Bachmann Class 57/0 57301

[Strummer]

Picked up an "unused" one of these lovely models the other day - Scott Tracey. Put it on track, it moved about 2 foot and refused to move again. Further tries resulted in a similar result. Each time the directional lights worked constantly and changed when reversing the current. Now it wont go at all, but the lights are still fine. There is no humming, buzzing or any other sign of life.
Upon removing the shell, all looks pristine but it does have a circuit board for chip fitting (I'm not familiar with DCC at all) and am now too scared to strip it further. Could it have a chip fitted and therefore won't run on DC? The box stated DCC ready, not fitted. I have no DCC capability to test.
Anyone with experience of these locos have any suggestions? Do they have a propensity to dying?

Thanks for any help

[Ironduke]

Suggest you post a good quality photo of the unit and the circuit board. Someone can then tell you if it's DCC or not, and how to remove or bypass it if necessary.

A DCC decoder can be programmed to run on DC, but you'd need a DCC controller of some kind to do that.

[Bigmet]

...Anyone with experience of these locos have any suggestions?...

Don't Panic! Power is reaching the main circuit board, we know that because the lights are on, and the motor has run when it first got power. I have an example of the class 47 released soon after the 57 was introduced, and probably much the same mechanism assembly; and what follows is based on this.

A known weakness in the electrical assembly is the most likely cause. The electrical connections to the board are made by the wire ends going through a hole and then bent over a connector tab on the board edge, retained by a moulded plastic cover. Look along the long edges of the board for the motor supply tabs - one each side - marked 'M+' and 'M-'. Remove the plastic cover and ensure the wire is in contact with the metal on the tab and resecure, on both. And test.

Don't worry about the DCC piece, there's probably a blanking plug on the socket, and it won't interfere with the loco's functioning.

... Do they have a propensity to dying?...

Emphatically not. I am nearly 30 years in since first buying a Bachmann diesel with this generic drive line design and they are all still running as well as ever.

Are they perfect? No, and the worst problem with the later ones is the clip on connections to the circuit board, which previously were soldered. What I do once they are proven as runners and therefore not going back for replacement, is solder up all the clip on connections. One at a time, so there is no risk of transposing wires...

[Strummer]

Excellent info, thanks.
Having checked the connections on the board and they seem OK, decided to check to connections on the motor itself. How the hell can you get at it? It's encased in a metal chassis with wires everywhere. I was hoping not to have to de-solder everything but can't find a way in!

[Bufferstop]

Strummer, don't struggle to get the motor exposed until you have to. Identify the M+ and M- tags as described by Bigmet. Gently ease them out of contact with the fixed connections, test them with a multimeter to prove continuity, if there is none you will have to go further, if there is continuity but the motor does not run, make sure that the motor leads aren't touching anything. attach two fine wires to a PP3 battery and touch the ends to the M+ and M- wires, being careful not to touch anything else with the wires. If the motor runs (even attempts to) look elsewhere for a problem. you need to be able to see a connection from the pickups on one side through the motor to the pickups on the other side.