Problem with HO jupiter

[Ibtimothy]

I found one of the older HO jupiter locomotives, the red and silver one, for a good price and bought it. it was new in the box. The motor is in the tender, and when i just place the tender on the tracks, the wheels work fine, but when i actually put the wheels on the track it stops, the headlight still stays on. this is the one i got http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/bachmannhoscalelocomotives/id43.html
any information would be appreciated
Thanks

[OldTimer]

It is hard to diagnose this sort of thing by long distance, but I suspect that something in the drive train is binding and I further suspect that the bind is in the shaft between the tender and the engine.  When you pick up the engine, you're changing the length of the shaft and the angles working on the universals at the ends of the shaft.  If you cannot return the engine, you will need to carefully disassemble it and turn everything that moves with your fingers to see where the tight place is.  I've owned two 4-4-0's with the motor in the tender over the years, and neither one was particularly reliable.  All was not lost however, because the time spent tinkering with them keep me off the streets for hours!   

[CNE Runner]

I completely agree with Old Timer...these are far from reliable locomotives. For years I modeled the 1880's and made extensive use of these engines (albeit they would have been a little 'long in the tooth' by the late 1800s; but what is a guy to do?). Just about all of these models required disassembly and cleaning/lubing...especially the driveshaft. Another problem area are the pick up shoes on the tender wheels. All in all these were inexpensive toys that have a limited lifespan. I should add that the Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 is a completely different animal (in era modeled as well as reliability)...unfortunately they are also much, much more expensive.

Ray

[tiz]

Hello,

Take the leading truck wheels out and put them in reverse ( turned 180 degrees). You have short because contact from leading truck is giving the wrong side polarity.

Regards

Zdenko

[richg]

Hello,

Take the leading truck wheels out and put them in reverse ( turned 180 degrees). You have short because contact from leading truck is giving the wrong side polarity.

Regards

Zdenko

If there was a short, the headlight would not be on.

It does sound like a drive issue in the loco. I would disconnct the tender and loco. Insert the drive into the loco and see if you can turn it to see if the drivers will move or maybe sticking.

If you need better pickups on the tender, below is a link for this issue. You can use #5 Kadee coupler springs. I have an article from a site that is gone on improving the operation of the Bachmann old time 4-4-0 but this article came from Harold who does the 55n3 thread so I cannot post it here. Maybe he will share the article.

http://2guyz.info/Content/pa=showpage/pid=5.html

You will need to get some #30 flexible wire for this.

Rich

[uncbob]

That is why I wish some manufacture would come out with a decent early 4-4-0 with the drive in the engine
I have several and got them to work fairly reliably
But if they can have N scale steamers there is no reason why a decent early 4-4-0 could not be made in HO

[uncbob]

Bob: A decent 4-4-0 is made in HO. It is the Bachmann Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 (I own two of these jewels). More to the point is the question: Why doesn't someone make a decent early 4-4-0? The Bachmann Spectrum model is really from the very late 1800s to early 20th century.

Ray

It isn't the same as the Jupiter type Early Americans the kind that won the west

[uncbob]

I don't see the point to your post
The thread was about Jupiter type Americans and the problem with their reliability
I stated I wish some manufacturer  would come out with an "early " 4-4-0 ( Jupiter types ) with the drive in the engine

Bachmanns 4-4-0 that you are talking about is not an early Type
Here is how Model Railroad Mag describes it

"A "modernized" American. The prototype for the Bachmann 4-4-0 is Maryland & Pennsylvania no. 6. American Locomotive Co.'s Richmond Works delivered this engine along with two identical locomotives, nos. 4 and 5, to the Ma & Pa in 1901. These 4-4-0s were similar to other modernized American-type engines built for several other railroads around the country.
"
The thread is about these types