K4 drawbar ...

[Luca_DC]

It's just as Mr. Bach Man says. The screw, 10145X2, is at the bottom of a deep well, not necessarily centered in the well, initially quite tight, and requires a #1 Phillips screw driver. The screw is not necessarily centered within its deep well; one must feel the screw driver's way into the screw's cross-slot. Toothpicks at the front edge of the tender between the frame and the bottom of the tank can keep the  parts spread until one wiggles the legs of the drawbar into place.

I cannot load my three images. I keep getting error messages no matter how low-res I make them.

[Hunt]

. . .

I cannot load my three images. I keep getting error messages no matter how low-res I make them.

The message you are getting is misleading.

The Additional Options... Attach:  posting feature cannot be used. 

To post a photo/image in this forum it has to reside (stored) in an URL registered site. Most people upload to a photo/image hosting site. Then place the image using link to it between SMF Bulletin Board Code Image Tags in the the Bachmann forum. Tags can be typed or entered by clicking on the Add BBC tags:

[Luca_DC]

Thank you for your note, Hunt.

But you lost me:
   What is a URL registered site?
   Do I make one?
   If so, how (keystroke by keystroke)?
   What is the SMF Bulletin Board, where is it, and how can I see it?
   What are BBC tags?
   Are they something I make up for my images?
   Then what do I do (keystroke by keystroke)?

I see two choices:
   1.  Give me explicit keystroke by keystroke instructions from end-to-end, or
   2.  Send me an e-address, and I'll send my three images, with descriptive captions, along, and you post the message if you think it's worthy of posting, or not, if it's not worth posting. Or you may send it to Rich, who sought the images.

I apologize for my lack of skills.

[Terry Toenges]

A "URL registered site" is a web site.  In my case, I use Facebook. You can use Facebook just for images and nothing else. You don't have to interact with anyone. There are other image hosting sites where you can upload your images.
SMF Bulletin Board Code Image Tags are the "img" tags described below.
"BBC tags" are the icons that you select when you go to post if you want to add an image or a website address or make something bold, etc.  Under "Message Icon", it says "Add BBC tags".
I upload my image to Facebook. Once it's uploaded, I click on the image. When the image opens, I right click on it. When the box pops up, click on "copy image location". On the Bachmann site, (when you have the "reply" or "post" box open) click the box above the smiley faces that is a square (looks like a pic with a white border). The image tags will appear ([ img ] [ /img ]). Between those two tags, right click. Then select "paste" in the box that appears.  It should look like this with "image Address" being the URL of the image - ([ img ] image address here [ /img ]) Then click "preview" or "post" and you should see your image.

[rich1998]

At one time I use to use Photo Bucket.com site to upload photos and then copy and post here.
You have to sign up.
Some here use it.

As you type your message, you can insert your photo. You might have to shrink the photo some. Photo bucket can do that for you. All the instructions are there.

There are some other sites.
There use to be instructions below in the General Questions forum.

If you like playing with photos, download Gimp 2.8 which is free. They do not bug you. I use it in Linux and Windows PC's. Seems to be like Photoshop.

Rich

[Luca_DC]

Thanks, Terry, and thanks, Rich,

Terry, I think I understand a bit. That is, if I had a social media account, I could put my images on it, and refer interested readers to it. That does not apply. I've never signed up for any social media, and I probably never will.

Rich, my wife has Gimp on her side of our computer, but I've never needed or used it. Photo Bucket is strange to us. I have put good images in MS-Word and published same, but I think that that is no option here.

Back to getting a streamlined K4s' drawbar and its 2 aft pins into their slots in the tender, Mr. Bach Man's instructions are right on and fully adequate, and my additional comments should be further help. With them, anyone with a #1 Phillips screwdriver and a couple of toothpicks should be able to assemble the model. One can get the screw driver onto the front screw without removing the front truck. (That may not be so for the rear screw.)

It's a nice model. Perhaps it should come with a sturdy #1 Phillips screw driver and instructions for coupling the tender.

[Luca_DC]

A few days ago I repeated Mr. Bach Man's method for hooking the HO streamlined K4's drawbar to the tender. The technique involved loosening the single screw under the front truck of the tender, allowing one to slightly separate the tender body and the tender frame at the very front, just enough to install the drawbar.

The above system worked well for me. But if one pries the parts apart too much, or is ham-fisted, damage may be done.

More recently, Mike of the Bachman service center suggested a gentler, more conservative means of installing the drawbar. This method offers less chance of doing any damage. I repeat it here in Mike's own words:
   "To hook the draw bar to the tender, you must loosen the tender chassis from the top shell. To do so, you must loosen the two screws on the bottom of the tender. THESE ARE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE CENTER OF THE TRUCKS. IF YOU LOOSEN THOSE, GAME OVER. The ones you need to loosen are the ones under the second and third truck axles. Loosen them enough to slide the draw bar into the tender and then tighten the screws."

"Game over?" I believe that what is meant here is as follows. The truck screws are fastened by nuts within the tender, and the nuts also retain electrical power connections within the tender. Once the truck screws are loosened or undone, the connections are also undone. Remaking these connections is not easy to do; it requires care and significant patience.

I'll add that if one loosens either of the screws under the trucks to the point of dropping out, either is easily replaced and re-tightened.

[rich1998]

Good point about slight lifting of the tender shell a little. That I was not aware of. Great troubleshooting.
Thew first time I refereed to the TCS site was for removing the shell completely by removing two center screws.

Rich

[Rick Abramson]

Is this concerning the new Loewy K4?
If so, whoever designed that drawbar must have been in the closet with the lights off. It is a horror!

[rich1998]

What I found that was odd, the first I have heard of this issue. I belong to a few train forums. I have to assume others have this loco and figured it out.

Rich