Old train set-engine won't go

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

Hi all, I really appreciate your helpful information. Road number is 866, color is yellowish and with Union Pacific on the side. It's definitely a bachmann. Correction: it has 8 wheels, not 16. I think it's a bit different than the one in the diagram Rich posted, but that was insightful to see. I'll try to upload a photo of shell, interior, and even the box if I can, as that should help clear up identification. There's not much on the box to go by.. Wires look in tact and nothing seems to have been tampered with.  I tried to switch the wheels in the back truck to no effect. I can tell you though, it really wants to run!

[ACY]

So it sounds like a GP-40 or something along those lines.

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

I'm having trouble posting a picture on this forum. I'll keep trying.

[ACY]

I'm having trouble posting a picture on this forum. I'll keep trying.

You have to upload it to an image hosting site and then link it here. You can use photobucket or Flickr or your site of choice.

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

Thanks for the tip. I don't have flickr or so, so I've posted a photo on

http://www.reverbnation.com/amicron

Once you get there look in photos, there are only a few and one of them is my locomotive.

It's the website of a solo musical project of mine, though I'm not trying to advertise it on here! Just using it as a medium to share the photo I'll probably take the photo down eventually. Thanks!

[richardl]

Oh boy, quite a lot fo difference between 8 and 16 wheels.

Below is a link to the Bachmann HO locos. Take a look through. We really need to see what the drive is like.

http://www.hoseeker.net/bachmann.html

Pulling the shell will help a lot faster to find a solution. Beats guess work.

Rich

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

Hi Rich,

Sorry about that mix-up, the box had an illustration with the caption reading 16-wheels, but it was apparently just another product they were offering.

The picture I've posted includes the shell and the inner machinery, as well as the blurry box in the background. I can post more if it will help.

I'll peruse the site you've recommended.

Picture of the locomotive is in the photos page on this website:

www.reverbnation.com/amicron

[jbrock27]

IHAETS, does this still have light bulb(s)?  So when you put all 8 wheels on the track, what exactly happens?  Does it hum?  Does it jerk?  Smell like it's burning?   If it has the light bulb(s), do they light up?

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

jbrock,

if all 8 wheels are in contact with the rails, then nothing happens. No smell, no audible hum, no movement.

Yes, it has two lightbulbs, one in front and one in back, and they both light up bright when only the front or back 4 wheels are touching rails; in this case the engine whirrs like it should, and no burning smells or humming, but everything stops the moment all wheels are touching the rail.

[jbrock27]

Can you tell if the direction of the motor also changes, when you change from having only the front truck wheels make contact to having only the back truck wheels make contact?

[Ihaveanelectrictrainset]

It appears that if the back wheels are in contact, then the front wants to go in reverse; when the front wheels are in contact, it wants to go forward.

[jbrock27]

It sounds to me then, as was suggested earlier by one of the good folks who posted looking to help here, that one of those trucks got turned around in the chassis and is not in the original position it is supposed to be in.

[Len]

I looked at mine, and it's not physically possible to rotate the trucks 180 degrees.

More likely scenario, someone had a truck apart and reinstalled the wheels backwards. Look at a wheelset and you should see a plastic insulator between the wheel and axle. The front and rear truck insulators have to be on opposite sides. And it had to happen with all wheelsets in that truck, not just one axle, or you'd still get a short with only that truck on the rails.

Len

[jbrock27]

Stole this off an old richardl post (when he used to be richg )

http://www.hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmannemdgp40diagram1990.jpg

This is the guts of what you have, right boss?

[jbrock27]

Same concept Len: something ain't right, now is it? With the trucks/wheels, take your pick.  Something got turned around somewhere, whether it be just the wheels or the whole truck.  At least we are now talking about the right model loco.