1980's 2-8-0

[train guy]

How can I get a repair job  for a 1980s bachmann ol' smoky 2-8-0 locomotive.

[Jim Banner]

It would depend on what is wrong with it and how much you are willing to pay.  Parts, other than brushes, are virtually unobtainable.  If the commutator is worn, the armature will needed to be taken out and the commutator machined to dead flat and undercut.  Cylindrical commutators are relatively easy to turn.  Flat ones are not.  If the armature is damaged or burned out, it is possible to rewind one by hand but it is a tedious and time consuming task.  New gears are virtually unobtainable and because of the flat motor, there are no upgrades.  Having said all that, it may not need any repairs.  If may just need cleaning and lubrication.  If it has been sitting for a long time, it may not want to run, even with power applied directly to the motor.  However, all it may need is a drop of Bachmann's E-Z Lube Conductive Contact Lube on the commutator.  DO NOT USE REGULAR OIL!!!  Regular oil on the commutator and/or brushes will stop a motor dead.  Even oiling the end bearings of a motor requires extra care to avoid contamination of the commutator and brushes.

Unfortunately, these old flat motored "sidewinder" locomotives were noisy and had poor low speed performance even when new.  And with the best of cleaning and rebuilding, the chances are high that you will still have a noisy locomotive with poor low speed performance.  Having said that, there may be pressing reasons why you want to restore an old locomotive.

One possible restoration is to hunt down a Bachmann Plus 2-8-0 that came out in the early 90's.  The Plus version used the same body as the sidewinder but with a much improved drive train.  More important, they ran more quietly and performed decently at low speeds.  Some of them waddled down the track due to slightly eccentric wheels.  The waddle was difficult to fix but one solution was to remove the front wheels and use the locomotive as an 0-8-0 switcher.  The waddle then gave it the look of a tough old switcher with a lot of miles on it working out it final days before being replaced by a new diesel unit.

Jim