Brand new Bachhmann Streamilne HO scale K4 steam engine problems

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Hi fellas,

Maybe someone can help me out.

I boughta brand new Bachhmann HOscale streamline K4 steam engine about two months ago.

I p[ut it on my mainline track and set the engie as “003”

It set there and did nothing, except making a short buzzing sound at the rear of the coal tender.

It just went “buzz” “buzz” “buzz” continually.

After a phone call with Bachmann, they told me to send it in for repairs.

I received it back this afternoon.

Well the same thing happened . “Buzz” buzz buzz on and on near the back of the coal tender.

NOthing worked at all.

I called Bachmann again.

They said I should check my equipment, which I have an NCE DCC system.

So I put my newer Bachmann DCC with sound onboard NKP 765 Berkshire on the track.

It works fine!

I put 5 of my BLI DCC with Quantum sound steam engines on the track, one at a time.

Everything works on all of them.

Bachmann technician kept trying to tell me my NCE system must be defective.

By the way, I could hardly undertand him, his english is very poor!

He told me he had sent me a brand new engine.

I don’t think so.

I put a small piece of tape on the bottom of the tender.

It was still there.

I think they sent me the same engine back that I sent them.

On therepair order it kept referring to the fact the engine had no warranty.

It also had a note for me to check my NCE system.

So now he told me to send it back again. Well now I’ll be out another $11.and change for shipping it back a second time!

But like I said, all my DCC engines with sound all work fine.

So my NCE system is defective?

By thge way he also argued with me that when I mentioned the screws that hold the plastic coal tender to t

2

Did one of the tender trucks swivel 180 degrees? That can cause an issue. Some Bachmann locos, it can happen.

Turn the tender upside down, you can see the insulated wheel. The diageam page shows the location of the insulated wheel.

Those locos are very nice as are the TCS decoders.

Each truck picks up on the opposite rail. I have some Bachmann steamers.

Rich

3

I’ll check.

One of the copper pickups was bent over on itself when I got it back so it did not touch the axle.

It was not like that when I sent it in for repairs.

If Bachmann did repair it, if you ask me, their workmanship is very shoddy!

To buy a new $300 plus engine that just sets there like a bump on a log, send it in wait six weeks , get it back and it does the exact same thing again?

This is very frustrating. Then I could hardly understand their tech over the phone?

Then with me holding the diagram for hooking up the tender to the engine, and he told me no such thing exists???

I doubt i’ll ever buy from Bachmann again!!!

4

The insulated wheels should be on opposite sides.

I have put those pickups back myself a few times.

At one time I used the NCE Power Cab.

Did you get a shorrt indication?

I know some others have the loco and no issues.

Rich

5

Yes I did get a flashing red light on my power supply system.

6

Ok. You had a short.

Do the trucks swivel 180?

Rich

7

I checked the tender trucks, they only swivel about 30 degrees each way…

It just seems unlikely I would get two “dud” engines in a row!

8

I could here a constant buzzing like a short circuit at the rear of the coal tender when I applied power to the tracks.

Nothing on the engine worked. No headlight, no sound, no whistle, no bell, absolutely dead, no movement whatsoever, totally dead.

JUst the buzz buzz buzz buzz at the rear of the coal tender

9

Ok. Now I am stumped.I guess you put this loco on a section of track with no other loco around and it came right out of the box from Bachmann.

Other locos you said run ok.

Rich

10

That’s correct Rich.

All other power units were removed from my layout, all accessories disconnected.

Straight out of the box, this thing was DOA.

Take it off the layout track, put my newer Bachmann NKP 765, it works and runs great!

No flashing lightat the power supply.

Repeated this for 5 BLI steam engines with sound I have.

They all performed flawlessly.

The tech said, apparently the decoder is dead.

Two in a row, brand new out of the box!

What gets me, I am looking at the drawing for connecting the “Y” connector on the engine to the coal tender.

It explicitly says and shows the screw that you have to loosen to conncet the two units.

The Bachmann tech told me no such drawing exists, and no such screw is on the coal tender. The only two screws on the tender according to him, are the srews holding the wheel trucks on.

The drawing shows two screws holding the plastic tender body to the tender frame.

But he kept insisting no such screws or drawing exist!

Apparently I am going to have to find someone in management at Bachmann and file a complaint on this situation.

I also think they should pay the return shipping this time!

Rich, it is very frustrating to have to go through this!

And if this is a brand new unit, why were the screws on the tender missing?

And why was the one copper wiper on the bottom of the coal tender bent over on itself?

I straightened it.

It was not touching the coal tender axle.

So when I pulled the coal tender out of the clear plastic shipping container, the plastic coal tender body was loose from the tender frame.

On close examination, I determeined the two screws were missing.

This is what I meant by shoddy workmanship!

I am starting to wonder if this tech replaced the sound decoder and did it wrong, and it shorted out the first time I applied po

11

How about this?

https://www.trainworld.com/manufacturers/bachmann/bachmann-85303-k4-4-6-2-pacific-locomotive-dcc-sound-pennsylvania-3678/

I have read a couple times to loosen the front screw and lift the tender front enough to slip the coupler into the tender and push the shell down and tighten the screw. Maybe both screws but just enough to slip the part in.

