Unfortunately I have not been able to run my Bachmann steam engines very much, but hopefully I am approaching that time quickly. But I keep reading about all these gear failures, Climax dead after only 30 minutes, etc., and parts availability is dropping, etc. So should one stock up on certain parts while they are still there? Things like delicate parts like the Shay hose hangers, steps? I did buy 2 of the 440 D axel and both my 1st gen Shays have the metal trucks ready to go. What are the common issues for the K27, C19, 2nd gen Climax, 3 truck Shay and 2662 engines? What should I look at getting while getting is available?
The later issue models you list are generally thought to be quite reliable. I have all you mention, my favourites being the Climax and K-27. Certainly the die cast truck Shays, the C-19, 2-6-6-2, reworked Climax and 2-6-0 are good runners. They learnt their lessons with the earlier models - usually poor drivetrain designs and some sketchy wiring. The PnP board on these later models, including the K-27, make battery and dcc conversion a synch.
If anything stock up on fragile detail parts. Max
How old was the Climax? Early ones, yeah, 30 minutes sometimes. You need the skip shaft (or make one). I still have a big handful of new slip shafts right from Irv in Bach Service. The engines would twist up, usually snap the yoke off the end of the center gearbox.
K-27âs? Geez. If I tell you, Bob wonât be happy. I have two. They have the only two BBT drives ever built, all PRC electronics removed or bypassed, and they work great at 30:1.
You know the interesting part on Shays is everybody wanted metal gears in metal trucks. The innards are identicalâŚwheels, axles, bearings, gears, bulkheads, motors. Different housings and pickups. Hooks becoming a problem, I gave up, cut the hooks off of one of mine.
4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0, I used machined Delrin NWSL gears. Good luck. Check the latest Bach catalog to see what they are even producing. If you want 4-6-0âs youâre in luck!
TOC
Thank you, Dave, for coming out of âRetirementâ, if only to offer your thoughts and suggestions, along with memoriesâŚ!!!
Fred mills
YeahâŚlaid up a bit, thought Iâd czech in.
Funny, some places just arenât there any more, others seem full of people who want you to think they are brilliant, but two lines in and you realize they havenât a clue.
Gonna have another run next Friday.
TOC
The NWSL gears work well on the knurled axles. Bachmann now supplies axles and nylon gears as as a spare for the 4-4-0 & 2-6-0, which have a âDâ axle so the NWSL wonât work. They supply a brass gear axle for the 2-8-0.
Does anyone know if NWSL is still making the large scale gears under the new ownership?
uhâŚI have done dozens of the 4-4-0 and 2-6-0. Yes, they are D axles from the geared portion outwards. the axle is round at gear AND for oillite bearings in side of gearbox.
They were still shipping gears late last year for my last order anyway.
If I have any choices to replace with non-Bach parts, thatâs what I do.
If I can figure out photos, I have scrapped gearboxes and axles, i can show you âroundâ.
Now thatâs older units. No idea what they threaded up in newer versions.
Good to see you posting Dave.
Super easy on this new software. Drag and drop will work, as will the old method of posting the URL of a web saved photo. No tags needed.
Like the others, good to see you Dave!