Vintage Bachman 2-8-0

[PawPaw156]

A friend gave me this old girl. I was told she was from the 90's. Runs great, when she runs. Something in the drivetrain is broken/binding. I might can fix it if I could figure out how to get into it. Any help will be appreciated. You cannot view this attachment.

[jward]

It looks to me like the drivers are out of quarter. That will cause it to bind up. I don't have one of these so I can't tell you exactly how to get it apart, but usually there is a bottom plate under the drivers on steam locomotives that either snaps into the chassis, or is held in place by two or more screws. There were several versions of this engine over the years. I have included links to the parts drawings for the ones I could find online.

https://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmannspectrum280baldwinrpg02.jpg

https://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmann280consoliddiagram1990.jpg

[trainman203]

These pre/spectrum engines are rarely worth the work they take to get running when they have complex problems like this one, unless you are a real tinkerer or a longtime skilled Model Railroader.  If you really like the engine, you ought to be able to find a used one pretty cheap on eBay, and keep this one for parts.  I suspect that you can get this engine for less than $75 online auction.  When to get that engine running right would take hours upon hours of time.  Would you rather be running a train?  Or doing what I suspect would end up digging further and further into a bottomless hole as more unforeseen problems arise.

Most of the problems with Model Railroad stuff this old stem from the fact that most of it was made to be toys, they led the rough life of a toy, and don't come out at the end undamaged .  That engine in particular, I bet a kid was pushing it back-and-forth on the floor trying to make the wheels roll and sprung it all catawampus, as we say down here.

[Len]

Looking at the picture it's pretty obvious, like Jeff said, the drivers are out of quarter. When they are in quarter the coupling, or connecting, rod that ties the four drivers together should always be sitting level and the wheel balance weights in the same orientation, as seen here:



If everything is oriented correctly on one side, the weights and coupling rod screws should be offset 90 degrees on the opposite side.

If you're lucky, someone in the past removed the bottom plate to do a lube job, and didn't notice they had rotated an axle when they were done. If that's the case it's just a matter of removing the bottom plate and rotating axles until the connecting rods are level on both side.

Worst case, one, or more, wheels was rotated on an axle so it is no longer offset 90 degrees from the opposite side. In which case it's possible to eyeball things while you rotate them back where they belong. But to be sure, I would suggest using a quartering tool, such as the one made by NWSL, or jig to get things lined up again.

Len