Bachmann DC Controller

It’s been around. It’s been used. It’s in Bachmann train sets currently made, and is worth $50.00 MSRP. It is the Bachmann DC Controller. The original controller was a big, black, red throttle that was huge, and chunky. It had a flip dial, so you could turn it like a knob, or a dial. The transformer was built into the controller, making it heavy, and large. The screws for electrical connections only made it harder to hold, and possible to get zapped.

…And the new:

However, Bachmann changed all that, quite a while ago, but it is still the first thing newbies touch when they buy a Bachmann train set. The new, revised, controller no longer carries the large and heat-gathering transformer, but simply just the knob. The red flip dial is gone. Replaced by a smoother, more comfortable grey knob, with the Bachmann logo stamped on it. The transformer is now an adapter like connection you plug into your nearest outlet. The only LED light is a power indicator, and track-controller connections are simple plug in cords, used (of course) with the manufacturer’s system of track…E-Z Track. The number of throttle power is labeled in intervals of 10, all the way from 0 to 100. The electrical connections are all plug-ins, minimizing the zap-factor. Plus, the “Accessories” outlets are sprung contacts, with easy, comfortable, tabs to push. You push it inward, to expose a hole, you add your wire through it, and release. The wire is caught and connected to the metal, which is insulated with the plastic tab.

So, if you’re looking for a good way to power your trains with DC…Bachmann once again makes things E-Z (Excuse the bad pun).