Large Scale Central

Old Bachmann Porter pickups

Problem Solving
#61

As an addendum, I guess I might say that the one CONSTANT for me is that when it comes to buying Locomotives on eBay, sight unseen, that of the close to half dozen used locos I personally have bought via ebay auctions that almost EVERY ONE upon delivery and inspection was in some fashion, a “pig in a poke”. Every loco I have bought via eBay has required something in one fashion or the other to repair it to similar to ‘like new’ fashion.

Rolling stock has been much, mo’ betta’ for me as to purchasing on ebay. In my experience, if it’s a model locomotive engine then assume the worst before pulling the trigger on it at auction and consider that in your bidding, but if it’s rolling stock…what do you have to lose?

S

#62

Scott W. said:

My new [to me] 30 dollar Porter clearly has little run time, I cleaned old lube off and re-lubed and…it looks pretty OK. Don’t see this pre-cancerous “cluster gear” issue that’s been bandied around yet but will research it. My theory on this apparently ‘prehistoric’ Bachmann Porter is that it will run sufficiently well right up until the day it quits running at all and after that…it won’t run until I fix it. [but that’s just a theory/prediction that has held true on other model locomotives prior to this one]. In other words, No Big Deal. For 30 bucks. I can live with that. I can fix it or put it on the shelf/trash/burn pile…makes no never mind to me.

Nothing’s truly “un-fixable” in my experience so far and that includes buying a Connie with a busted drive gear and the 3 truck shay with a busted and completely missing part of the driveshaft that Bachmann definitely does not have available for sale. In the first instance I found a better Delryn replacement gear from NWSL for my ebay Connie and my 3 truck Shay I fabricated the part from square styrene square tubing and it looks and performs like the original piece. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

S

Personal opinion…thirty bucks was too much. If I recall, that’s more than they cost new. But if you’re happy…good. I’ve bought then for five and ten each.

I always tell folks there’s a reason the engines show up on evilbait.

Worn out, clapped out, broken, don’t work…the disclaimer to avoid is “not tested” or “we have no way of testing it…we sell furniture”.

Whatever you do, DON’T get suckered into buying and OLD Lyn and Barnstaple 2-4-2T…or a Coal Creek Lumber 2-4-2T.

I could tell you why…but suffice it to say I’ve worked on far more than I ever wanted to, and went through whole lot of JB Weld…and they still ended up on evilbait when there wasn’t enough plastic left to glue to anymore.

TOC

#63

30 bucks? Are you sh-----g me? Chump change. Jus’ sayin. If that’s big time money to you then what on earth are you doing playing with large scale trains? Maybe you should downsize to HO or N scale if 30 bucks is a frightening sum. If it dies tomorrow I couldn’t give a Rat’s A–. I have had 30 bucks worth of fun repairing it and weathering it. Seriously. It was fun and educational to me. Your mileage obviously will vary. There was no way of knowing on the eBay auction if it was old or new stock.

S

#64

Back.

Off.

If I was to buy an early Botchman Porter…so early it had skates…and paid thirty bucks…yeah, that would be far too much.

“My new [to me] 30 dollar Porter clearly has little run time”.

Good. If it’s all there and nothing broke, good. I get boxes of carp (sp) all the time…five to ten bucks for an old Porter. Somebody asked for thirty, with no way of knowing what kind of carpshoot (sp) it was, I’d pass. I’m glad it worked out for you.

What on earth am I doing in LS? Good freaking question.

14 radio/battery/sound locos in the shed, a stack more radio/battery locos in the basement, 130 freight cars, 12-13 passenger cars, full work train and 1500 feet of track, yeah, I think I know what to look for in these things.

I do have Half Zero. I have restored a whole display case of engines…all work…Mantua, Varney, Penn Line, English…even a dual geared Athearn Geep.

I have 0…lots of it, in two and three rail. Lots. At least as much as the LS.

TOC

#65

Wow. Read your post. interesting.

Radio Control. Impressive s–t there my friend.

What ARE you doing on large scale central to answer your inquiry.

Jus sayin’

#66

“Back Off”. [?] That’s funny. I should go to bed now otherwise “Curmudgeon” I might say something less than ‘Gentile’

#67

Deleted.

