FT-A loco scratching track

[czechwizard]

Hi all,

Suddenly I noticed that my Bachmann DCC FT-A loco is scratching the track, its front, snowplow ?, is directly touching the rails. Sometimes the light is on and sometimes it's not. It's almost new, a couple of months in use. The wheel trucks are too fitted in or the plastic front is too low making contact with the rails ! What can I do ? How can I fix this problem ? Hasn't anyone noticed that ?

[blwfish]

A picture would help a lot.

[czechwizard]

sorry, no camera, but it's brand new, out of the box, when I look at it from bottom up, nothing seems wrong, the wheels are one or two or three milimeters above the shell, but when I place it on the track, the thing below its nose touches the track ? Do you have any Bachmann FT-A to check this, how low the snowplow shell really is ?

[jward]

does it scrape on level track, or only where there is a change in grade?

[czechwizard]

both, I can't cut 5 milimeters of the snowplow shell, can I ?

[jward]

you can do what you want, but it sounds like the body shell isn't seated properly. i will have to take a close look at my ft when i get a chance and see if i can figure it out.

[czechwizard]

you can do what you want, but it sounds like the body shell isn't seated properly. i will have to take a close look at my ft when i get a chance and see if i can figure it out.

great, take a picture and post it, I'll compare, it could be that, that the shell is not seated properly, so what could I do ? How should I proceed ?

[Jerrys HO]

czech-

I looked at one of my ft's and the best way I can tell you to check if the body is seated right is to turn the engine over and the shell body and the frame should be even.
I do not think this is your problem because the screws holding the shell to the frame would have to have broken where the screws mount to the body. Did you accidentally drop the engine? I also measured the front of the shell to the base of E Z track roadbed and it appears to be 3/8 to 7/16 gap between the two.

Jerry

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

       I am having a tough time understanding how a lightweight plastic shell would scratch metal rails.   The amount of pressure needed to make those scratches should be enough to prohibit the engine from running over the track.

[czechwizard]

czech-

I looked at one of my ft's and the best way I can tell you to check if the body is seated right is to turn the engine over and the shell body and the frame should be even.
I do not think this is your problem because the screws holding the shell to the frame would have to have broken where the screws mount to the body. Did you accidentally drop the engine? I also measured the front of the shell to the base of E Z track roadbed and it appears to be 3/8 to 7/16 gap between the two.

Jerry

which would be ... in milimeters, please ? Everything's even. No, it's intact, I've never dropped it.

[Jerrys HO]

czech-

http://mdmetric.com/tech/cvtcht.htm

Jerry

[czechwizard]

Good Morning All,

       I am having a tough time understanding how a lightweight plastic shell would scratch metal rails.   The amount of pressure needed to make those scratches should be enough to prohibit the engine from running over the track.

It runs well but just scrapes along the track, which makes me very uncomfortable, worried about the loco and new track. The shell is too low and the imperfection of the track level takes a toll, I have 5 plus 8x4' plycem sheets put together. Based on what you all say, it might be the way this loco just is. I'd better not touch it if I want it alive. Thank you.

[ebtbob]

CW,

        I would definitely say you need to fix the problem,   but moreso to save the engine's shell as that will wear before you scratch metal rail.   Good luck with your problem.   From what was written before,  it sounds like the shell may not be install properly on the frame.