Looks like Bachmann has just released a brass gear replacement for their Connie. Plus it comes already pressed on the axle. Since Barry is no longer making his drive units, it seems this is probably the next best alternative. I’m gonna buy one since my gear cracked around Christmas last year and need it fixed.
Sweet! I was on the verge of ordering a NWSL replacement even though mine is running beautifully. I know Barry’s drives are truly fantastic but if this keeps my Connie running “stock” I will be very happy indeed.
Is the replacement on their website?
Edit: Found it…Cheap too!
…and ordered. 
Yeah i ordered one too. $10 bucks is a pretty good price. With shipping it is $15, still not too bad.
Jake who says I am no longer making the drive units for the Connie or anything else?
Barry
Barry Olsen from a different thread said:
Gentlemen,Thank you all for the kind comments. But I need to add, the website is gone, the advertising is gone, the P.O. Box is closed, and the CC processing is gone, but I have produced a lot of units in twenty years and I must remain viable and prepared to support the warranty requirements (or anything else).
Barry Olsen said:
Jake who says I am no longer making the drive units for the Connie or anything else?Barry
Barry, I, at least, am now officially confused. What is your status? Are you still making the drives? There are many of us who hope that you are.
Ah, I think it’s a case of reading between the lines. Barry said the credit card processing was gone, the website was gone and the GR ads were gone. All of these are fixed expenses primarily invested in to drive new business. Barry also said “I’m still here” in answer to the closing doors thread. Sounds to me Barry is scaling back the overhead and not chasing new customers, but will remain “available to support existing customers”. You don’t really have to have ever spent a dime with him to be an “existing customer”. If you know who he is, what he makes and how to reach him, your in
Barry - Did I get it close ?
Like the NWSL drive gear, there are no shoulders on the new Bachmann brass gear. I believe the shoulders (short sleeves) on the old Bachmann plastic gear may have kept the drive axle bushings from moving into the bottom of the gearbox. I made sure the bushings were held by the gearbox casing and cap before tightening the screws. But will they stay there?
I now have about five Connies in my train workshop for installation of the new Bachmann axles. I wonder if some thrust washers may be required to compensate for the lack of shoulders.
BTW: The hole in the center of the NWSL gear is too small. The owner of one Connie found out the hard way that no amount of pounding, no matter what size of hammer was used, would let the gear move down the axle. I drilled the gear out with a 1/4 inch bit; the same size as the axle. It fit snugly on the axle and could be tapped over the raised splines with a deep socket to keep it in place.
I’ve heard (and Barry’s instructions mention this as well) that the axle on the 2-8-0 may vary in size slightly. I had no trouble installing the NWSL gear on two of my 2-8-0s, but another guy e-mailed me with the same comment–that he had to drill out the center of his to get it to fit. Oddly, my Barry’s replacement gear was much tighter on the axle than his instructions would have led me to believe it should be.
What… you want consistency in this hobby???
Later,
K
Aye, I am confused also.
Perhaps Jon has hit the nail on the head. If this is true, then Barry I need to put a call into you.
Jon,
You have read it right. I must remain ale to support any warranty needs. As long as that is done, I can do other things under my new title “hobbyist”.
Barry
That should read: “I must remain able…”
Barry
Barry Olsen said:
That should read: "I must remain able...."Barry
We like Ale too.
yeah and some stout or pilsner. They are all good words… 
Holy water is holy water, says Fr Fred.