Large Scale Central

Please check your counterweights before ordering!

General Discussion
#1

I have been asked and authorized to pass this along.
Apparently, all units shipped to distributors/dealers in the last two weeks have the new counterweights installed.

PLEASE check your engine before ordering, as supply is, and will be, for the units made with loose counterweights, and some have been installed!

Place locomotive on flat surface or track, grab the left and right counterweight on any axle but #3, and rotate in opposite directions.
BAD ones can be 20° or more, new ones less than 5, often just a rattle, and that’s with the screw loose. With the screw tight on new counterweights, there will be no play. On old counterweights, screw tightness does not matter.

Thank-you.

“Another problem is that some of the consumers are not even taking the unit out of the package before asking for parts. We have replaced the counterweights on all units we have shipped out for the past two weeks and now I am afraid that they are asking us to replace the counterweights on units that have already been corrected.”

#2

Good news that they’re shipping them fixed now.

#3

You would think the dingbats at Bachmann would indicate somewhere on the external packaging that these updated locos had been updated.
All they have done shipping them unlabelled as being updated is to create more problems for themselves.

#4

Tony-
Agreed! Any recall I can think of indicates the mfg. date or some indicator as to the correction.
Again, to me, this incident is a clear call for an input on the Bachmann site to protest the silly process of non-testing of products before shipment. However, as you and I both know, we have access to at least one person who is willing, fully anticipating, and is capable of pre-shipment analysis and receives the product at the same time as those purchasing off the shelves.

Meanwhile, denials that there is NO pre-shipment by someone (Stanley?) fail credibilty.
So what’s up?

Wendell

#5

They as a general rule do not specify updated models.
Specifically, first run Shays were 8-screw covers and incandescent headlights. Second run were 6-screw covers and LEDs. Some units were the same road names and hence part numbers.

4-4-0’s, early ones had no nmra/LS polarity switch, later ones did, same crossover issues with some roadnames.
2-8-0’s, no way to identify from the box early or late.
Climaxes, early had no slip shaft and required 50 hours of run-in, second run, slip shaft and no such run-in requirement.

I am not surprised.

#6

Dave,
I’m one of those guys that took the K-27 out of the box to look at it, and replaced again as I have continued too much snow to consider a test run. In as much as I purchased my loco January 10, I assume I likely have part of the first batch with loose counterweights. Has Bachmann given you any indication re: serial numbers, which locos, may already have corrected counterweights? If they have a serial number reference that would make it easy to determine which locos more likely need the replacement.
I’ll try the test per your recommendation in order to determine if they are loose at any rate. I’d like to ship my locomotive back to Bachmann for the repairs. Have you heard anything from them that indicates when they will be able to accept shipments for repair? And thanks again for your immeasurable advice and help.

#7

Rich-
Yours needs them.
The ones shipped in the last two weeks are the ones in question.
No serial numbers.
I wish they would put a tag in the box, or on the box, to tell consumers, but they did not, apparently.

TOC

#8

BTW, I just read your review of the K in the latest GR, and i have to say I always enjoy your reviews. They’re very thorough and fair!