Buying one of these. Have the NWSL replacement gears.
Any other faults I should look for before I buy this used one?
It has two axles with split gears.
It also runs with a funny jerky motion. Another one in better shape did the same thing.
Is this a characteristic of this model? Or is there a fix?
I have one, it wouldn’t run out of the box brand new. Sent it back twice and finally opened it up and fixed it myself. Since the fix no problems at all. Lousy motor mount engineering, once I glued the motor in it is a very good running locomotive and sounds very nice.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Make an offer for the both of them. If you need to fix one you might as well fix two.
Unfortunately, the better running one sold out from under me.
When I take off the trucks to fit new gears I’ll take a look at the motor mount issue. It’s now easy for me to see how motor movement might transfer through the drive gears and be amplified into the motion I observed.
My Bachmann Shay is one of the first runs so hopefully yours has a better motor mount. The single screw holding the motor in place is also the worm to gear adjustment. I could adjust the screw for perfect alignment but the reassembly procedure would ding the alignment of the gears. Using Amazing Goop to glue the motor in fixed the problem. I applied the Goop adjusted the gear spacing and let the Goop fully cure overnight and it’s been perfect ever since.
It wouldn’t run out of the box, I could hear the motor running but no go. I sent it back to Bachmann because it was new. I put mark on the frame with a #11 blade and the returned Shay was new (didn’t have the Mel mark) and it wouldn’t run either, samo samo. The third was also new (didn’t have the Mel mark) and I couldn’t hear the motor running but it drew over an amp, the motor was binding.
I opened it up and saw the lousy engineering and did my thing.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Hard to judge untilt he split axle gears are fixed. On a P2K loco, the split axle gears turn an otherwise smooth running loco into one that goes ka-thump ka-thump like a wheel is out of round.
–Randy
Interesting point. This model is appealing in part because the gear drive is prototypical, the driven gears are concentric with the outside face of the right hand wheels and the motor drive is delivered by bevel gears on axles fixed at right angles to the axle shafts. The three truck drives are connected by sliding shaft universal joints
The split driving gear ceases to grip the drive shaft rather than the split driven gear ceasing to grip the axle as for the well known Proto 2000 problem.
As far as I can see the split drive gears just cease to drive the wheels at all on the affected axle. Close examination would be needed to see if the distortion to the gear when it splits could affect the rotation of that gear and affect drive to other axles. I intend to replace all the drive gears with the NWSL parts, assuming the cross border mail service is actually working.
These models seem to be in short supply but they all eventually suffer from the same fault. Even those repaired with Bachmann OEM replacement gear drives. Waiting for one in proper order might prove futile. eBay prices range from high to nutty high.
Nicely painted and decalled model, with appropriate early 29th century CPR road marks and number 5903. CPR only bought the two 80 ton 3 truck Shays in the early 1900’s. This road number was reassigned to a 2-10-4 Selkirk in 1956.
The one split drive gear is right at the front and easily diagnosed. It can’t affect the running because it isn’t even engaged in the wheel driven gear nor on the shaft splines. Pushing it onto the splines and into mesh with the tip of a screwdriver drives the wheel gear.
The herky jerky motion is interesting but may be characteristic of this model. When I take it apart I’ll have a look at the motor mount and geartrain off the motor end. It’s a sidewinder drive, a bit goofy.
The electrical pickup problem is due to the also goofy copper (brass?) tabs on the trucks riding on a insulated plate surrounding the truck mounting pin. The power picks up from the wheels and passes into the metal truck sides through the axle ends and then to these copper tabs. The truck sides are connected by plastic bar which insulates. One wheel on each axle is of course also insulated. No wheel or axle wipers. I strongly suspect oil or grease in the axle box might be the electrical contact problem. I’ll know when the trucks come apart for gear replacement.
I think a conducting lubricant on the axle ends may be required to restore this connectivity issue.
Coal load has gone awol. The model came with coal or oil tank.
Overall I’m pleased with my purchase so far. Maybe after I’ve finished replacing gears I may feel differently. It’s a bit fiddly.
I bought one after I tore down my layout when I separated from my wife. It sat in the MB Kline bag for 18 years. Only then did I run it and it was not herky jerky. I bought NWSL replacement gears but it only has an hour of two of run time and as of yet, no problems.
I considered selling it a couple years ago, but they Ebay prices were not as high as they are now, so I had DCCXpress install DCC and sound. I’m glad I did.
Allowing for the inherent “ugly” in any of these geared locomotives this Spectrum model is quite pretty. Worth investing some time and a little money fixing this issue. At present it seems likely to be electrical. It has a decoder and speaker installed. I reset the decoder to factory default but I don’t know what that might be. During the planned mini overhaul l’ll pop open the water tender where I’ll discover how the decoder was installed and what brand and model.
I have a mild engineering interest which in part leads me to model railroading. Many, many years ago a high school friend had married a model railroader and on one visit he showed me his then newly acquired and impossibly shiny brass Shay. Up to that time I had no idea about such old technology, fit for purpose. I’ve basically been hooked ever since. I’m sure there are some brass Shays still kicking around. This Bachmann effort seems good enough to be worth preserving and repairing (if that’s what I’m doing).
Save your money for a PFM/United brass 2 or 3 truck Shay. They run 100% better than the plastic ones of any brand, and prices have come down on most of the common versions. The drive train is bulletproof, and most run well even with the original open frame motor. A replacement can motor makes them even better yet. I went thru the plastic logging engine phase, the only good one was the AHM/Rivarossi 2 or 3 truck Heisler. The old MDC Shays were very noisy, even with NWSL gearing. Bachmanns are prone to gears cracking, the NWSL kit is hard to install and they just feel fragile overall. The PFM/United brass ones are built like a brick outhouse. They pull better, run better and will outlive you and your children with proper care. Save your money and get one of them, way less headaches. Mike
The Bachmann Spectrum Shay is mostly die-cast metal. Probably some version of white metal. Although it is quite heavy.
I have it so I’ll see if I can repair it. First step is to fit the NWSL gears.
Looking at the parts diagram and observing that the electric wheel cleaner brush I’m using powers the drive wheels reliably when contacting the metal truck frames I conclude the herky jerky results from Bachmann’s baffling design which shows no direct and reliable electrical contact between the wheel and the frame.
The power goes from the frame to the contacts on the around the truck mounting boss via goofy copper/brass wipers and from there the power is hard wired to the decoder. Applying power direct to the contacts at the truck mounting boss shows no lack of continuity.
The fault is entirely between the wheels and the truck frames. No wipers.
Although I really like Bachmann steamers in general, I must agree with Mike’s statement above. Adding extra wipers to these old brass locos really makes a difference too.
My Bachmann 3-Truck Shay had 4 split gears so I got the replacement driveline sets from Bachmann Parts. It has fixed the issue and after lubricating the model it runs pretty good on flat and uphill slopes, but downhill it does the herky jerky thing. Not sure if the metal NWSL gears would fix the issue but until I have a layout with uphill and downhill grades I guess I wont worry about it haha.