...

For some reason, Bachmann's implementation of the length adjustable loco to tender link went awry on the 3F and C class 0-6-0s. Even at the shortest available setting, the loco and tender are too far apart. The neatly represented hinging fall plate fails to cover the gap as a result. (This as compared to the Super D and ROD/O4 and the recent J11 which use the same system, the fall plate nicely bridging the gap at the available scale setting.)

 

I had my 3F and C models apart to alter the slide arrangement to make a scale separation possible; you also have to prepared on all of these models with the adjustable slide to shorten or remove as required any modelled intermediate buffers to allow the tender to swing properly relative to the loco, if your layout has any curves. Think I wrote about my doings on the 3F, as the tender construction proved to be not quite as drawn...

 

... I would have thought it would be better to mount the plug on the engine rather than the tender and supply a blanking plug for those of us whe are DC users ...

Socket either on the rear of the dragbox, or (possibly better) on the underside of the loco would be my preference to leave the loco as a DC only unit. Desireable from my POV as a DCC user as it enables simple testing of the loco on DC without the tender.

 

I have made up a blanking socket for the wire yoke that dangles behind Bach and Hornby models with tender decoders, which serves the purpose. But those trailing yokes have a nasty habit of coming adrift from wherever I try and stow them neatly, and then snag on lineside items or other vehicles on parallel track.

[HeeleyBridge]

On my 3F the wires between loco and tender appear to be a little long and either act as a spring forcing them apart or rub in the front tender wheel / axle acting as a brake.