Bachman On30 sets / couplers

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello and Happy New Year!

I am normally operating my o-gauge and standard gauge trains. However I have a friend who has many of the On30 sets. A few months back I was admiring one of the sets he had. It was marked village express, was decorated in Christmas colors, and both passenger cars illuminated when powered. He said I have 2-3 of those sets…why don’t you take that one home. It has never been run, and is all there. He would not let me pay him for it! I took it home and set it up under one of our Christmas trees. The passenger cars kept coming uncoupled. I saw the track was not truely level from the wires from the light. So, I traced out a section of 2" thick styrofoam, and put it under the track and notched a section for the wires to fo thru, so that it would be level. I tried running it again and they still uncouple!! The couplers are a great deal more delicate than the ones I am used to. Is it ok to put a small rubber band around them or tie them to keep them from coming apart? Also, the track snapped together, and the power section was on a straight section of track. Can a person buy a terminal section of track that is wired on a curved section??

Just wondering,

Thanks,

Joe G

2

Your set no longer appears to be made by Bachmann, but their current On30 sets use the E-Z track system (has built in road bed). If you go to the Bachmann site - catalog page http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/ and search under HO scale you’ll see E-Z track. It appear that their terminal track is also a rerailer track and they do list one for an 18" radius curve.

Couplers - First make sure your track is dead flat and the joints are not kinked or otherwise misaligned and your couplers are the same height. O gauge couplers are larger and more forgiving but On30 couplers are really HO as is the track. They require more care. You may want to replace your couplers with HO Kadees, generally considered the best scale couplers (you may also have to replace the coupler box). Otherwise, I wouldn’t use rubber bands, I would use twist ties to join Bachmann’s couplers.

Good luck

Paul

3

Go with Kadee couplers. Contact Kadee’s Sam Clarke he is the coupler goo-roo there. The phone for Kadee is 541-826-3883. E-mail is mail@kadee.com