help please- repair for my ho superchief

[VOLTS]

greetings bachmann ,

i'm steve from the philippines. i have a bachmann superchief ho scale but unfortunately it was submerged in flood waters when manila was hit by a typhoon last year . the diesel engine, controls and power supply were not lucky . can it be repaired or do i have to buy a new one? a local seller here in ebay is selling his same ho bachmann superchief for 4,000 pp or $87.00 is the price ok for a used kit ?

we will visit hong kong maybe this coming december. is there a store in hong kong where i can buy spare parts for my train set?

thankyou
steve

[ABC]

In the United States that locomotive would cost about $30, but no higher than $40 American. It sounds like you would need to buy another because I don't think natural disasters count as normal wear and use. In Hong Kong there is a Bachmann China, I know they sell Chinese locos, but I don't know about American locos.

[Doneldon]

Steve-

I'd be very surprised if your equipment is repairable, at least for the long term.  It's kind of like cars.  Sometimes they survive a flood or can be fixed up to look and run well, but pretty soon electrical and corrosion problems start.  You don't have to worry about a rusted out fender or door sill, but the likliehood of permanent damage to electrical and (especially) electronic components is high.  I'd look to salvage what I could and junk the rest.  Maybe you can have an area on your layout which flooded out so your equipment is mired in mud and torn up.

I'd be very surprised if there are no hobby shops in Hong Kong which carry US prototypes.  However, I'm not vertain what prices might look like.  Your best bet might be to order via the Inet, at least if your mail is reliable.  I'm pretty sure you can buy ATSF F-units and pay for shipping for much less than $87.  I suppose customs could be a problem but my guess is that many items would pass through without any duty. And even if there is duty you'll still be ahead of the $87 figure.  The only consideration is whether yout mail service is honest and reliable.

          --D

[VOLTS]

greetings again,

i'm planning to get another bachmann superchief in ho scale from a local seller here in ebay. the problem is he used it only once and shelved it for 2 years. he tested it and heard the engines humm but the wheels wont turn and run. what could be the problem? if its lubricant, do i have to take it out?

thankyou
steve

[ABC]

It sounds like a bad idea to me, I wouldn't pay $87 for a loco that doesn't run, I wouldn't even pay that much if it ran. But it sounds like the loco needs a lot of cleaning for starters and may also need lubrication, but I would start by cleaning it thoroughly and don't forget to clean your track too.
Also, by the sounds of it I would say that your loco really is not fixable due to the nature of the damage.

[Doneldon]

Steve-

I'd run, not walk, away from a deal where I was going to spend $87 plus hellish shipping for a locomotive which doesn't run from a seller who is 5000 miles away in a foreign country.  You'll do much better to buy a new unit on the Inet and eat the shipping.  I'd bet my eye teeth (what does that expression mean, anyway, incisor?) that you'll come out ahead in the long run.

          --D