Another Bachmann K4 throws a "Rod" at train show

[Nato]

          My Prewar Bachmann K4 ran flawlessly for about four hours on the Wasatch N Scale Layout http://www.washnscale.org at the N.M.R.A. Wasatch Rails train show over the week end. This was the locomotive repaired by Bachmann under warantee when a rod pin (rivit) popped. I did not have time to reprogram the British sounding default  peanut whistle so I lived with it. Then I put my Post War K4 on the layout and pulled the eight passenger cars around for about one hour. When I went to back the locomotive and train into the staging (setup) yard it suddenly came to a quick stop. The pin holding the rods together on one side had come out,same symptom as on my Pre War locomotive, only this time the pin ramained attached to the rod and was not lost. So is off to Bachmann for under warantee repairs. "W-A-A-A-A-A !" Pictures of the SP 2-10-2 mentioned by Robert 3985 in weekend update will be posted soon. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[glakedylan]

dang
makes me think I best send in my registration cards
for the 3 I have to activate the warranty
wow
sorry this happened to both of yours
G

[nscaleSPF2]

Nate, were all of the pins that came loose on the right side?

[Mike C]

 I've run mine for at least 10 hours , probably closer to 15 hours , and still have no problems . Hopefully stays that way . But I did send the card in just in case ....

[delamaize]

Why not just put a TINY dab of thread lock on the end of the pin, and put it back yourself? I mean, it's just a rod pin....

[Nato]

     Gentlemen, And I do use the word advisedly The drive rod that failed on this locomotive was on the left side. I have always filled my cards out and sent them in , but never had to use them until the K4"s were released. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[Doug G.]

A manufacturer has to honor the warranty whether or not you send the card in.

Doug

[djconway]

Out of the box I found one of my K4's right side pin was hitting the main rod, pressing the pin in seems to have cleared that issue, and maybe prevented a thrown rod.

[nscaleSPF2]

Out of the box I found one of my K4's right side pin was hitting the main rod, pressing the pin in seems to have cleared that issue, and maybe prevented a thrown rod.

Uh, djconway, maybe, maybe not.  The rod pins (all 4 of them) are threaded, rather than pressed in.  This is why they can loosen over time.  I hope that you have not crushed the threads, by pressing the pin into the driver.

What's worse, on the 2 sets of drivers than I have personally seen, there was a small burr on the end of each threaded boss.  The burr prevented the pin from fully seating on the end of the boss, and could possibly (I say again, possibly) cause the pin to loosen, even if it was tightened initially.

Something to think about. 

You can blame Verne for these thoughts; he is always looking for something to go wrong.

[Nato]

                      Yes  I did not mention those pins are threaded, my reason for sending it  back was so that Bachmann if they are not already aware of this problem will know about it. I think the reason my threaded pins on both locomotives did loosen up so fast was the burr mentioned in the last post. Nate Goodman (Nato). 

[djconway]

Thanks for the heads up.  Looks like they will have to be inspected each run.

[nscaleSPF2]

Either that, or the screws could be Loctite'd.

[Nato]

                          Had a phone message waiting for me when I arrived home on Tuesday evening. It was from a nice women at Bachmann Customer Service letting me know they were going to replace my Post War K4 with one from their store (did not know they had one), and giving me a toll free number to phone if I had any questions. Makes me wonder if my Pre War locomotive with the same problem was not just replaced even though the paperwork sent with it on it's return detailed the work preformed .            Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah. 

[Nato]

        Received a brand new replacement 5448 K4 in the mail from Bachmann yesterday. Test ran it on my layout which is DC and it chuffs around nicely in both directions. Only time will tell if a rod lets go as on my other two. I now have a new warrantee card to fill out and send in and the space for listing the seller (dealer) will be filled out for Bachmann in Philly.                                            Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.   

[Doug G.]

You should inspect the rods and pins for any irregularities before extensive operation and I would fill the card out as purchased from the original dealer and replaced by Bachmann under warrantee.

Doug