My luck with Accucraft loco’s runs 50/50…
Absolutely love the performance of the 0-6-0 switcher and my #7 RGS Goose also runs beautifull.
However this 45T and my small #11 Whitcomb switcher will sadly just be shelf units.
The little #11 switcher just has horrible electrical pickup (I run track power), if the track is not spotless the switcher just hesitates like crazy.
Yet again, I put my HLW Big John out last night on track that has not been cleaned in 2+ weeks and it works flawless.
It might be worth it to go to a small machine shop, have the hole in the center of the wheel re-drilled in the center and a shim between the axle and the wheel… and then the runout checked… Take the axles out yourself and this should only be a few bucks.
Greg
When I first read this thread , I had to go and check to see if we have the same loco , we already had the small Whitcomb (superb) and the faults outlined just did not seem to be about the Side Rod Biggie .
We put it on a rolling road , there is not the slightest wobble , or squeak .
Turning it upside down and running it showed no sign of wobble .
It was then tested under load and though it slowed slightly , it was difficult to get it to stop .
The loco was purchased when it was first advertised in the UK . I can only assume from that that it was one of the first built . We have just looked in the box for paperwork showing a makers serial number , there was none . Oddly enough , we could not even find an Accucraft logo on the loco itself either .
This raises the interesting point , were the first ones to a different design ? Different motors , different gearing ? Or as my cynical son just suggested , perhaps they made a batch of good ones to encourage the market then relapsed into cheaper motors or something ? That
is not as daft as it sounds , I have seen this happen on a small scale when a demonstrator model is on show at a model railway show (naughty) , it may happen with other stuff .
What makes me give credence to this is I got the first off Accucraft K27 (years back) , and a similar thing happened , people were talking of putting a decent motor in .
The LGB Aster WPYR loco had people up in arms about lousy motors . Our model has no such problems .
I am not saying that all models we buy are acceptable , I have returned models to the manufacturer on a couple of occasions , getting full refunds . These models were returned when , on close examination , it was obvious that there was a design fault that was difficult to overcome .
These were not Accucraft models .
Finally , my experience of Accucraft products from the first one we got (Goose) to the latest
is that they are well worth buying . Perhaps we are lucky .
Mike
Seeing how this topic was brought back up I might as well add an update.
Well, sadly nothing new to report.
My locomotive is sitting on a shelf in my basement waiting to be sent back to Accucraft sometime in August.
I returned the Blue colored 45T they sent me because that one operated just as poorly as my yellow one.
Not really sure if I will even send the unit back to have the wheels trued or not, even if they fix the wheels it will not fix the poor performance on even the slightest of grades… Which will still render this locomotive useless on my layout that has maybe a 1-2% grade in just one corner.
Unless I can score an incredible deal on another Accucraft locomotive this will probably be the last one I will purchase.
My luck with them running good is literally 50%, I have 2-locomotives that run beautiful and 2-that plain and simple run like crap.
Such a shame as they are a beautiful looking product, I just don’t have any luck with them.
Vincent , that’s a bit sad , I am not surprised that you sound so fed-up , but though you shouldn’t need to be , perhaps if you are patient the problem will be overcome . Your comment about pulling power makes me wonder if the wheel wobble is actually causing part of the towing capability . In effect , your wheels are trying to change gauge and lift the loco up and down at the same time . As you rightly say , it’s a heavy beast and squeezing the wheels into the wrong gauge is not going to help as well as the straightforward problem of lifting it up . You may find that because of the lack of symmetry the wheels are skidding slightly all the time , your description of it waddling along the track supports this because you have , in effect , two different radius wheels on the same axle , and no wheel is going to defeat the laws of physics .
I hope you get a satisfactory solution , keep trying but don’t let it spoil your fun . The first part of the solution is going to be to get circular wheels in place of the cams that are currently spoiling things .
Mike
Vincent, Take the wheels off, and go to a local machine shop…
Or get a friend with a lathe…
It’s not that much work.
Greg
**Mike Morgan said:**The LGB Aster WPYR loco had people up in arms about lousy motors . Our model has no such problems .
Mike
Mike, the problem with the initial version of the White Pass mike was not the motor, but the drive-train assembly.
