4-4-0 Questions

[ftauss]

Where do you apply lube on the tender?

If one were to buy a replacement shell from parts how would one disassemble the tender to make the swap.?

I have the trucks off, the screw in the center doesn't seem to back out when I turn it and I don't want to force the rds plastic cross thingy the screw passes through.

Same on the plate covering the coupler, screws turn but don't seem to want to back out.

Don't want to gorilla the little bugger, so Help!

Frank

[brokemoto]

I would shy from putting any lubrication on the tender wheels.  I am aware that they can get stiff.  In fact, I had to do a sawp out of a tender truck on a non-functional eight wheeler because the wheels that were on it were balky and and starting to taco.  The failure of the one wheel to turn was also causing the truck to derail.

If you must lubricate it I would first try a graphite lubricant such as Kadee's grease'em .  Atlas sells something that it calls 'conductalube' or words similar.  I do not know if Bachmann sells a conducting lubricant.  If you use that, put the smallest drop onto a toothpick, then transfer it to the axle of the wheel, work it in good then THOROUGHLY wipe up the excess.

I would avoid using LaBelle 103 or similar non conducting lubricant.  The only pick up on that locomotive is through the tender wheels.  If you use LaBelle 103, you might severely compromise the electrical contact.

Excess lubricant of any kind is to be avoided, as the only thing that excess lubricant does is attract dirt.

The screws may nothave anchors that are that deep.  If you push down gently on the Rapido coupler, you might get the plate off..  If you will shake the tender, you might get that screw to come out.  The motor slides out, once you have undone the screw.

[James in FL]

The screw in the center must come out.
Try wedging something between the screw head and the bottom of the tender while you are un-screwing it.

[ftauss]

Thanks guys!

Well I don't know exactly what i did but one of them is running very nicely now. The other ate up it's drive shaft and I think I may just send it in for a refurb or replace.

The runner will not pull every car I have up a 25% grade, but considering that it wouldn't pull itself originally and I have it pulling 2 coaches, a combine, a flat, a gon, a box and the caboose, I'd say things are looking up.

Now if Bachmann only had more of the old time stuff and sold it as separates.

Frank

[brokemoto]

B-mann sells the locomotives separately.  They used to sell the frieght and passenger cars separately.  You can still find them at shows or some train stores have them as NOS.

Athearn sold 1880s 2-8-0s and 2-6-0s.  They also sold cabooses, box cars and refrigerators from the era.  They also sold wood thirty four foot and fifty foot passenger cars from that era.  The Athearns are copies of the old MDC models.  You will still see MDC products out there as NOS.

Atlas sells an 1870s 2-6-0 manufactured by MicroAce.

From time to time, Micro Trains will issue a thirty six foot refrigerator in paint schemes appropriate to the late nineteenth century.


There is nineteenth century stuff out there, you must look for it, though.

There is an e-Bay seller called sunnyswarehouse that has many of the older B-mann stuff.  If you contact them using the ask seller a question feature, they will tell you what they have.  Favourite spot also has many B-mann items.