Large Scale Central

BBT's Consolidation drive

Reviews
#1

Hi all,
Just a good word for a great product.

My Connie is still running fine (on it’s second factory gear) but I knew it was only a matter of time before it would blow out again.
After talking with Barry and others about his new drive system I ordered one and received it promptly, about 2 months ago. I will wait until this winter (rainy day) to change it out. Unless the need arises before then.

About two days after I ordered my new drive a friend asked what could be done for his Connie as it wasn’t running. Well it was a cracked gear, I explained the three options as I know them and he called Barry and ordered a drive unit (motor and gear box).

He didn’t feel comfortable doing it himself so he came over and I watched while he changed it out. The conversion is easy and the instructions are good. What most impressed me was while wiring the motor, we were checking for polarity so had the chassis up on blocks so it could free wheel while we checked forward and reverse motion with the light direction, the motor/gearbox combination was just sitting in position on the axel gear. Just sitting there held in place on the axel gear by it’s own weight, the bottom bearing/cover plate was not installed. We ran the engine forward and reverse and there was virtually no motion or noise from the motor or gear box. We ran it up to about 1/3 speed clear down to a crawl, just as smooth at any speed.

Well we finished up the install and took it out on the line for a real test, ran beautifully at all speeds. We didn’t pull any cars with it as it was getting late and other things had to be done, but I have no doubts about the ability to pull serious trains.

Thanks Barry for a great product that does what is claimed for it.
Rick

#2

I’ll second that!

#3
Rick Marty said:
Hi all, Just a good word for a great product.

My Connie is still running fine (on it’s second factory gear) but I knew it was only a matter of time before it would blow out again.
After talking with Barry and others about his new drive system I ordered one and received it promptly, about 2 months ago. I will wait until this winter (rainy day) to change it out. Unless the need arises before then.

About two days after I ordered my new drive a friend asked what could be done for his Connie as it wasn’t running. Well it was a cracked gear, I explained the three options as I know them and he called Barry and ordered a drive unit (motor and gear box).

He didn’t feel comfortable doing it himself so he came over and I watched while he changed it out. The conversion is easy and the instructions are good. What most impressed me was while wiring the motor, we were checking for polarity so had the chassis up on blocks so it could free wheel while we checked forward and reverse motion with the light direction, the motor/gearbox combination was just sitting in position on the axel gear. Just sitting there held in place on the axel gear by it’s own weight, the bottom bearing/cover plate was not installed. We ran the engine forward and reverse and there was virtually no motion or noise from the motor or gear box. We ran it up to about 1/3 speed clear down to a crawl, just as smooth at any speed.

Well we finished up the install and took it out on the line for a real test, ran beautifully at all speeds. We didn’t pull any cars with it as it was getting late and other things had to be done, but I have no doubts about the ability to pull serious trains.

Thanks Barry for a great product that does what is claimed for it.
Rick


Now I know who to talk to when I do my BBT install this winter. Thanks Rick.

#4

Thank you, all.

I appreciate the evaluation, even without problems.

If problems were encountered, they are welcome so it can be improved.

What I find interesting is that with the units in the hands of customers, fortunately few problems described, but also few plaudits.

Seems that if were happy we’re quiet.

Which is good, but doesn’t help my ego (like I need that).

Barry - BBT

#5

Barry-
“Customer Quiet” outweighing complaints can certainly mean personal satisfaction with your products. In my conversations with you at train shows, you reinforce your committment to your ethics and delivering product quality. Think of the reason your products are bought in the first place – the originally purchased product did not work well or outright failed! Therefore, if it NOW works well, it is doing what it was supposed to do in the first place. So the customer is now satisfied having a product do what it was originally advertised – finally working is not seen as value-added. So there may be quiet satisfaction from no longer being angry and frustrated.

Further credit to you is the strong influence you have had in Bachmann’s repetitive efforts to improve their “Annie” locomotive. It took five generations of that loco to create a loco that does run with repetitive success. Competition with your product successes furthered their efforts to make the loco work.

Thanks again, Barry, for your integrity in not using your customers to spend money on your products that they, in effect, end up testing.
You have a big leader in a hobby that unfortunately hasn’t always featured product integrity.

Best wishes,
Wendell

#6

Wendell,

Good to hear from you. Your comments are purely correct. Thank you.

I apologize for my ‘carping’, it was meant to be more tongue in cheek.

Barry - BBT