Bachmann Slam

[Teditor]

Carl,
I saw the error, big deal, I always read between the lines anyway, sometimes people just take things too personal.

Just to fit the context of the conversation, my Bachmann 2-10-2 just dropped a rod, its done a lot of running, big deal, my Athearn and Intermountain steam are all down at the moment as well, but then I drive a FORD, that should really get everyone going.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the upside down and often confused country down under.

[Kisatchie]

...So, at this point all I can say is, I apologize to the Forum and to those who responded to my thread. It shall not happen again.

Please don't disappear from the Railwire like Victor Miranda did back in November!


Hmm... Kiz is always
saying stupid stuff, and
he's still here...

[Mike Madonna]

Carl,

We're all human... therefore we all make mistakes. I appreciate your contributions to TRW and also the fact that you're a fellow SP modeler. Not to mention, some of your first hand accounts of operations "back in the day". As for the thread, I do not currently own any Bachmann Steam. Two Alco S-4s, and they are smooth running little locos.

[strummer]

The only thing I can add to this discussion (and it ain't much) is that I've had a few Bachmann locos over the years, and they were all pretty poor; except the "Spectrum" 2-8-0.

 It runs very well, looks great, and, other than the occasional times when it stalls and I have to pop off the cab and rotate the armature a bit just to re-start it, it's a grand model.

I also really appreciate how easy it is to remove the tender from the loco; I wish all steamers (including Katos) were designed like this...

Mark in Oregon

[peteski]

 It runs very well, looks great, and, other than the occasional times when it stalls and I have to pop off the cab and rotate the armature a bit just to re-start it, it's a grand model.

That is strange. I wonder if it has a open armature winding?  But that usually also causes toe motor to have less power and not run smoothly.

I would consider that totally unacceptable in any of my models.  Kind of as if my car would sometimes not start and I would have to pop the hood and give the crankshaft pulley slight nudge.  At that point I would not call my car "grand". 

But you are right, the Spectrum 2-8-0 is widely accepted as one of Bachmann's best N scale locos. Sounds like you have a bit of a lemon.

[strummer]

That is strange. I wonder if it has a open armature winding?  But that usually also causes toe motor to have less power and not run smoothly.

I would consider that totally unacceptable in any of my models.  Kind of as if my car would sometimes not start and I would have to pop the hood and give the crankshaft pulley slight nudge.  At that point I would not call my car "grand". 

But you are right, the Spectrum 2-8-0 is widely accepted as one of Bachmann's best N scale locos. Sounds like you have a bit of a lemon.

Perhaps.

Except I've had this engine for 8-9 years(?) now, and have had this issue pop up only 3 times during all those years. Otherwise, it runs really well.

In fact, the only engines I have that run better are my Kato GP38-2 and Mikado, and maybe the Atlas Geep 40...

Mark in Oregon

[Norway2112]

I wasn't trying to stir the pot, I was genuinely asking how a 2-8-8-4 was going to become a 4-8-4....thinking maybe Carl was going to only use one set of drivers.  There is more than one way to skin a cat, and thought maybe he had another idea.

As to the Bachmann quality comment, I have an EM-1 that is doing the same thing...the eccentric rod continually falls off the crank pin.  The press fit over the flange on the end of the pin just isn't tight enough.  Luckily in my case I can just put it back in place and it generally stays there until picking the engine up.  Just running around on the layout seems to do fine.

Phillip

[peteski]

I wasn't trying to stir the pot, I was genuinely asking how a 2-8-8-4 was going to become a 4-8-4....thinking maybe

I don't think anybody is blaming you for anything here. You asked an honest question. It was Carl's response which made us do a double take.  I wouldn't worry about this whole incident - I think the TRW crew forgets stuff like this rather quickly. I think we all end up making a knucklehead move from time to time.

[Kisatchie]

I wouldn't worry about this whole incident - I think the TRW crew forgets stuff like this rather quickly....

Hmm... forgets what...?

[OldEastRR]

Well, say anything you want about Bachmann (my record with them is half hits and half misses) but if they come out with a DCC-ready FA2 I'm going to buy some.

[pnolan48]

My head was swimming on this one, I'll say. I've tended not to respond to threads where I have not been absolutely sure of my response, and this one had me very queasy.

So--I have a little experience making etchings (actually, having others make etchings from my drawings), and I think the market is very small for replacement parts. I think I could probably fit 20 years of offset cranks (or whatever) into one 3 x 4 inch etching. I don't know who would be interested in that kind of nano-marketing. The set up fees for that etching would drive the price of each tiny part quite high, if I were going to make any return on investment before, say, my newest grandchild graduated college. My bet is that I would sell four parts the first year, three each in the next three, and none thereafter until the tenth year, when someone would ask, "Do you still have that?" So the total market might be 13 parts, or 14, if I could find the etching after ten years.

This has been my experience. The market for "specialty parts" is so tiny as to be non-existent.

[Dave V]

[delamaize]

YES!

[SkipGear]

Can I make a humble suggestion.........just make a new one.



A piece of brass sheet.
Drill two holes
Solder in a pin the diameter of the main crank pin hole, long enough to easily hold on to.
File flat piece to shape of the eccentric.
Cut crank pin off correct length.
Install on loco.

A note on bachmann parts....if there are not a lot of parts available, it means that that particular loco was a good runner. The only source of parts they have is from taking apart returned loco's. If there are not a lot of parts, then they didn't get a lot of returns.

[fire5506]

Carl,

  I reread you OP, it says you looked at bachmann's website for the part. I would recommend you contacting their service department. They may have some on hand but not listed on the website.

 Richard