I have a Bachmann K27 with Aristo Revolution and Pheonix sound and am very pleased with it. Installation is a snap because of the plug and play setup. I want to install the same setup in my Bachmann Connie. Has anyone here done that. Should I remove all of the Bachmann electronics and start from scratch or is there part of it that I could or should leave. I don’t use the smoke feature but was wondering about the flickering lites in the fire box.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ron
Ron,
I too would like to know how to install the electronics (RX, ESC, sound, battries) in my Bachmann Connie. Got mine about 2 months ago and haven’t decided which brands of equipement to use as I’m not sure what will physically fit. I’m supprised no one has responded to you yet.
The information I’ve been able to gather so far is leading me to the conclusion that I’m going to have to consider using trail cars for at least some part of the install (battries & sound card maybe).
Hope you get some info. Would help me also.
Lloyd
I think the reason for no response is that few, if any of the LSC regulars are running the Revo. I’d suggest the Aristo board, but you aren’t allowed to talk about other brands there - so it’s a dilemma. Paul Norton (OVGRS member - hangs out on MLS) was one of the beta testers and has lots of experience. He might be able to help.
My guess is that your best bet is to gut the Connie of all electronics and install the Revo with an adapter board. You will loose the flicker.
Hi Lloyd
I’m kind of surprised as well. I thought surely somebody has put a Revo into a Connie. I’ve been searching the other forums as well and can’t seem to find anything. Guess I’ll just have a go at it and see what happens. Won’t be the first time.
As for the trailing car, I would think that would be necessary with batteries. The Connie tender is not very big and time you put a speaker , receiver and sound card in there it might be pretty crowded. I run my locos on track power so am not too familiar with the battery set ups.
I got my Connie about 3 years ago and it ran flawlessly until the end of last season when it split the drive gear on the axle. One email to Bachmann had a new axle,gear,wheel assembly on the way to me at no charge. About an hour to install and now its back on track as good as ever.
Ron
Thanks Jon
Tried the Aristo board, moderator pulled it almost as fast as I posted.
I’ve been to the OVGRS site and there is nothing about a Connie. There are article on a few locos but they are mostly diesels and the general theme seems to be to gut the electronics completely. That is what I will probably do. Loosing the flicker is not that big of a deal anyway.
Ron
Why would they have pulled your question? There are long threads about installing revo in LGB Mikado and suchlike.
Really aberrant threads get closed, but none are removed, especially threads about how to use an Aristo product like the Revolution. Seems to me I’ve seen questions about the Connie, though I’m not finding one now. Don’t find you listed as a member so I could see if you had a thread.
I have installed Revo in two connies for club members with batteries. I do not pull the electronics as my customers wanted the connie features. It is a simple install for battery operation. Do you intend to use batt or track power?
Tom, all I know is the thread disappeared. Maybe it was something I screwed up, wouldn’t be the first time. I am a member there.
Mike, I am using track power.
Had a long and enlightening conversation with Stan Cedarleaf last evening and I thing we worked out what my problems were. When I get the revo installed and it works will let you all know.
Thank you Stan, it was a pleasure talking with you.
Ron
You are most welcome, Ron. Sure hope the ideas work and you get the REVOLUTION working with the Connie.
Quote:Good gracious, no! There's tons of room in that tender for everything and then some. No worries about that.
... As for the trailing car, I would think that would be necessary with batteries. The Connie tender is not very big and time you put a speaker , receiver and sound card in there it might be pretty crowded. I run my locos on track power so am not too familiar with the battery set ups.
Sorry I didn’t see this thread earlier, but it sounds like Stan got you headed the right direction. I’ve not installed the Revolution in the 2-8-0, but have done RCS and QSI. (I’ve done the Revolution in other locos, though.) The process is the same. On the locomotive, locate the motor leads, and the wires going to the front headlight. You’ll want to break them out and run them back to the tender separately. The PC board that controls the smoke and firebox flicker can handle the full track voltage, so that can stay connected as is. Just know that so long as the track is powered, the firebox will be lit, and the smoke unit will be on (unless you turn it off at the switch in the smokebox). You’ll need at least 8 wires between the loco and tender (2 for track power, 2 for motor, 2 for front headlight, and 2 for the chuff trigger), so figure on replacing the stock connectors with a pair of 4-pin connectors from Dean’s or something similar. If you don’t need a directional headlight–just want it to be on all the time–you may be able to power it off of the track power within the locomotive, saving yourself those two wires, but since it’s an LED, I’m not positive it would be on all the time, or only when the track polarity is correct. Besides, the Dean’s connectors are much more robust, so you may as well. 
If you’re running battery power, this isn’t an issue, since the battery power doesn’t change polarity based on which way the loco’s facing on the track.
Later,
K
When you are doing the install, make extra sure you have the track pickups separated from the motor. I found the ones I worked on have a connection hidden inside the loco between one track pickup and one motor lead.
You did get a copy of the wiring diagram right?
If not, there’s one on my site…
Regards, Greg
Kevin
Leaving the circuit board in was possibly the cause of all the problems I had last year when trying to install the revo. All kinds of weird stuff was happening. For example, the setup worked perfectly on the test track in the shop and when I put it on the railroad it promptly melted the wires in the tender that run from the trucks to the power posts on the tender floor. Eventually ended up frying the receiver and as I couldn’t afford another one at the time and they weren’t available anyway I ended up just putting it back to stock. After talking with Stan, I decided that I am going to go the complete gut anyway. I don’t use the smoke, and the revo has an auxiliary board for that if I ever want to add it. I will lose the firebox flicker but that is only noticeable at night and I seldom run after dark anyway. I will need to find better connectors as the ones in there are not that great.
Greg
I believe that I have a wiring diagram somewhere in my stuff but thank for the info on getting one from your site. I have visited there and you have a lot of good information. Nice website. If there is a hidden connection inside that may also have contributed to my problems before.
I think, after talking with Stan that the complete gut is the safest and easiest way for me to go.
Thank-you both for your information.
I’d heartily agree–a complete gut is usually the best MO. No surprises, and you know exactly where each wire goes because you put it there.
For connectors, check your local R/C hobby shop for Deans connectors. They come in 2, 3, and 4-pin varieties (at least), and while small, are very robust.
Later,
K
I also use the Deans connectors; easy to work with (no crimpers required, but you do need to know how to solder without melting the thing). I use the 4-pin for connections between the loco and tender; 2 for the motor, 2 for the front light.
Well, I finally got the Revo installed in the Connie. Went with the complete gut and rewired according to instructions in the Revo manual. It works just like it is supposed to. Now to get Phoenix sound.
Thanks to all for your advice, and especially to Stan Cedarleaf.
Ron
Ron, delighted you’ve completed the install and it’s running nicely. There’s some new items on the horizon for the REVOLUTION system. The 15 amp trackside and onboard receiver has been tested and will be released mid July 2010.
Glad to have been able to help.