What I am referring to is that whenever an engine goes through my shop, it comes out somehow altered and modified.Here’s some examples:
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with The Bachmann 10th anniversary 4-6-0, I discovered that I can enhance electrical pickup over switch frogs by wiring LGB conductive wheel sets to the loco, using the right port( for the backup light). I use the existing cable and plug. You just have to set the polarity switch properly.
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ole number nine is modified yet again, this time with a tender for the battery for the headlight and cab light. Trying to prepare for more night time operations.
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Bachmann Spectrum mogul( not pictured), has broken the main gear, but, no worries,mate! I keep an extra motor/ gearbox in the parts bin. But this time, I want to paint the drivers and pilot red.To look like " Leviathan".
These are my current low tech projects…
Paulhttps://paulsfamouslowtech.shutterfly.com/
Paul,
Neat tricks! I have found my B’mann 4-6-0 actually tracks better through R1 switches than my LGB 0-4-0s, even with the wire to the pilot cut! Unfortunately, even with an upgrade chassis, ours is again on the repair track. The worm gear will no longer engage the drivers. I see no obvious cracks on the driver, and it has not “wandered” out of position, so I must surmise the worm is lifting off the driver under load. This loco is beautiful, but it is a real roundhouse queen for me.
Eric
Eric,
the drive on the 10th Anniversary 4-6-0 has an intermediate set of gears between the worm and driver gear. It doesn’t go straight from the motor to the drivers. But one thing that tends to happen with Bachmann products is the motor mounting screws vibrate loose over time. If this is the case, use a little of the blue( removable) Loctite on the motor mounting screws. Hopefully, that’s all it needs…
Paul
Paul,
Thanks. Next time I open it up, I’ll look at the screws. I had it up on a makeshift stand just before Christmas…
…and I noticed no damage to the gears. I let it run like this for about 15 minutes, and it ran flawlessly. Once i put the boiler and cab back, and put in on the track, and added its three B’mann coaches, it ran for about 10 minutes, then just whined. Removing train cars was a temporary solution, as it eventually stalled and whined.
This is one of the new chassis, bought just a couple years ago. It is a Christmas-themed loco, so I am in no rush to fix it just now. The theme is muted enough to make it an all-year model, and it is also a family favorite, so there is a desire to restore North Star to service. I have a few other stalled projects to attend to, first, though!
Eric
It’s going to be a little tricky to pinpoint the problem because it is not constantly slipping, but next time you have it open, try to wiggle the motor, and see if it seems loose. This would be a good starting point.
Paul
Thanks. There was a little play, but no more than a few donor chassis I have laying around.
Have a great weekend!
Eric
Just wanted to update:
I finished my Bachmann/ Spectrum Mogul, it came out great,I am quite pleased. I replaced the gearbox, and while it was apart, pulled all the drivers and pilot wheels.Painted them Apple Red, along with the pilot and the flutes on the steam dome.I am having trouble posting pictures these days, sorry.
Paul
Paul,
Nice to hear from you! I am glad to hear of your success.
Our Ten-Wheeler is still on the Track of Perpetual Puttering. To be frank, I am debating whether or not to simply break it for parts. I have been letting it simmer while I attacked a few other items around the Triple O.
Eric
Hi Eric,
sorry about your struggle with the Ten Wheeler. If you can remove the boiler shell and look inside when it is whining, you might be able to see what is going wrong. Bachmann used to sell the gearbox for this engine separately, but last I looked these parts were sold out, as well as the entire chassis assembly. Unfortunately, that does not leave many options.
I updated my locomotive roster the other day, and I am up to 22 operating locos! This is the high water mark for my ever- changing roster. Locomotives blow out gears and go out of service,so the roster changes constantly. Sometimes you can get parts, sometimes you can’t…
And when I can’t, bits and pieces of one engine wind up getting kit bashed into another engine.
It’s a G gauge phenomenon…
Paul
Thanks, Paul. If there is one thing I cannot stand, though, it is motive power on the shelf unable to move on its own power. [:(!] I tend to fixate on it, as locomotives, more than anything, see to carry the railroad’s history on their frames. On an intellectual level, their malfunction calls to me like a Siren, challenging me to put that iron horse back in service.
Some repairs are easy (pop out old motor, pop in new one); some have proven challenging; a couple have led to expensive missteps, and one finally earned a trip to TrainLi for professional repair (after some expensive missteps).
I have an LGB Olomana that just burned out its can motor. This loco actually ran within earshot of my house back in the day. It has been such a joy bringin it “home” to the high iron (or brass). The saga continues…
Eric
Oh no! Not the Olomana!!