#68

Steve I wasn’t trying to impress anyone with “my wealth” which this morning I see you or someone deleted your post but I got it in my email. I was just saying that 30 dollars for a working engine is small change and was responding to the comment by Curmudegon that started off with “Back Off” which most folks would find a bit aggressive. I have just been looking for advice and sharing my experience with a cheap purchase of a used loco on eBay and then he went on to tell me that I’m a fool for paying 30 bucks for the Porter and he said that was “more than they cost new” which since it came in the original box from the seller with a 99 dollar price tag on it would clearly be a silly statement. Large Scale is an expensive hobby for most folks I think and I was just baffled that anyone would complain about or chastise me for paying 30 dollars for any working engine and if that kind of money was exorbitant to someone then I thought other scales might be more suitable.

Anyway, thanks for the advice from the folks who proffered useful comments and my loco is now running well again and all the best to everyone.

#69

Scott, since many new locomotives cost $100 or more, for a steam locomotive of that size, I do not think $30 was exorbitant. Everyone has their opinions, and they are entitled to have them. I am glad that you got the thing working. I am partial to small steam locomotives. Thanks for sharing your experience.

#70

Scott W. said:

Steve I wasn’t trying to impress anyone with “my wealth” which this morning I see you or someone deleted your post but I got it in my email. I was just saying that 30 dollars for a working engine is small change and was responding to the comment by Curmudegon that started off with “Back Off” which most folks would find a bit aggressive. I have just been looking for advice and sharing my experience with a cheap purchase of a used loco on eBay and then he went on to tell me that I’m a fool for paying 30 bucks for the Porter and he said that was “more than they cost new” which since it came in the original box from the seller with a 99 dollar price tag on it would clearly be a silly statement. Large Scale is an expensive hobby for most folks I think and I was just baffled that anyone would complain about or chastise me for paying 30 dollars for any working engine and if that kind of money was exorbitant to someone then I thought other scales might be more suitable.

Anyway, thanks for the advice from the folks who proffered useful comments and my loco is now running well again and all the best to everyone.

Scott, I think that perhaps you should review your first response to Dave (Curmudgeon). It was less than “Gentile.”. That’s why you got blasted. I’m glad that you finally got your locomotive running, and that you consider it to be a bargain.

#71

Scott W. said:

Steve I …was responding to the comment by Curmudegon that started off with “Back Off” which most folks would find a bit aggressive.

Ya think?

5 pages of attitudinal deficiency and the last thing you want to do is tell me what flavour ice cream cone that is.

I am glad that you were the loser…errr…winner…or whatever it’s called on evilbait where you pay the highest for someones stuff.

This isn’t like classic cars. There is no “classic bachmann”. If you had any clue whatsoever you might know about plastic gears (pinion, spur, worm gear, axle gears) that once made, start to shrink.

Buy a new, oh, 2-8-0. Never run. Flip it over, pull the gear cover, inspect the axle gear…and you will find the hub of the gear cracked.

It’s just a mater of time until the crack extends to a tooth, and “pow!”

Hundreds of them have been through here, almost all of them new, direct from TW, SAS, RS, you name it.

Then there’s regrind. Regrind is a term related to me by Howard Lee Riley hisself. I didn’t make it up.

Still shows up from time to time. High water mark was the first run of Shays, but not, apparently confined exclusively.

Back to “classic bachmann”…since no parts are available on older stuff (even new stuff, often), resale value is effectively zero.

Unless the seller drags out “rare”. “vintage”, or, good lord, “extremely rare!”

Seller laughed all the way to the bank.

My older Porter in service has been for about 20 years, maybe a tad less. So yours is probably just older than that.

If you want it to play with, don’t mind spending thirty bucks to see, great. Go for it. Do it again.

TOC

#72

The guy just wanted to know how to fix it. Is all this other stuff really necessary?

#73

You misinterpreted… too much to pay for that loco… you can pay too much for anything.

You then launch into a tirade insulting him, and then later ask why he says back off?

Scott, you need to get some experience, manners, and learn to read posts several times to understand, and you are also insulting probably the planet’s most knowledgable person on Bachmann.

Greg

Scott W. said:

30 bucks? Are you sh-----g me? Chump change. Jus’ sayin. If that’s big time money to you then what on earth are you doing playing with large scale trains? Maybe you should downsize to HO or N scale if 30 bucks is a frightening sum. If it dies tomorrow I couldn’t give a Rat’s A–. I have had 30 bucks worth of fun repairing it and weathering it. Seriously. It was fun and educational to me. Your mileage obviously will vary. There was no way of knowing on the eBay auction if it was old or new stock.

S

#74

Ken Brunt said:

The guy just wanted to know how to fix it. Is all this other stuff really necessary?

