Need some assistance, still new to the hobby.

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello there, I’m looking for some help with a couple of N-scale engines. I’ve had a couple handfuls of track for quite some time, and now that I’m in a house, I thought I’d set up a small layout for my kids. I have 2 engines, one I bought years ago, and the other I traded some slot cars stuff at a flea market.

They are both Bachmann engines. The first is a modern diesel, forgive me I am not a huge rail fan, even though most of my family has worked for at least one of my country’s National Railroads. I do Like trains, but unlike cars, I have not sought out the knowledge to know what make and model each one is.

The Diesel has a bit of a buzz sound to the gearing, but it seems ok to run as long as the traction belts stay in place. There appear to be 2 of them, and at least one comes off after only a few minutes of running. What can I do about this? where do I get new ones? is there anything I can do to get better performance out of this engine? I’m not Poor, but we just bought our 1st house and baby #3 is coming any day now. Obviously my priority is not the railroad, but I’d still like it running for my kids to enjoy in the meantime.

I’m sure someone will tell me that these are junk, and realistically, I wasn’t expecting much when I purchased them, so it would be no surprise to me.

The second engine is a steamer, and I’m not able to get it to run at slow speeds. I cleaned the track with Isopropyl alcohol as well as the wheels on the tender where I suspect it gets its power. However it runs great at 50% throttle and up.Do you think traction bands would work here too? How hard is it to clean the internals?

Here are a couple pictures, sorry for the poor quality, my camera is packed in the hospital bag, I told you the 3rd one was coming soon. Any Day.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.co

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Oh. what a dark path we weave when first we practice to join a hobby!!!

Yes, you are headed down a slippery slope again…only this time in MRRing {Model Rail Roading}.

A lot of people think Bachmann is junk. but I have 14 Bachmann standard issue and spectrum HO locos and I enjoy them all very well. {DCC}

The diesel probably does need to be serviced, the former lubricating gunk cleaned out and some Labelle plastic compatible lube in its place.:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Labelle-102-1-2-fl-oz-Gear-Lubricant-plastic-compa-p/lab-102.htm

Something like Bullfrog Snot applied may help with traction:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bullfrog+snot&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=165758136&ref=pd_sl_58q34a3qmg_e

Here’s how to install Bullfrog Snot:

http://www.bullfrogsnot.com/howtoinstall.asp

I have a Bachmann N scale steamer just like that one and mine runs perfectly, even at slow speeds, so I don’t know what yours problem is. It could be it too needs servicing and relubing?

Sticklers for “prototype and Era accuracy” would remind you you have an 19th century loco steamer and a mid-20th century diesel running together and I say Bosh. It’s your railroad and you can run what you wanna.

Have fun and enjoy the slippery slope to a new hobby!

[8-|]

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Plymouth 71, welcome to the web site.

Wish I could help you with your N scale but I am a HO person my self.

Far as Cuda’s, mine is a 1970, warmed over 383 and nasty 727, rally dash, tuff stuff steering wheel, slap stick, buckets, hockey stick and go wing. It was a rubber bumper car (Tora Red) so $5,000.00 for bumpers was out of the question.

All so have a 68 Road Runner (got it 38 years ago) with a 63 Maxie Wedge, and the money pit in my Icon. 69 Charger R/T with a GMC 6-71 on top of its 440.

Hope you hang around for a while!

Cuda Ken

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Hey Plymouth71

Don’t give up on them. Bachmann engines are firmly middle-of-the-road, but they are far from junk.

This is when your Local Hobby Shop (or LHS in MR parlance) could well be your salvation. Find one near you (the back pages of the dead-tree version of MR are an excellent place to start), and see what they can do for your ailing locos. I’m betting quite a bit.

Stu

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Here is a review of your steam engine:

http://www.spookshow.net/trainstuff.html

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I’m going to agree with the “clean them, and re-lubricate them” suggestions.

Hardest part with cleaning them is getting the *(^@#$@ shell off. Most of the time, it’s relatively simple (a screw here or there, as with the steamer) or a tab on each of the corners (most likely for the diesel).

I apologise for the length this post will have … but locomotive servicing 101is an important part of the hobby (also, saves a bit of cash … not that it’s expensive to go to the LHS, but even $5-10 per loco is $5-10 that could be spent on paint or track or baby formula for #3, or baby food for the other two – speaking of that, KEEP THE JARS – there are hundreds of uses for them in your dark voyage to the basement and MRR-ing [;)]).

Money (or lack thereof) isn’t a big deal – you should see what people have done with $5 of detail parts, some cardstock, and a printer…

ANYWAY, back to Loco Servicing 101 (I’m gonna assume “diesel” from here on out):

  1. Inspect the locomotive to determine how it comes apart. Most of the time, there will be 4 tabs/protrusions (2/side) that you simply have to clear.

    1. Easiest way to go about this is slipping your fingernail between the shell and the frame (I use pointer/middle from each hand at the “near” and “far” tab locations).
    2. once you get the shell spread away from the frame (seriously about 1/64 to 1/32 inch), invert and gently shake the locomotive. The frame should start to slide out.
    3. Keep working the shell/frame til it comes apart (or enough that the tabs clear their sockets, and you can GENTLY pull the frame from the shell

  2. Now, you should have an empty shell (with or without couplers attached), and the frame (essentially, a pair of white metal blocks that surround the motor, and everything else.

    1. There shouldn’t be any mechanical connections between both parts of the frame (metal c
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Wow, thank you for the replies, especially the How to !

Let me start with The Steamer. It stopped working the other day. not sure why. My favorite Hobby shop told me there was power ther as there was some sparks, but likely the armature had shorted. I’m tempted to open it up, so the review I hope will prove useful, thank you DSchmitt.

As for the Diesel, I was informed that traction bands were not available, but that I had three options. I could use “BullFrog Snot” Which is very expensive, or I could see if I could track down some Orthodontic elastics which might work. My only other option was to gut it and use it as a dummy. This was very disappointing especially as I looked over the beautiful showcase of new engines, all out of my proverbial reach. However. As is was about to leave, he pulled me aside. He said the that my best option for the kids was an F7 as it has not guardrails to break off. He said he had a couple floating around at home, and to call later in the week. He’d bring them in for me. I was very thankful of course, and as I turned to leave I admired his Local Railway related tie pin collection and struck up a conversation regarding it. I mentioned, that I had a few that he didn’t, and he said we could trade, the pins for the cars. My Dad was a CN Rail Police officer and in fact, public relations constable was one of his titles. When I brought in a few dozen pins, he was very excited, because he only had 3 of them. To make things even better, he came up with 4 F-7’s for me and the kids as well as a powered traction unit.

Wow. sometimes it really pays to be friendly, and offer help (I’ve volunteered for the store’s open house for a number of years.

Anyhow, Here is the small layout I’ve started with.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/plymouth