Another fellow in this forum had an issue a couple months ago.

I had given him a link from the Bachmann site with a clear instuction to do this but Bachmann has dropped it from their site. I just checked. They do this at times. You can always join and ask.

Rich

12

Hi Rich,

I can’t do that because both of the screws are missing.

They were there when I sent it to Bachmann for repairs.

I have the diagram and instructions about loosening the front screw behind the front trucks, slip the yoke in and tighten it down. But when Bachmann sent it back to me, both of those screws were missing.

It was the same screws the Bachmann repair technician told me that did not exist.

He stated the only screws in the tender were the screws holding the trucks in.But on the drawing I have that Bachmann sent me, they said “DO NOT” loosen the front truck screw.

When I spoke with the Bachann tech, I explained there is a screw behind the front trucks that loosens to allow the yoke to slip in, then tighten the screw back down.

He said no such screw exists nor one in front of the rear trucks.

These are the screws that hold the plastic tender body to the frame.

But once again he insited that these screws and screw holes do not exist on this engine -tender combination.

What am I supposed to do???

Right now I am so upset and frustrated with Bachmann.

I am out over $300.00 and all I have is a paperweight and Bachmann so far doesn’t seem interested.

I sent it to them for repair, and it came back in worse condition than I sent it to them in.

I may spend $50.00 and have my attorney send them a letter.

13

Man, that is bad. I found the link but Bachmann disabled it.

How is the tender shell staying on? There has to be a screw somewhere. Probably under each truck. Swival the truck out of curiosity. Don’t touch the screw in the center of the truck.

I do remember a Bachmann reo saying there is a screw under the front truck to loosen

Well, anyway, good luck.

Rich

14

Yes you swivel the truck out of the way to turn the screw to loosen thescrew to place the yoke into the tender, then fsten the screw back down to hold the yoke in place.

The tender shell is not staying on, it is loose, because the screws that hold it in place are missing, but once again the repairman states these screws do not exist, and there are no screws holding the shell on.

The guy can barely speak englisgh.

It’s very frustrating talking to him. I am goingto have to find someone higher up at Bachmann to resolve this problem.

For now I’ll box it up and set it on one of my shelves .Until I canask Bachmann to resolve the problem and pay the return shipping.

If I end up in court, I WILL DO IT!

THat screw is missing. The one in front of the rear truck is also missing.

There is no way to hold the plastic tender body down to the tender frame.

The Bachmmann repair tech insists that these screws and screw holesdo not exist.

They were in place when I sent it in for repairs.

but when I got it back this morning, they were missing and the plastic body was loose on the frame.

One of the copperwipers that touch the rear tender axles ( there are two of them,

was folded over on itself and not even touching the axle.

But as I said before the Bachmann repair guy insists these screws and screw hols do not exist on this coal tender. Yet they are there, but minus the screws

So he said, well send it back in.

Why, so I can get another dud?

And Bachmann should pay the return shipping.

They failed to make the proper repairs!

He insisted this was a brand new engine he sent me.

So where are the screws? Why was the copper wiper arm bent over on itself?

And it makes the exact same buzz, buzz, buzz sound it did before I sent it in!

And to make things worse, when I called the Bachmann repair guy back, he hung up on me!!! :(<

15

You really got a bad deal. The screws are Metric also.

I would suggest the Bachmann forums. The main rep is the Bach-Man but he will suggest calling the repair shops so no solution. He has helped me.

Screws missing is a new one.

Again, good luck.

Rich

16

Thanks Rich,

I just sent Bachmann sales department an email, and explained the missing screws and the bent copper wiper arm and the tender making weird electrical sounds that equate to a short circuit.

If you have ever heard a switch turnout makinga short cicuit sound, you’ll know what the tender was doing.

Yes those screws are metric and very small. I examined the box it came in very closely and used a magnet on a stick I keep in my shop for picking picking up parts that fall to the floor.

I requested that Bachmann pay the return shipping this time.

I think that is only fair!

I have four other Bachmann engines and never have had a problem with any of them.

I just find it strange that two brand new engines were DOA.

17

Call Bachmann 215-533-1600 and ask for Service Manager, Laura Harris. Be prepared to leave a brief message.

RR Baron

18

Bachmann has contacted me, telling me they are sending me another new Streamline K4 engine.

And a prepaid shipping label to attach to the bad one, and send it back.

19

Very good news. The loco with TCS decoder is suppose to be very good. It is also on You Tube.

A couple months ago someone asked at the Bachmann HO forums about the coupler bar and someone answered with a link for the description of how to do it. The message and the link seems to have disappeared. I do remember the link was very good showing everything.

Rich

20

Before sending it back, I’d try putting the engine and tender in a foam cradle upside-down. Connect two wires you have laying around to a DC transformer and touch them to the drivers and see what happens with 12 volts DC applied. If the engine runs, try a similar test but with wires connected to DCC. If that works, then the problem is in the tender, either as mentioned one truck is turned around or something else (tender connection)?