Bachmann F-40PH problems

[green_elite_cab]

once again bachamnn is giving me trouble....

i purchased NJT F-40PH from bachmann Spectrum (being the only available NJT locomotive except the IHC GG-1) but soon after getting home i realized there was somethign funny about it. it just seemed old, but i couldn't put my finger on it. it also came with hornhooks, which i thought was odd, ( and my first clue) because they usualy came with EZ-mates. then i just finished talking to my grandpa about china when i realized the box said made in hong kong (given back to china in 1996) which started to make me really petrified that it was old.

however it got worse. when i removed the shell it was 2 weights side by side screwed together, containing the insides of the locomotive, and no visible harness or hook up for DCC. once i got over how i was stupid for not checking the age of the locomotive before i bought it, (especialy because it happeend to me before with a spectrum GE 44 tonner somewhere on this forum) i concluded that it could probably be wired for dcc the old way, and there did seem to be extra space in the weights that a dcc chip could be stuffed in.

otherwise there seems to be no trouble, it runs fine, and i got it for $49.

however if you have any advice or suggestions, thanks in advanced.​

 

[ross31r]

then its not the lastest spectrum one. I have a F40PH at home and that has a DCC plug mounted on the top and was easy to fit the decoder to. I would suggest that maybe you could find the new Spectrum chassis or even a new Spectrum F40PH, i belive a few places sell them for around $45, although i am not sure if they do NJT colours.

 

[green_elite_cab]

yes i took my engien apart, and after takeign a good look i fiigured out hwo it works. this F-40PH doesn't have a single chassis.


instead, there are 2 side by side weights, that also hold the motor and trucks together. theses weights are electricaly isolated from eachother. there are metal things , kinda like a half-loop, that come out from the trucks and contact the weight above. liekwise, the motor has copper strips that attach to the corresponding weights, as does the strobe flasher unit.

that pretty much answers my questions on how it works. because there is a some space between each half to keep them from contarcat of one another, its my hope i can solder some wires to where they need to be in the decoder. there is enough space on it so thats a good thing.