Large Scale Central

Bachmann 3 truck wire fix

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Just received a NEW 3 truck shay and it is a beauty. When it was released many years ago there was a published “fix” for the wire harness coming from the engine to prevent the wires from breaking loose from the board.

“WE HAVE PERMISSION TO PUBLISH THIS (FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TRY TO CREATE PROBLEMS AT BACHMANN, I HAVE IT IN PRINT)”…begins the document…which mainly involves hot glue to secure the wires.

My shay is a bit different than the one shown in the accompanying video. There is only one wire harness, rather than two, extending from the engine. There is only one whole in the drawbar between the two parts of the model.

Is it possible that there were modifications made to the model along that way that make it unnecessary to do the “fix”? I really do not wish to dissemble the model, if it is not necessary…and yet, if those wires will eventually break loose from the board, I will surely attempt the fix.

Thanks for the help.

#2

I have a 3 truck shay and hadn’t thought about gluing the wires at the board. Mine has 2 wires out the engine that go into one plug for the tender. I bought mine used, thought I got a good deal but wasn’t told the plug had messed up pins. I got it back together the best I could so it at least works.

I see the flaw in the bachmann design being at the plug and not the board. The plug is pulled and pressed each time the loco is set out to run and it is bound to break sooner or later.

I ended up making a tote for mine so I never have to pull that plug again.

If you must take it apart it isn’t that hard to do, use your box foam to safely flip the shay over then I think it is 2 screws to remove the coal bunker. The tender has 4 screws if memory serves.

I wouldn’t bother but do be careful when separating at the plug.

#3

Thanks for the response Todd…it is appreciated.

#4

bob kaplan said:

Just received a NEW 3 truck shay and it is a beauty. When it was released many years ago there was a published “fix” for the wire harness coming from the engine to prevent the wires from breaking loose from the board.

“WE HAVE PERMISSION TO PUBLISH THIS (FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TRY TO CREATE PROBLEMS AT BACHMANN, I HAVE IT IN PRINT)”…begins the document…which mainly involves hot glue to secure the wires.

My shay is a bit different than the one shown in the accompanying video. There is only one wire harness, rather than two, extending from the engine. There is only one whole in the drawbar between the two parts of the model.

Is it possible that there were modifications made to the model along that way that make it unnecessary to do the “fix”? I really do not wish to dissemble the model, if it is not necessary…and yet, if those wires will eventually break loose from the board, I will surely attempt the fix.

Thanks for the help.

You remove the bottom cover on the engine for the drawbar, remove the drawbar and spring, flip it around so two holes are “out”. Done that way on purpose to keep clueless from short-coupling on R-1 and breaking a plastic u-joint pin on RH curves. That from the late Howard himself when I told him why it was that way and he yes “Yes”.

There should be two “hoses”, again as per the late Howard, designed to look like hoses, 4 wires per hose, cross over each other, split around the drawbar. Not sure how one would work, as the wires would have to be extra long to reach the far side of the plug…and then if you put the wire enclosures on the opposite side, you’d have issues with too short on the other side.

When I do these, the socket comes out of the water tender PC board, and a new, larger one goes in, with matching plug and super-flex wire.

Whatever you do, tie the wires/hose down to the floor, and hot glue those wires to the board.

PRC does not know how to strain relief solder, full stop.

And the reason for the permission…at the time, there were morons who thought it great sport to think I was not doing these fix reports without permission and trying to create problems…and other unscrupulous folks who simply copied everything I published and printed as theirs.

I’ve been into more three-truck Bachmann Shays than I can remember, all had split harnesses, no tie downs, no hot glue, but, hey, maybe they fixed it after I gave up. Who knows.

TOC

#5

So now I understand, Todd says he has 2 wires, but he has two BUNDLES of 4 wires each in heat shrink so they look like 2 fat wires.

Greg

#6

My problem was the plug and breaking the fine wires that terminated at the plug from the locomotive. After buying another wire harness from BM, I used silicone sealant and made a strain relief of sorts by smearing it starting at the plug and going about 3/4 inch up the wires. Seems to work so far

Jerry

#7

Yep, good idea… the newer units seem to have heavier wire, although the C19 that my friend and I DCC’d had 2 connectors, and they don’t seat all the way without some careful force.

Greg