Upgraded gears for Spectrum Mogul and American locos

[JNLRET1]

I have a Spectrum Mogul that is several years old.  I've had grear failures twice.

Has Bachmann upgraded these gears?

[Kevin Strong]

No, they have not. You can order a Delrin replacement gear from Northwest Short Line. The 4-4-0/2-6-0 gear (24-tooth) is part #2223-6, and the 2-8-0 (25-tooth) replacement gear is part #2226-6. Note, however, that despite NWSL indicating that the 4-4-0/2-6-0 gears are 24-tooth, I have yet to remove one that was 24-tooth. I've had three apart and they're all 25-tooth. Others have reported the same thing. I don' t know if there were two different gearboxes or what the deal is. If yours is slipping or broken, take it out, count the teeth, and order the appropriate one.

Bachmann has issued a brass replacement gear/axle for the 2-8-0, which suffers the same gear issues. You could feasibly tap the 2-8-0 gear off the axle and place it on the 4-4-0/2-6-0 axle if you wanted to, but that requires heating the gear up and hoping when it cools onto the new axle it's a snug fit. Personally, I think the Delrin replacement gears will do you good service. I've had locos with NWSL Delrin gears in them in service for years and years.

Later,

K

[locobud]

Kevin, from your posting I gather that you are knowledgeable about Bachmann gear trains, and hope you can give me good advice.
I have a 4-6-0 Spectrum Big Hauler which is referred to as an "Annie". It has developed a pretty serious problem. It will run OK on level track with no cars, but can't pull even one car up a shallow (1%) grade.  I have been hesitating on opening it up for repairs, since it does have a few more pieces and parts than my other Bachmann 4-6-0 engines.  Should I send it back for repair or attempt it myself? I am not sure of what new parts I would need.

[Kevin Strong]

From what you describe, it sounds like you're certain it's the "Annie" (aka 5th generation) drive, and that's definitely abnormal behavior for that drive. It's enjoyed a very good reputation over the past 10 or so years since it came out. Does it feel like something's slipping on an axle or idler shaft, or does the motor just have no power? I've had a few 4-6-0s apart on my workbench, but it's been so long I couldn't be of too much help in troubleshooting. If I recall, there's only a single idler gear between the worm and main axle gear, so there's not a whole lot that can go wrong with this drive.

The real "expert" on 4-6-0 drives would be Barry Olsen of Barry's Big Trains. Barry's semi-retired, but will be able to help you figure out where your problem lies and what the best course of action might be. He posts here somewhat regularly, and if you Google Barry's Big Trains, you'll find his contact info.

Good luck.

Later,

K

[Joe Zullo]

Here is Barry's contact info....

Barry Olsen
6822 W Villa St, Phoenix, AZ 85043
(623) 936-6088

[Barry BBT]

And the email is ...  [email protected]

Barry