Anyhow!!!

#75

Greg Elmassian said:

You misinterpreted… too much to pay for that loco… you can pay too much for anything.

You then launch into a tirade insulting him, and then later ask why he says back off?

Scott, you need to get some experience, manners, and learn to read posts several times to understand, and you are also insulting probably the planet’s most knowledgable person on Bachmann.

Greg

Scott W. said:

30 bucks? Are you sh-----g me? Chump change. Jus’ sayin. If that’s big time money to you then what on earth are you doing playing with large scale trains? Maybe you should downsize to HO or N scale if 30 bucks is a frightening sum. If it dies tomorrow I couldn’t give a Rat’s A–. I have had 30 bucks worth of fun repairing it and weathering it. Seriously. It was fun and educational to me. Your mileage obviously will vary. There was no way of knowing on the eBay auction if it was old or new stock.

S

So now your trying to tell the guy he doesn’t know what he read??? I can think of a few that need to get some manners myself!

This is the kinda crap that keeps folks from posting at all!

#76

Yes Rooster, he misinterpreted (notice the word)… you really need to re-read TOC’s reply, and mine. Too much to pay for the loco, not that TOC has no money and needs to leave the hobby.

Also about manners, isn’t there a phrase about casting the first stone? You of all people?

I’m laughing my butt off right now…

Greg

#77

David Russell said:

Greg Elmassian said:

You misinterpreted… too much to pay for that loco… you can pay too much for anything.

You then launch into a tirade insulting him, and then later ask why he says back off?

Scott, you need to get some experience, manners, and learn to read posts several times to understand, and you are also insulting probably the planet’s most knowledgable person on Bachmann.

Greg

Scott W. said:

30 bucks? Are you sh-----g me? Chump change. Jus’ sayin. If that’s big time money to you then what on earth are you doing playing with large scale trains? Maybe you should downsize to HO or N scale if 30 bucks is a frightening sum. If it dies tomorrow I couldn’t give a Rat’s A–. I have had 30 bucks worth of fun repairing it and weathering it. Seriously. It was fun and educational to me. Your mileage obviously will vary. There was no way of knowing on the eBay auction if it was old or new stock.

S

So now your trying to tell the guy he doesn’t know what he read??? I can think of a few that need to get some manners myself!

This is the kinda crap that keeps folks from posting at all!

Sure keeps me from posting until three people call me and two e-mail me about a specific thread…then it passes the threshold test, and here I am.

So, let’s look at this from another way:

Most of us that had those early units got rid of them for A) very poor pickups, B) skates, C) plastic rods and push pins, plastic crossheads and guides, and D) poor gearing.

Scrapped them for parts, threw them away, gave them away. ( I have a couple of boxes somewhere of boilers, side tanks, cabs…)

Later units looked the same, better (Anniversary-style gearbox), metal rods, crossheads, guides, bolt-on crankpins.

I get the later ones given to me, or 5-10 bucks…and that’s the later ones.

I wait for them to show up…I do NOT peruse evilbait looking to “win” something.

Just because some folks tell you they never made that, and some loco fellow tells you you’re full of beans, you have the example, tell 'em to whizz up a rope.

To give you an idea (and I will get some photos), I took two of the later $5 Porters, modified the gearbox (motors stand upright), an old Heisler I got for free as someone had used both trucks to make three-truck Heislers…and I made a Vulcan Duplex…and it’s radio/battery/sound.

Nobody else has one, so I built one.

I “collect” if that’s the term pre- and just postwar 2-rail 0 scale stuff that is primarily ScaleCraft. I like it. Doorstops…sand cast bronze locos, (hold a door open with it), restore them, the cars…and in the last two years or so I have had two large boxes of cars given to me. Free.

I ain’t gonna pay for them if I can wait and they’re free.

In that last box was an oddball tankcar. Weird truck sideframes, big old resistor soldered across one truck, very strange stainless couplers…Eastern Railroad…it is an untouched NY Worlds Fair tank car from the 1939 display.

So, yeah, I wait. Cheap? Maybe. Maybe it’s just an unwillingness to spend a lot of money on something the evilbait crowd thinks is “vintage, extremely rare”. Some of the stuff they call “rare” is because it was a pile of dog poo to begin with.

Like I tell folks with the old 2-4-2 Lyn engines…don’t overload them. As in, don’t put 12 passenger cars behind them and run them for 10 hours a day.