I should know, as I had THREE before I got one to work properly, and that was the very last one that was taken back to the factory by Wolfgang Richter - personally - after the model was dumped on the LGB stand at the NSzM in front of him by the UK distributor, who had let me chose a couple of replacements from the pallet - one week apart. My current [and last] model serial number is #373, BTW…took 'em a while to get it right out of a total declared production of only 600. Talking to Tamada-san of Aster a few years later about it, he admitted that it had been an appalling error to have made a 20 pound metal model using a drive-train designed for a seven pound plastic one. It was, he said, a real embrrassment ot have been associated with it.
The drive-train-revised model had an improved MTS decoder and sound-card, too - all fitted to mine. When it finally came back here, it was followed shortly after by an apologetic letter from Herr Richter, telling me to use the model and if it EVER went wrong, it would be fixed all expenses paid.
I’ve often used it since then, with a string of Bachmann WP cars, and I’m still looking for the article in GR that shows how to make them the correct length.
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS
Hello Tac , interesting reply . I do remember your having a problem with your three , I also remember someone doing a write-up on how to change the motor for a “decent one” .
With regard to the gears , we still have it up and running with the originals . Perhaps you should try driving it by standing beside the track and not sitting on the loco .
Seriously mate , I have had no problems , but that is not to say they will not appear in the future .
If I could lift the thing up , I’d get the serial number , but you know I can’t so I shall have to wait for my son Martyn to do it .
By the way . folks , I put a post up here a while back about Martyn having cancer . Apart from being lopsided after losing part of his crown jewels ( he is shy about showing me left or right) he has just had another scan and they have now put him on three monthly ones because it seems to still be in remission . He is , however , disabled , the chemotherapy did some serious nerve damage and he now gets intense pain trying to walk over twenty yards or so .
So remember , all of you , it can be beat , especially if you examine yourself regularly and get any lump seen to .
Mike
Tac, if you ever find that article I would be interested in it. I have a small pile of Bachmann coaches that are begging to bashed somehow
After having others view and confirm the poor performance of the 45T diesel I contacted Cliff today to finally send the locomotive back and have them look at it.
I guess there tech that fixes there locomotives is back and can perform the work that this locomotive needs.
We shall see…
Vincent,
It was nice meting you and the misses this weekend.
Glad to see that your sending that loco back, I was amazed at how easily it shut down and its lack of power.
Good luck with it Vincent. It sure is too pretty to become a shelf queen.
Nico Corbo said:
Vincent,
It was nice meting you and the misses this weekend.
Glad to see that your sending that loco back, I was amazed at how easily it shut down and its lack of power.
Nice meeting you also, glad I could have others confirm the poor performance of the 45T (wanted to make sure it all wasn’t in my head!)
We shall see what happens.
Jon Radder said:
Good luck with it Vincent. It sure is too pretty to become a shelf queen.
It really is a great looking locomotive (and big!) Hopefully someday it will run as good as it looks!
It’s on route to California, hopefully they can find and fix ALL the issues this locomotive has.
I hope they can fix it for you. It is a sharp looking engine.
10/1/14
Here is the latest update…
The 45T arrived at Accucraft in CA.
Cliff & Charles tested it on there test layout and can find no issues with it…
They don’t think the wheel wobble is excessive and I will quote a response that was given to me over the phone “It is not any worse then the other 45T locomotives we have tested here”
So I guess paying $900 for a quality brass model you should expect wheels to not run true as apparently this seems acceptable…
No discussion of having them true the wheels (the whole reason why I paid $45 to ship it to them), which I was told back in June that could be done but I would have to wait until August…
Not only have I just imagined and made up everything that is wrong with this locomotive, I seemed to have fooled everyone else that witnessed this piece run on Shawns layout… I am good aren’t I.
I have mostly remained calm over this, after all it is just a toy… all be it a $900 toy, but my patience is wearing very thin.
Cliff is supposed to call me tomorrow too see if I viewed the video they sent me of my locomotive running on there test track pulling a string of cars and we are to discuss what I want to do with it.
No matter what I decide, I will seriously have to think long & hard if I will ever purchase another Accucraft product.
To be continued…
“no worse than other ones”
sort of like saying “your Edsel is no uglier than other Edsels” 
Vincent, if you want, when all else is exhausted, you could try sending me the wheels in one of those USPS $5 boxes, I would be willing to see if I could help.
email me privately for address.
Regards, Greg
Being bounced around by UPS fixed a loose connection? It sure was easy to stall at Shawn’s. I didn’t really notice the wobble, but I wasn’t looking for it either - just trying to catch in in a good photo location.
So its no worse then the others we built…Now there is a statement!