Large Scale Central

Self destructing tender trucks on Bachmann Connie

Problem Solving
#1

I noticed that my truck bolsters are cracking at the sideframe connecting screw area. Anyone else have this problem , what’s the fix? Are new trucks available from Bmann? I noticed that trucks overall are too wide has anyone narrow them to correct width?
Loco has had many trouble free hours with Barrys drive in it. Hopefully it will be a quick repair on the trucks.
Thanks for the help, Dave

#2

Dave, don’t know if your problem is the same as Mine was. But I bought a NOS Connie on E-bay last year and it came with broken tender trucks. I faxed my sales slip to Bachmann and they send me new tender trucks. No charge.
Edit to add that there is a fix for that and that’s where mine were broke but much easier just to get the replacement trucks for free.

#3

Dave
Yes you can get them from Bachmann for $35
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_69_142&products_id=532

I install longer screws where the sideframes are screwed to the center bolster. I can post a photo for you later if you want
I have done this even when the sideframe has broke completely off. That is one of the upgrades I do when I work on anybody’s connie.

Rodney

#4

I have been changing the bolts in the sideframe to bolster from a wood screw type to a pan head 4-40 bolt, just a 1/4" long.

Works very well.

Barry - BBT

#5

Thanks for the tips guys.
Right now the trucks are still together but loosely,I will get it apart in the next few days and see whats the extent of the damage.

Barry…loco has your drive in it and she runs like a champ and pulls strong as a mule. Great product…thanks!!!

#6

Well after a pleasant Sat am in the train shop I emerged with 1 fixed tender truck and 1 totally broken truck bolster. It literally broke it multiple pieces,must be very brittle plastic! I think other truck probably is’nt long for this world either!! I dont want to spend $35 x2 for bmanns plastic replacements. I took a truck off an EBT hopper and it looks nice on tender. I had an Aristo archbar truck and it looks like it will work as well. One of those will be installed soon!

#7

Dave,

When the plastic falls apart, you have the best answer.

Barry - BBT

#8

Too bad Bach doesn’t sell their 1:20 Spectrum rolling stock trucks.
Those are pretty nice trucks.
It’s funny they put those cheap trucks on the tender, instead of the metal ones.
But, I’ll never figure Bachmann out…

#9

John,

Just got my 2012 Bachmann catalog. The 20.3 trucks are listed with larger wheel size 31.5mm, also wheels avail separately.

When they will be available is the question, but usually means in the fourth quarter of the year.

Barry - BBT

#10

How is this for Bachmann logic…You buy a $50-$100 freight car and get fantastic metal trucks…
You spend multiple hundreds of dollars on locomotive and you get plastic trucks,plastic gears or incorrect ratio gears!!!
Ain’t this a great hobby!!!
Dave

#11

It’s called “re-grind”, and due to the QC in PRC, will probably be with us for a long time.
One of the reasons I bought my last new PRC product 5 years ago, and no more.

#12

Today I installed a pair of Aristo archbars with pickups that I got at York yesterday on tender…problem solved $15!!! They are almost the same wheelbase as stock truck and
I used stock Bmann wheelsets after shortening axle length. Aristo archbars have reputation for not breaking easily!

#13
Curmudgeon said:
the QC in PRC, ...PRC product ....
???????
#14
John Le Forestier said:
Curmudgeon said:
the QC in PRC, ...PRC product ....
???????
Translation: Quality Control (QC) in the Peoples Republic of CHina (PRC), Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Product

I have said for a while now, its not simply escalating prices that will kill the hobby, its these never ending and never resolved QC problems with PRC made product coupled with those price increases that will, who wants to pay near brass prices for something that essentially broken out of the box. The issue is systemic because the entire PRC factory system seams locked in the “business as usual” of crappy throw away mentality.

#15
Victor Smith said:
...Translation: Quality Control (QC) in the Peoples Republic of CHina (PRC), Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Product...
Tks frm T.O. :rolleyes: