Beautifuly Proportioned K4 throws a "Rod"

[Nato]

                       I know this posting should be part of the Trix Bachmann Thread, but here goes. I received my Chuck Pack from FRT Friday. Inside were my two K4's Modernized 3750 and Prewar 5440 with fancy pin striping. Wozzers! To this closet Pennsy Fanzee they look spot on to me. So I turn on the power to my layout which is DC and run the modernized locomotive first. The sound is not very loud compared to the new MRC's but it runs so nicely even on DC current both forward and reverse so it runs round the layout for a little while exposing some current problems with Peco switches. Now it is time for K4 number 2 the 5440. It starts off just like the other locomotive, but about halfway around on the second trip it comes to a complete stop, could the track be dead, so I nudge it a little bit and that is when I discover a drive rod and linkage disconnected hanging down. When I picked it up I didn't even think about the little crank pin so I carried the locomotive a fair distance across a dark brown patterned carpeted floor and set it on it's side at the rail yard to evaluate the problem. Found the end of the rod would fit over the driver and everything would go back together except where was the crank (tiny) pin. "Egad!" It is not lying along the right of way, and is probably lost for eons on the carpet. Parts diagram shows possibly the part with no number listed. Nothing available at Bchmann Parts. Looks like a KATO FEF3 pin might work. Now for my dilemma, the ink isn't even on my Warranty Card, do I fill out the card and ship the locomotive off to Bachmann, phone Chuck at Feather River, see if he wants to exchange it, or try a fix with a KATO (small) pin? The gold painted driver spokes on the 5540 by the way looked real cool when it was moving. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah. 

[Chris333]

Is the hole threaded?

[nscaleSPF2]

Been there, done that.

A large magnet found mine, on the layout, near where the loco stopped.

If you can't find it, I would suggest that you pull the pin on the other side, and measure it.  The #2 driver pin is threaded; I believe that the #1 driver pins are pressed in.  If you can publish the measurements here, perhaps one of us can locate a pin for you, or (worst case) make one for you.

[TVRR]

The pin came off before the rod did, look carefully at the track just before where you found the disabled engine, bet you the pin will be there on the side were the rod was. Good luck!

[nkalanaga]

Since it's under warranty, and you have two others to keep the trains running, I'd send it back, then keep looking for the pin.  If you find it, you'll have a spare, if not, you'll at least have a working loco, and Bachmann will know that they might have a problem.  Hopefully yours is an isolated case, but if not, the more they have returned, the more likely they are fix the problem.

[Dave V]

Mine is having valve gear binding issues too.  I plan to swap it out.  For the price, and knowing that most are really good, there's no sense in driving myself nuts trying to fix it.

[robert3985]

Since it's under warranty, and you have two others to keep the trains running, I'd send it back, then keep looking for the pin.  If you find it, you'll have a spare, if not, you'll at least have a working loco, and Bachmann will know that they might have a problem.  Hopefully yours is an isolated case, but if not, the more they have returned, the more likely they are fix the problem.

+1

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Nato]

       Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, advice and encouragement. The first thing I did do was look along the right of way for the pin , it was not there. I' am pretty sure it is lost forever on my multi colored brown carpet. This morning I filled out the warrantee cards for both my K4's and I shipped my nicely pin striped 52854 its card and a letter of explanation to Bachmann in Philly for repair or replacement. It was the right thing to do. I still have my modernized 3750, which runs great to run some closet Pennsy Fanzee trains with on my mostly Western roads layout. Nate Goodman (Nato).   

[JMaurer1]

Empty vacuum (I assume you have one that doesn't have a bag) and vacuum carpet. Inspect what is in container and see if the pin is there. Good luck.

[chicken45]

Put some pantyhose on the end of a tube extension!

[Doug G.]

Josh, that sounds kinda kinky.

Also, you must know who George Roberts was.

Doug

[chicken45]

Josh, that sounds kinda kinky.

Also, you must know who George Roberts was.

Doug

Boy, do I ever! Mister Bass Trombone. Urbie Green, but down an octave. My teacher actually had George buy him breakfast. A fact he will never let me live down. He was in town for Frühling Posaunen at Penn State. I had the chance to go, but it was (and always is) on Palm Sunday. I didn't go.
George actually gifted his bass trombone to my college trombone professor, Mark Lusk.
He is the most recorded bass trombonist in history. You can hear him all over anything Sinatra, thanks to Nelson Riddle's killer arrangements.

And listen to the bit at the end!

[nkalanaga]

Pantyhose over the vacuum cleaner hose is an old trick, and works quite well, assuming you have someone in your home that wears them.  Buying a pair just to vacuum for a missing part might not be worth it, I haven't looked at prices lately, but if all else fails it's worth a try.

[Blazeman]

You can hear him all over anything Sinatra, thanks to Nelson Riddle's killer arrangements.
And listen to the bit at the end!

Brief drift...thanks for the info. Gives me something else to listen for now that I know about the person involved. There's a "Phila Tradition" on Sunday mornings for over 50 years named Sid Mark who has been doing Sunday with Sinatra all that time (pared down from years also of Fridays with Frank).

Now back to your regularly scheduled K-4 discussion.

[chicken45]

Re: Beautifuly Proportioned K4 throws a "Rod"

At first, I thought we were talking about this guy's pitching!