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Drive gear slipping on my 1:24 Bachmann 4-6-0

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Discussion starter · #22 ·
OK now it makes sense. When I read it originally, the light bulb didn't come on. I think because the gear part was different I didn't look closely enough at the photo.

I was thinking of making an aluminum gear to replace the cracked one. Does anyone see anything wrong with the final drive gear being aluminum and being driven by a nylon one?
 
#23 ·
It's really weird, and has flummoxed many a person, just not real obvious.

Aluminum should be ok, watch the lube, perhaps lube with white lithium, so if you get weird wear on the aluminum it might show up, but as you stated, would be more concerned with wear on the nylon gear.

Greg
 
#24 ·
yellow_cad said:
Thanks Pete. I will check for the half price sale. One last question on disassembling the wheels from the shaft. I tried to remove some sort of plug to get to the screws, but it looks to be glued or molded in. Do I need to destroy the material covering the screw (white in color) in order to loosen the screw and take off the wheel?

Also, this exploded view that I believe is my model doesn't show any screws.
View attachment 62420
Click to expand...
The blue/black plastic wheel insert is pushed in to the metal wheel and overlays the spokes. The white central boss is part of it and comes out as part of the insert. Just try pushing the plastic insert out from behind.

Bachmann's diagrams aren't always perfect. Try a different one, like the Anniversary locomotive.
 
#29 ·
Nick Jr said:
Pete, thank you for posting, I was getting curious and wanted to ask. Has he gotten to the Gear fix yet??
Click to expand...
I haven't heard anything since he pulled the wheel off (which was his objective when he started the thread! It only took 2 pages here, as he didn't have a 'modern' 4-6-0 and I didn't get the photo until last week.) I suggested he ask Jerry Yeramian if such a gear was available.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Wake this thread for two reasons, yellow_cad, have you made any progress on the fix?? and after many years on the shelf took this one down and before even applying power wanted to check it out to see if my gears had cracked and lube it up. The original grease is more like soap, and very little of it in there. Started to add some and ran out, good excuse for a hobby shop run. This is the one with the antlers under the headlamp. Interesting to note: all of the axles are joined by plastic to insulate the sides from each other, and the wipers appear to pick up on the front and rear drivers, also the pilot wheels.
Image
 
#31 ·
Nick Jr said:
all of the axles are joined by plastic to insulate the sides from each other,
Click to expand...
Nick, that looks like a later version, with the brass bearings and (I'm guessing) the brass strips on the bottom plate that contact the bearings to collect track power.

I'll repeat what I said earlier - this is the first 4-6-0 that I heard of with a cracked gear. Yours may be fine. The wheels should come off by removing the wheel inserts and unscrewing them, as I noted before.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Yes you can see the brass strips that rub on the axles. Don't know when the later version came out, if my memory is correct I had this one when I moved here in 04. As you can see it has no valve detail and the side rods are a very flexible plastic it came as a set with trailing cars. Is there somewhere on the loco or tender that can tell me the date of manufacturer?
EDIT: forgot to mention the gears are fine just cleaned and re-greased. Very smooth runner on rollers.
Image

Image
 
#33 · (Edited)
Nick Jr said:
Is there somewhere on the loco or tender that can tell me the date of manufacturer?
Click to expand...
Well, we arrange them by "generation" or 'gen'. The first was the battery Big Hauler with the plastic wheels. The usual indicator of which gen is the bump under the gear axle. You have the bump so you have a gen5. That's the good one which has few known problems - certainly the gears are fine.

There's the Anniversary version and there's a similar gen6, both with metal gears. There is a new version just been released, but it is mostly a gen6 with a better tender and DCC wiring. Let me scoot over to the Bachmann forum and make sure I got this correct.
Ah - Loco Bill lost all his database when someone stole his laptop [and backups - he was moving to a new house.]
George Schreyer has a good description:
Big Haulers Tips

Oops - I didn't read the thread all the way down.
Bachmann Forum
Loco Bill has a table in the thread with dates.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Pete, thank you, I did see the link to Loco Bill's table on the Bachmann forum. From what was described seems I got this one in the early run of the 5A's as the location I purchased from changed vendors early 2000, and also remembered other incidents that clarified the date for me.
 
#36 ·
Pete Thornton said:
If you look at the photos I posted, especially the ones from the Bachmann website, you will notice the wheel insert is separate from the wheel. Back in post #11, I said:

So you pop the wheel insert out of the wheel, and unscrew the center screw. The wheels have a nylon sleeve and the axles have a flat on both sides at the end so the wheels stay quartered correctly (= one wheel at 90 deg from the other.)

It's an illusion. Those are the center blind drivers, not the wheels on the drive axle. Take a close look at this picture:

Image


It looks to me that you have the (very) old style wiper contacts, shown on George Schreyer's site (you did at least look closely at his pictures, I hope?) Those locos didn't have the thick boss in the center of the wheels that is shown above, but otherwise they are similar.

Image


I'll repeat what I said earlier - you need a new gear or a new chassis. Once they start to crack, the plastic is brittle and will continue to break. Bachmann occasionally sells the chassis 1/2 price, or you should find one on eBay for less than $50.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much Pete for the information! I couldn't figure out how to get the wheels removed, but it was, of course, very simple once I saw how to remove the wheel covers. I bought a gearbox years ago, and one of my 4-6-0 Annies finally decided to shred the gear. I'm wondering if a replacement chassis would be better to have on the shelf for the next one...?
 
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