That’s a beauty, and worth hunting down parts for. Be sure to look at You tube videos, I believe there will be a tiny ball bearing used as a thrust washer at the end of the motor shaft.Be careful not to lose it.
I’ve had gear failures 9 times over the last 26 years, but I still love G.
It’s just fun running these big trains outside! It just goes with the territory…
Paul
Yeah, Olomana will run again…Even if I have to send her to TrainLi. Thanks for the warning about the thrust bearing! Maybe it is a good thing I couldn’t pop out the motor! I lost those on an old STAINZ, but the short shaft Buehlers are internally thrusted, so no harm!
As for gears…Yep. I just wish it wasn’t mostly the same, the most complicated, the most recently fixed loco! That 10-wheeler!
No matter how many times Kader tries to upgrade these, they don’t seem to last well. I have…4 or 5 in use. Not one has Bachmann drives. BBT, 4-6-0 and 2-8-0, one custom 2-8-2.
Had three in Christmas display use, guaranteed on top of almost daily running repairs, we’d do a complete gearbox on one and a motor on another in just over a month.
I finally gave up, let them deal with it, and threw all the parts away.
Split axle gear is most likely, you usually can tell by flipping the engine over, thumbs on geared drived, and try to roll the driver. It it moves, it’s broke.
Intermediate gears, not often, but does happen.
Same basic gearbox in the 0-4-0’s, but those waddle until the motor plate cross screws shake loose.
Interesting latest catalog…4-6-0’s, Centennial 2-6-0, and that’s it in narrow gauge.
Thomas, and Aristo-man rounds it out.
How far the mighty have fallen.
TOC
Update:
We ran the loco with the boiler loosely attached, then lifted the boiler when the loco stopped. Sure enough, the driver was spinning on the axle. We ordered new gears (one for the repair, one for a spare) from a recommended vendor via FaceBook who makes these as a sideline business with his own materials. While I am not looking forward to tearing into the gearbox, I am glad to have these sort of aftermarket options.
Oh, Olomana is up an running with a new motor and a bit of fiddling with the motor tabs.
Eric
Eric
Great news about Olomana! Nice engine. And it sounds like the ten wheeler will be up and around soon. Repairs are a constant in all scales, just the way it is…I’ve got more I haven’t gotten to yet.
Paul
After a Saturday afternoon of tapping, soldering, and testing, North Star, our B’mann 10-wheeler runs again! Video proof: North Star Runs Again!
I agree Paul, that repairs are a constant. I still think it is ridiculous that this loco gets 3 years of running between major repairs in contrast to 10-20 years for an LGB loco. I cannot complain about the looks of these B’mann models, though!
Have a great week!
Eric
Eric, great news! I will say that Bachmann is ( was) a good value for the money. But I’ve gotten to where LGB engines are the only ones I buy anymore. Due to reliability. My 26 year old Forney has gone through 3 smoke units, but no other problems whatsoever…
although the grease might dry up on an old LGB engine, you might be wise to open it up and check it…
Paul
Supposed to be 115 degrees tomorrow…
taking this time to detail the layout in the train room, and make repairs on some of my G locos:
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Replaced smoke unit on LGB Forney( for the 4 th time)
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Bachmann ten wheeler with a Barry’s drive is getting a new 10 th Anniversary chassis from Bachmann. This will give me 24 operating G locos. The Barry’s finally had problems after 25 years of heavy hauling, quite a testament! But I think I can rebuild it for a light duty project.
And, waiting for cooler weather to work on my backyard project…
Paul
I wish I could have picked up a BBT chassis. I returned to the hobby after circumstances compelled Barry to give up his business. I have found photos of his work, both originals and items restored to honor him. I never met him, of course, but he seems to have had quite a lasting impact on the hobby.
As for the new chassis, did you get one with the metal gears? People seem to rave about those, too.
Eric
I spoke to Barry once or twice on the phone when I ordered the chassis, he was very helpful.When you look inside the BBT 460 chassis, it was built to last! Heavy constraction, ball bearings, large motor, everything of the highest quantity. I eventually wore down my drive gear, and it started to slip. I may be able to adjust the motor position to use for a kit bash project with very light loads. We’ll see…
I got a new 10 th anniversary chassis from Bachmann; they had a couple for sale again. There is another that is $50 bucks more, not sure if it has metal gears. The 10 th anniversary chassis’s have been pretty good, but I’ll not use the 5 pound weight that I had in the Barry’s…not to load down the gears that much…
Paul