Bachmann Diesel Hustler

[afoglia]

Hi Everyone,

I have Bachmann Diesel Hustler set from the 1990's. Part # 40-0101 The motor on the locomotive finally kicked the bucket. I'm trying to find a replacement, to get it running again.

Can anyone point me in the right direction that would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Len]

That's an old set from the horn-hook coupler days, so more than likely it has a 'pancake' motor. You'd have to look at the on-line auction sites, or a flea market, to find a similar loco with a working motor. And no guarantees how long it would last.

Another options would be to get a modern F7 chassis and motor. You might have to finagle a bit to get your shell to fit. They are available with black or silver truck frames:
https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_203&products_id=11384
https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_203&products_id=12107

Or, you could opt for a completely new loco. Searching for HO F7A ATSF on-line should pop a number of retail sites offering something you might like.

Len

[jward]

Like Len said this is probably an old pancake motor locomotive, which are notoriously poor performers. The way I see it, anything that uses traction tires and has only one truck powered isn't going to be a good running locomotive and it won't pull well. Your best bet is to replace it with something better, and remove the gears from the old locomotive to turn it into a dummy. That way, it'll look like you have two locomotives pulling when in reality there is only one.

Fortunately for you, Bachmann has upgraded the F9 over the years, and they can often be found for cheap at train shows and on ebay. The F9 is similar in looks to the F7 and FT and they all share the same improved drive. The ones you want come in a blue box, and have knuckle type couplers. Don't worry about the couplers. You can easily replace those. The important thing is that since parts to repair your old locomotive are hard to find, you can get a much improved version for around what it would cost to buy an older version like you have for parts. A quick search on ebay reveals several promising candidates for under $40, with prices as low as $15.