bachmann norfolk & western class J

jerry20 · August 20, 2007, 03:47:27 PM

I have a bachmann class J that the right front driver has come loose on. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get to stay tight on the axle?

taz-of-boyds · August 21, 2007, 11:51:27 AM

If I was desperate, and could not get an answer from someone who knew what they were talking about, I would:

With an NMRA standards gauge next to me to check wheel gauge. I would try the tiniest bit of CAA (super glue) on the end of the axel with the wheel pulled out slightly (clean where the glue is going to go first to remove oils etc.). Then I would push it back quickly and carefully checking the gauge, and keeping the wheel square on the axel.

Maybe we can get a better answer, because I have a 4-4-0 I may need to do the same thing to.

Otherwise I guess you could send it in for repairs.

Part of the adventure,
Charles

PS, very important, make sure the wheels are quartered properly. If you compare the wheels on one side of the loco to the other side, you will see that where the tie rods connect is 90 degrees different. This is quartering, and all the wheels on each side need to match each other. Otherwise you end up with a stuck loco or wobbling or whatever.

the Bach-man · August 21, 2007, 11:31:44 PM

Dear Jerry,
I agree. I'd contact service for repair.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

jerry20 · August 22, 2007, 11:04:39 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll give the super glue a try,the wheel comes out far enough to get at the axle , so I'll be able to get a small drop of glue on it.
By the way this an older locomotive, the box # is 51-0658-A4.
I'm also wondering if the wheel sets listed in the paperwork with engine are still available if all else fails. Thanks again,
Jerry

GlennW · August 22, 2007, 08:32:27 PM

If it's an older model, you may be better off with one of the new J's. You can always try to see if your fix works.

brokemoto · August 23, 2007, 09:04:07 AM

All reports indicate that the newer SPECTRUM J is better than the old Standard Line J. I had the old one, and was somewhat less than impressed with it; I sold it, eventually. I do not have the new one.

Mr. B-mann is on the mark, here, send it back; they may even replace it with a newer J (B-mann had done something similar, frequently, of late, with other power that came back). If you try to fix it yourself, you may void the warranty.

For those of you looking for cars for either your old or new J, Walthers has announced that C-C is bringing back the RR HWs; N&W is one of the road names listed. WKW is expecting them around Samhain/Toussaint.

Williamson · August 23, 2007, 11:12:40 AM

Quote from: brokemoto on August 23, 2007, 09:04:07 AM
All reports indicate that the newer SPECTRUM J is better than the old Standard Line J. I had the old one, and was somewhat less than impressed with it; I sold it, eventually. I do not have the new one.

I've owned both the 1980s version and the new one. The new one is infinately superior to the old one.

PRRThomas11 · August 25, 2007, 02:04:12 PM

what is the difference between 611 and 608.

611 looks like it has a glossier finish than 608, but that might just be the photos.

GlennW · August 25, 2007, 05:34:29 PM

#611 was the popular fantrip engine. It may appear to have a polished finish. #608 appears to be a J in normal operation. N&W fans may know if it was assigned to one of the named trains. I'm also not sure if any other J's were preserved in museums in the 1950-1960's??

Williamson · August 28, 2007, 03:40:10 PM

Bachmann's new 611 was sold in both the 1950s finish and the (glossier) 1980s/90s excursion finish.

608, only gets the 50s finish.

brokemoto · August 28, 2007, 10:32:08 PM

Walthers website shows individual N&W smoothsides as in stock as well as some HWs. It also shows a Norfolk Southern smoothside set, for those of you who want an excursion trains. Some of the excursion operators outfitted the head end cars as either tool cars or comissary cars (they added snack counters, you bought your snacks in the car and took them back to your seat. You could order the consist as RPO behind the locomotive as a tool car, two passenger carrying cars, baggage (comissary) then the other two passenger carrying cars. Use the diner as a first class car.

ray46 · August 29, 2007, 10:26:21 AM

You guys are talking about simply checking the gauge and gluing drivers on with CA. My understanding is that quartering is something that is not easy to do and that it usually requires some special tool not just eyeballing it.

Williamson · August 29, 2007, 12:04:43 PM

Quote from: brokemoto on August 28, 2007, 10:32:08 PM
Walthers website shows individual N&W smoothsides as in stock as well as some HWs. Some of the excursion operators outfitted the head end cars as either tool cars or comissary cars (they added snack counters, you bought your snacks in the car and took them back to your seat. You could order the consist as RPO behind the locomotive as a tool car, two passenger carrying cars, baggage (comissary) then the other two passenger carrying cars. Use the diner as a first class car.

FWIW, N&W never had a smoothside RPO (at least not before the 1964 merger, possibly not after).

Beware of the Concor cars if you care at all about color and lettering accuracy. For example N&W did not put stripes on most HW equipment (in the passenger era).

But if that's not a worry Njoy!

brokemoto · August 30, 2007, 12:05:52 PM

B&O did not have LW RPOs, either, but both C-C and Kato offer, or offered smoothside RPOs in B&O. C-C even has a corrugated RPO in B&O. B&O did have one smoothside baggage/mail combination that ran in Ohio behind Lady Baltimore, but that might have come from the Alton, I can not be sure, as I can not find any information about it. B&O may have rebuilt it from a HW; they did do a few streamlined cars in that fashion. I have only seen the baggage/mail in some photographs as it was in service behind Lady Baltimore, none of said photographs give the viewer too good a look at the mail car.

.
Yes, the C-C cars ain't the best match for N&W, (or B&O) cars, but right now they are amoung the better, and/or few, that are out there, unless, there are some brass.

skagitcom · September 06, 2007, 12:15:12 AM

Not sure how you guys got off the J-Class subject, but the person with the loose driver wheel is not going to get any help from repair unless he wants to fork out 15.00 plus another 40 for the newer J-Class.
Fix your old J-Class loco if the loose wheel is all that is wrong with it.
Some of the new J-Class aren't as good as the older ones. They run and track terrible. You definitely need wide radius curves to keep them on the track.

As you can guess, I am disgusted with Bachmann and their customer service.

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bachmann norfolk & western class J