Finally: The Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 Heavy

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The Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 Heavy Mountains have finally arrived. It is a fine looking unit that is 'heavy' enough to pull many cars, either passenger or freight. The design follows tried-and-true principles first developed for the 2-8-0.

However, once again, the engineers have proceeded as if PNP sound boards did not exist! Why the boards in the tenders can't be kept consistent so as to allow one of Sountraxx's PNP Sound Boards to be used escapes us. The NMRA plug socket on the board is oriented fore and aft so that it immediately renders useless all of the 5 different boards that are available. However, with some modification, the DSD100 can be used in conjunction with a short harness to affect a PNP Installation. Re-orient the tender board 180 degrees and remove the studs and it will all fit. A DSX/ Thin decoder combination might fit without any re-orientation of the tender board. A 1.1" Speaker fits well under the coal load.

All in all a great addition to the great steam locomotives available today.

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