The Red Comet

[NYC5405Hudson]

Hello,

I recently picked up a Red Comet on Facebook Marketplace.  I had one as a kid and was really excited when I found this one.  After wiping the track and wheels, I found that the gear on the drive axle was cracked and the axle was just spinning inside the gear.  After fixing that with a little JB Weld,  I find that it is still sluggish especially in the turns, and will randomly stop as if it lost connection.  With a small push, it will start again.  The problem seems to be power related but I cannot seem to narrow it down.  The motor runs well especially when it is not actually driving the train (put front wheels to track with drive wheels suspended).  Now even though I did clean the track and wheels with rubbing alcohol and goo gone, there is still a significant amount of black stuff on them as they are pretty old.  I guess I just need to know whether to look into replacing the chassis, track, or power supply. 

Thanks,

Mark

[Loco Bill Canelos]

HI Mark,
if you do not have the instructions check out the following link:
https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,18832.0.html

Also check out the "repair tips" at the bottom of the above link.  there is also a chassis identification list there as well.


There are many possibilities, I would start by re cleaning the track using a dry cloth to remove the black stuff, and making absolutely sure the tracks are connected together firmly. It is also best to make sure there are no kinks in the track.  Even the smallest kink can cause a stall, If there are rust in spots I would give a lot of thought to replacing it with something other than the steel alloy set track that comes with the set, especially if there is any at the rail joiners.  Also it is normal to have the loco slow down on the tight curves in the set, if you are already going slow, stalls are more likely to happen. if it does stall try a little higher speed and see what happens.

If you have or can get a multimeter turn the power supply up to full and see what the voltage is at the connectors to the track.  Then move the probes to the next section of track and insuring the voltage is the same on that section and so on until you have checked every section.  If the voltage is consistent all the way around, then the connections are fine. Get the track squeeky clean, then clean the wheels on the locomotive, and make sure they are all very clean.  If you still have problems then the trouble may be with the pickups on the axles of the locomotive both on the drivers and the pilot truck. a little plastic compatible electrical conductive lube may go a long way.  You mentioned that the loco ran fine when you placed the pilot truck on the rails and applied power, but that doesn't mean that the driver pickups were as well. To test the driver pickups place the loco on the track while leaving the pilot truck off the rails, If the loco won't go then the driver pickups should be cleaned.

Hopefully when you repaired the gear box, you lubed it with some plastic compatible grease and did not get a spot of JB weld in the box in a way that causes friction.

As you can see from my response there are many many possibilities.

You can get a very low cost multimeter fron a local Harbor Freight Store,  even better if you can get a 20% off coupon. You will never regret getting a multimeter.

As for the Red comet set, it came out in 1990 and was never in the catalog or rerun.  It has the first track powered gearbox and chassis.  It is a version 2 chassis and Bachmann's first effort was never very robust and broke often.  If you are serious about keeping it and or passing it on I would strongly recommend replacing the chassis with the newer Version 5 chassis which are on sale right now I believe for just $40.  The version 5 chassis has proven to be incredibly reliable.  At 28 years old your loco is a bit long in the tooth.

It is possible that the power supply has deterioriated. With a multimeter you will be able to check the output voltage and see if it is up to snuff.  If the voltage is up to the output voltage noted on the power supply at the track connection then the power supply should be okay. 

Try some of the above things and see what happens.    Hopefully some of our other members will chime in with some better tips than mine.

Let us know what you find and do not hesitate to come back for help anytime.

Enjoy your Red Comet, it was a great set and one of my favorites.

Loco Bill

[NYC5405Hudson]

After reading through the other posts, I was really hoping you would reply.  The multi-meter sounds like it would really help narrow down the problem between track, power supply, and locomotive.  I may just end up replacing the chassis anyway because the guide rails are broken on the existing chassis and Bachmann does not know when those parts will be available.  I was looking at some of the 4-6-0 Anniversary chassis because of the more intricate drives.  Would I be able to use one of those or do I have to get a standard 4-6-0 chassis?

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Mark,

Yes you can use an Anniversary chassis, many have successfully done it.  However you may have to do some tweaking.  Some of the older chassis only had one switch behind the smokebox door rather than the two switches on later models.  Some have reported that they had some minor issues with fit that required some adjustments.

If you have skills related to taking things apart you should be able to do it.  I always suggest taking a picture of each step, and bagging the parts as you remove them and noting the sequence they came off in. Especially note the screws and where they go.  This way reassembly is much easier.

Bill

[NYC5405Hudson]

Sorry for the lenghty time to reply but my wife made me put the train away for a while.  I got it back out and set it up for Christmas and continued to troubleshoot my problem.  Power is fine and it looks like the issue is with the drive gear.  When the glue dried, it expanded in the crack causing the gap between two of the teeth to widen.  This is where the motor was getting hung up where it "seemed to lose power".  So it looks like I'll be replacing the chassis which seems pretty simple and straightforward.  It looks like most of the anniversary chassis come with two switches so unless there is a way to just not use the direction switch, I can just go ahead and get a new boiler door assembly to accept the two switches.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Mark,
Glad you are getting back at it. Your plan to use the Annie chassis will work out fine. Have fun with your upgrade, and as always, feel free to ask for help here!!!

Bill