Large Scale Central

SF&BHC R.R. Bachmann Trolley upgrade

Problem Solving
#1

Now that we are on the 32 Nat. Conv. tour, we had to do something to keep these Trolley running.

Got tired of having to replace the Drive on these Trolley due to motors and gears just won’t last on our open houses.

We noticed the last few replaced Bachmann motor block now, they have done away with the pick up slides they use to have on them.

We tried replacing them with a Aristo FA-! motor block because it has a floating axle on the dr. for all wheels for power pick up. We noticed they seem to be to high geared for our use and wheel picked up crap off of the tracks after awhile. All tho. the Aristo was simple to replace by just using Walters Goo to mount them.

On our Trolleys, We mount a 9 v, Batt. box for the 2 LED warm flat head interior lighting. Then we tap off the motor block for the head light and tail lights.

We went to this idea.

You can see the difference size of wheels by add a USA F-3 Motor block, also they have the extra pick up slider too. There also slightly geared slower.

We had to cut out part of the floor to have enough room for the USA Motor block to fit up in the Trolley. This keep the correct height to the rails. Then we add a pc. of plastic and painted it gray to cove the motor inside of the Trolley.

The Side frame of the Trolley is held on by the USA Axles, but had to drill out axle holes to match the axle wheel base. It just float on the motor block.

Being we go from point to point with a mid pass station stop using delay trimmers, we installed a Pentagraphs instead of using the Trolley poles.

These are really neat small town Trolley and enjoy watching them setting at a station for 3 min. Then start up slow, go to a mid pass station for 45 sec. and then to the next town. for a 4 min. stop. After that, starts the run in rev. over again.

#2

If need more details on the USA motor block, it can be a little trickle on the wiring to get in the travel direction with lighting and sliders. Outside hook up pins are rev. to the motor hook up pins and LED’s are set to the direction of travel.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)

#3

Nice job, Noel.

Where did you get the pantographs? Have not seen them for sale anywhere. The ones I have I bought so long ago, I don’t remember where I got them.

#4

I turn the USA motors 180 degrees in the block and then jumper the leads outside the block. Then I add the directional wires for lights.

I have yet to make thes erunon DCC but it should be easy to do.

The trolleys run great with these motors.

#5

Dan Pierce said:

I turn the USA motors 180 degrees in the block and then jumper the leads outside the block. Then I add the directional wires for lights.

I have yet to make thes erunon DCC but it should be easy to do.

The trolleys run great with these motors.

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Ya… we was thinking of turning the motor block around, but had it set and glued in place so just rewired it. It was easy to do.

One of the best things we done was getting it replaced with a USA Motor block. Sure can run slow and lots of power for the small grades.

#6

Lou Luczu said:

Nice job, Noel.

Where did you get the pantographs? Have not seen them for sale anywhere. The ones I have I bought so long ago, I don’t remember where I got them.

Hi Lou. Sorry on late getting back to ya… I got them from a repair bud that retired from Bachmann. I guess they came off of some scraped out foreign Trolleys they make year’s back.

He sent me three of them. Neat workable units and we added the green glass beads for the insulators.

Think MTH and LGB has some like them.

#7

HLW has the pole versions for overhead power.

#8

Dan Pierce said:

HLW has the pole versions for overhead power.

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Bachmann has replacements for the spring loaded Trolley poles to.

I took mine off due to they don’t work backwards very well on a back and forth sys. lol. That why for looks we went to using pandagraphs for Trolley going in both directions. At one time we use the Pandagraphs for the inter. lighting, but now just went to using a 9 v. Batt with LED’s.

#9

Noel, do you still have some of those Bachmann motor blocks? I need a motor for one of my trolleys. The original motor seized up just after I replaced two crack axle gears :frowning:

#10

Dick Friedman said:

Noel, do you still have some of those Bachmann motor blocks? I need a motor for one of my trolleys. The original motor seized up just after I replaced two crack axle gears :frowning:

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Hi Richard F. No on the Bachmann motor block… Mine are scraps. That why I had to change them due to motors seized up or bunt out also. The ones I took out was a cheap 3 pole motor. To me… it was a very small motor to run the gears and large wheels they tried to turn. I seen that same type motor in Ho Engs. Same problem also with the gears.

So got tired of messing with them and no parts other than buying the whole motor block from Bachmann . You’ll end up with the same problems later on.

I suggest… like I did, is to get a USA motor block with sliders on them. ( Like for a F-3/GP-9/GP-30 . ) It runs slower, has more power and slider for better elect pick up. Also, probable out last us. lol

I checked with Bachmann and they want 55 buck or so for theirs motor block and USA wanted 49 bucks. I call both around the same time a few months ago.

Mine now with USA block sure runs great even on small inclines with out slowing down.

