Bachmann DCC advice please

[Chops]

Typically, I have been skeptical about Bachmann products, but as of late the retooled Bachmann American Type with on board sound, and the Bachmann reversing unit, both have proven to be both elegant and reliable. I got one because a friend got one first, and it is magnificent. Credit where credit is due.

That being said, does Bachmann make a decoder unique to their product, specifically the plug-and-play American Type? I did see a mention of one, but that it controlled only speed. I want to do the sound and the speed, and to a lesser extent, lights, but largely to take advantage of the sound effects, which are charming.

Are they reliable?

If there is one better than Bachmann, what about the "stay alive" component?

I have a Bachmann Command Control DCC power pack, that I bought a few years ago, sitting on the shelf, thinking I might have DCC'd Henley (bagged that idea, this would be for the smaller and more simplistic Mormon's Gulch).

Thanks in advance.

[Chops]

Advertised as "DCC Ready." See no evidence of a DCC socket. Am I missing something???

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[IanS]

It looks as if it's not you but them! The sheet seems to cover 4 variants, 51002-51005. Either it's the wrong sheet for that model or they've not updated the sheet correctly. They changed the title but other things are for a non-DCC loco.

[Walkingthedog]

It’s a horse. They are analogue.

[teedoubleudee]

The diagrams show 3 parts marked pcb01, pcb02 and pcb03 which I take to mean printed circuit boards. Could these hold the DCC ready socket? Only taking it apart will reveal.

[Walkingthedog]

And it shows a space for the speaker TWD.

[darkscot]

Would it be the same procedure as on this link?

https://tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/1228

[Chops]

Well, that seems to be closer to the goal line. I went through 25 pages of responses to Bachmann DCC and found
no references to installation on this model, or anything like it. Guess I’ll have to pop the tender off and start seeing
what passes for the analog plug. One solitary article I came across made some vague reference to thus and such Bachmann
decoder being “too big” and to “cut off the capacitors.” Lovely.

[dtb]

you need to whip of the tender body and take a look, something i would have done should there be wires going to the tender, have you flipped it over do the connections look similar to the link that darkscot provided?

[Chops]

Yes, and I’ll take a look this weekend.