went to the auction site and picked up a 4-4-0 with a balloon stack. This is the type of model: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=557 . Got it to run by cleaning, lubrication and quartering the driving rods, but now the main wheels in the back wobble, badly. I do not know if it done this before, it did not run at all when it came in the mail. So my question to all you experienced experts when it comes to repairs is how do I get these wheels to run true. The mounting screw holes are centred properly but the wheels oscillate inward and outward when the engine is in motion.
no the model does not have traction tires. It has a motor mounted in the tender with a drive shaft driving the one axle closest to the tender. The other axle is powered by the linkage that is exposed for the eyes to see. Unfortunately the drive wheels oscillate back and forth as if it were elephants ears in the wind.
If the locomotive in question really is an HO scale Bachmann product like the one referenced above, it should have traction tires on the drivers of the geared axle. Missing traction tires should not cause wobble, but may cause other problems; particularly on turnouts. Poorly installed traction tires might cause interesting behavior.
The model may be missing some plastic parts that hold the drivers in place in the frame.
Given the way the driver axles are made, it should not be difficult to get the drivers quartered and square on the axles. In fact it would take talent to get something other than a 90 degree angle between the axle and driver.
I will try and find a explosion drawing from this loco. Already shimmed the axles some to stop some binding with the frame.
As for quartering, I believe I got that right. It does seem a bit tight at one point when the wheels are turning. Certainly will tinker with it some more.
That model DID come with traction tires on the rear drivers. OR, you could have axle/frame wear on the the drivers. (no brass bearings) Mine had quartering problems and I was able to eye ball it and correct the problem. Pull the worm and you can tell if the drivers are experiencing any binding. Just rotate by hand.
It’s a pretty sloppy design and won’t run perfect no matter what you do. Still a nice looking loco.
I forgot to mention that my loco also comes with traction tires on both rear drivers. I also added wheel pickups to all wheels on the tender for better pickup since mine is DCC controlled.
If your does not have traction tires, contact the below person.
Hello pull the rear drivers out and roll them on something flat and see if the axle is bent? It may have a slight bend and that will cause a wobble. If can remove the drivers from the axle and check it by it’s self. just make sure you can quarter them before you remove them. Hope this helps Frank
I have the same loco new out of the box, it was “wobbly” the first time it ran. I only use it a Xmas time so I never really looked into it. It is a lower quality toy train Bachmann so I wouldn’t expect too much out of it.
It sounds like a bent axle. These locos have plastic axles that are prone to splitting, which could be the reason it went out of quarter, and also why the weels are no longer true.
I would send it to Bachmann with $15 for the new version. They have upgraded them with better gearing, a 5 pole motor, and keyed axles and drivers so they won’t slip out of quarter.
These Bachmann products are the only HO scale 1870’s - 1880’s locomotives currently cataloged by any manufacturer. And thus we have a major reason why so few people model that era.
Later production Bachmann Jupiter-119 models have a square whatever-you-call-it on the driver that fits into a square hole in the axle. This makes quartering very straight forward as long as one understands how the drivers are supposed to be oriented on the axles.