Hope this helps, that only our two cents worth , Richard.

#11

Anyone adapting power to the Bachmann Trolleys using a Hartland (HLW) motor block – I’m thinking of the block in their freelanced diesel switcher.

Anyone bought such a motor block directly from HLW?

#12

It used to be less expensive to buy the switcher on sale at your favorite vendor.

#13

David Maynard said:

It used to be less expensive to buy the switcher on sale at your favorite vendor.

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Boy … Those were the good days.

#14

Wholesale trains has the Mack switcher for $48.99

#15

I want to get into Butt Modeling, but everyone I ask if they will let me model their Butt either hits me, or slaps me. What am I doing wrong?

#16

I will buy the open trolley IF I can install a retro motor - likely the Mac drive assembly.

Noel, is the enclosed version the one that you retrofitted the motor assembly? If you were successful with changing out the motor on the open version, I am very interested in how to do so.

However, my suspicion is that the motor assembly will be too tall for the open trolley - unless the seats hide the motor can and gears. My guess is that Bachmann has some sort of flex shaft gearing that enables the assembly to be flat.

Anyone re- powered the open version of the trolley? The only way I’m going to see one is to order one and take the chance. Any help is greatly appreciated - I love those trolley series and they are soooo much cheaper than LGB.

#17

Wendell Hanks.

To ans. your question. The same USA motor block that i use for the enclosed Bachmann Trolley dose not have the same floor height as the open Trolley. There is a 1/4 inch raise on the floor in the enclosed Trolley.

See Photo… where I put a yellow pc. of paper to show the off set of the black raised floor.

The floor between the wheel wells have to be cut out some for the top of the Motor. It looks like on mine is going to be around a 5/16 H. box to hide it. This will put the USA F-3 motor right under two seats.

Also, checking the wheel well of the closed Trolley the USA F-3 motor block due to smaller wheels, it will still fit in ok even thro the wheel base is 1/4 inch longer.

This show the Bachmann motor block against the USA longer motor block, wheel to wheels.

Only reason I’m using the USA F-3 motor block are the pick up sliders and the power on any small incline is not noticeable. There very smooth running block. Anyway, I just ordered another block for this project.

I’m going to have to play around with the open Trolley a bit after I get it updated with new motor block and to try to hide the motor box in the floor with people if i can.

Hope this helps You still may want to find a smaller motor block that will not have to cut in the the floor to keep the right height, but I haven’t found any that will do what my needs are.

#18

Andrew Moore said:

I want to get into Butt Modeling, but everyone I ask if they will let me model their Butt either hits me, or slaps me. What am I doing wrong?

Andrew, that’s funny.

Devon labeled several of us “butt modelers”, because we just sit on our butts, and tell others how to do things that we aren’t doing. He labeled me King butt modeler, because I was more vocal then some of the other butt modelers here.

Butt my rebutt-all thread has more model railroading stuff in its 6 pages than his 22 page build thread does. So I think I got the last laugh, and a new title. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

Edit to get the numbers right.

#19

We got our USA F-3 motor block today and started upgrade our open Trolley. We knew this was going to be a big project and lots of cutting.

Here are the two blocks with the USA on the left and wired up for the trolley. Pig tails are for the head lights.

This under the trolley had to come off and the wires for the over head lighting and head lights are tied to the ends of the trolley for now.

We set and mark the outline of the new motor block area to cut out.

Took the roof off and remove some seats to install two plates for the Motor block to rest on. Plates did fits nicely between the wheel wells.

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You can see what a mess I got myself into by cutting a big hole in the floor and having to take the seat out and not have a pile of parts in the parts tray. Hope they all fit back in. lol.

Checked the height to match the height of our closed Trolley so the Panagraphs both work about the same to the trolley overhead wires.

Now have to paint the top of the USA motor block, plates and touch up to match the Trolley floor. Then glue the motor block to the plates with Walters Goo, just in case we have to remove the motor for any reason it’s easy to get off.

We did go back to the roof and install some Warm white flat head LEDs for the interior lighting. They will run off of a 9 v. batt. box that is going to be mounted under the back end of the trolley.

Here is my home made re-wiring of two Xmas LED’s with two 300 ohm resis. set in and now not using the old light that was two 12v lamp in a series cir.

This is about all we can do for now until our order of extra people come in. They will go on the seats to hide the motor.

If need more information, just ask. We have been only showing most of the main details.

text.

#20

Here is a old short video using the Trolley/Bachmann motor block… Not very good on any small incline or start up with its 3 pole motor and large wheels.

This is why we are going to a USA , F-3 motor block so the motor won’t stall like the org. motor block on small inclines. USA one has lots of power for just the trolley alone. They can creep off at a start up and slowdowns are great… More real looking may run for long, long time.