tender

[ns737]

HI all I just got a bachmann  Maine Central tender. It is a dcc ready. but the board is not like the one on spookshow. how would you wire a decoder to this board?

[ChristianJDavis1]

posting a picture of the PC board might help, but in my experience with Bachmann is they have numbers on the pads where you would solder the decoder wires. I don't remember which number is which wire, but  think I used a TCS install guide when doing one and it worked.

[nickelplate759]

If it's one of the Bachmann tenders they sold separately, yes, there are numbers on the board along a series of 8 holes where you can wire in the decoder.  However, remember that the tender doesn't make any connection to the engine except for Red and Black, and then only if you use the Bachmann drawbar and a Bachmann engine.

[ns737]

thank you. yes this is one that is sold separately.new in the box. I got it to replace the tender from a 2-8-0 con. that I was given the engine and the tender was destroyed . I got engine running good. so I needed a tender and got this one for 10.00 and I did not know it was dcc ready. It came with a new drawbar.

[Kentuckian]

I find it difficult to wire a decoder to a Bachmann board because they are in the waste basket! Seriously, I would strip the tender down to the phosphor bronze pickup strips and start from there. Your tender probably is the medium, and that is the same tender used on the Consolidation and the 4-6-0. This thread https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31981.0 has instructions how how to install a sound decoder in this tender. Look under Bachmann locomotives. Non sound is a bit easier.

If you need additional help don’t hesitate to ask.

[ns737]

I just went to that link. thank you this will help a lot.