Be careful with that Porter, it will do what it’s supposed to.

Remember…history…when the OF 2-8-0’s started splitting gears, folks sent them back for repair…got a call from Bach “service”…“How many cars are you pulling?” “Six”. “You overloaded it”.

Gimme a break.

TOC

#78

Read the first page of this thread …olde porters had skates !!!

And then posts seemed to go awry ? So I quit reading the ‘pulp fiction’ :wink:

dougc

p.s. BUT just had to also add;

“…I am very disappointed in the Yardmaster who is a Bachmann employee. He is very closed minded and not knowledgeable about his company’s history, and seems he could care less. So much for him. We now know better…”

Something odd about their Yardmaster as this is the second thread implying a ‘derailment’ I’ve stumbled across within the past 3days.

The other thread was over at the B’mann site where someone posted a question about a heisler The yardmaster then proceeded to give 2 diff. seemingly contradicting replies (within 24 hrs) and jumped on the poster (?), AND then locked the thread.

Was tempted to send a pm to the yardmaster asking what and why the contradiction… but then decided naaaah, maybe they have more than one yardmaster oooor someone had hacked ‘his’ password !!

Or the yardmaster IS a newbie who does not have a database like Mr. Canelos has collected over the yrs.

Shucks at least 2 decades ago, I had a (newbie ?)customer service person at a stapler manufacturing company telling me a PS-1 never existed, when I had one in hand embossed with their name, in labelled box !

#79

It is fun, right? All it is. Add to that learning, and we all grow in our knowledge and understanding.

#80

Doug Cannon said:

Read the first page of this thread …olde porters had skates !!!

And then posts seemed to go awry ? So I quit reading the ‘pulp fiction’ :wink:

dougc

“Pulp Fiction”

So true Doug and thank you Dave Maynard, Ken Brunt, Dave Russell all I was trying to do was get other people’s advice on repairing/tweaking an early Bachmann porter.

This whole thread is a perfect f’in’ illustration of what’s wrong with these forums and I guess my patience finally ran out.

RECAP; I go to “Problem Solving” NOT general discussion to ask if someone else has experience with skate pickups on an old Bachmann Porter. [If you really have NOTHING better to do with your time but to review all 4 pages of my OP and I am QUITE positive many of you have ABSOLUTELY nothing better to do with your time than to do just that], but anyway, if you care to review all 4 pages subsequent my OP you find a total of 2, yes only 2 responses that even remotely address the problem I hope to solve. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY my post is hijacked and a useless discussion of whether Bachmann Porters were ever made with skates or not ensues and that leads to what’s wrong with manufacturer’s websites and then after 2 pages of that crap I finally decide to post one or two last updates to try and steer my thread back towards the original topic and share that in spite of receiving NO real useful info I took it apart myself and tweaked it and it runs great other than some wobble in the wheels which I will try and fix.

Then, Curmudgeon wades in to berate me or anyone else who may have paid more than 5 or 10 dollars for a Bachmann Porter and add that it’s just a matter of time before the cluster gear fails and I will feel abject shame amongst my peers and complete and total buyer’s remorse and I guess last evening after a long day of work I snapped back that to me 30 bucks was a worthwhile price for the project and anyone who thinks that’s crazy money might want to pursue a less expensive form of model railroading. Don’t misconstrue my last sentence as any type of apology but I agree with Curmudgeon that it is fun. And Greg, don’t chastise me. You can kiss my a-- as a matter of fact. Your Know It All weighing in on every single Gosh Darn thread that comes down the pike is what drove me and a hundred other modelers away from My Large Scale over to Large Scale Central in the last year and it was only a matter of time before you came over here to do the same.

Is this all a lot of you do all day long? Do you live on a desert island or maybe you’re shut-ins with limited mobility and no social life? If I am p-ssing any of you off by saying this…I don’t give a flip. I HAVE a life outside toy trains. I LOVE THEM and have been modeling trains for decades, but they are just a facet of my world not the whole freakin’ enchilada. I still work part-time, take continuing education classes, date/socialize, belong to outside organizations, bike, hike…

Therefore, you can jump down my throat and I’m sure some of you will and as Robin Williams Father told him, always let the A–hole have the last word, but know before you do…I don’t care. You tell ME to get some manners? Well here’s some advice back at you; If you read the subject line and original post of a thread and have NOTHING useful, positive, and/or relevant to add or contribute TO that thread, why don’t you just have a nice cup of shut the f— up and move on to the next thread.