Need help repairing my Suwanne River Big Hauler...

[tinkerdude]

Hey guys!

I'm a noob here, but I wanted to post something with the intent that somebody here can help me out. A lot of the stuff that I have to ask I know has been asked 50,000x before, but I just want to get a hold of somebody that has more insight of this than I do.

Not to rant... but what started me on this journey was not too long ago I came across the Bachmann Suwanee River 'Annie" that I had in storage. I was living in apartment, & since G scale isn't really ideal for an apartment & I had too many issues with someone that worked at my apartment coming into my room & stealing things when I wasn't there... I put it away for the short term.

But since I'm being asked to leave because my mom has had so many medical problems & can't leave her alone, I rediscovered it in the process of packing/unpacking everything that I own.

I bought it initially 20-25 years ago because I was feeling nostalgic. I'm an 80's kid, & the 1st train set that I owned was a HO scale set of a Southern Pacific Daylight. Been too long to remember the brand, but I remember that was my 1st train set.

Sometime around the early/mid 90's my dad bought me my 1st LGB set for Christmas. I forget what it is called, but it's that basic starter set with the green locomotive. I'm sure that if I showed you a picture of it, you'd INSTANTLY know what I'm talking about!

I don't know if this is that common... but since green is my favorite color & the train is mostly that hue... that's why I got that version of a Big Hauler. It's not like I have any special connection with the train company (Suwanee River)... I just liked the color scheme.

Since the 1st engine I had was basically box fresh (down to still having the smoker tag still attached to the number plate), to me it didn't make sense to start running it. I figured that I'd buy a 2nd 1, & save this other 1 so when I'm an old man... I can sell it for bazillions of dollars!

What my game plan is (it took me a while to set this up, but here we go!) is run the engine, tender, a combo baggage car, something like 4-6 passenger cars, & maybe an observation car at the rear.

It isn't something that you see all the time, but you see bits & pieces to the set on eBay here & then up for sale. I mostly have more observation cars in my collection... & the 1's that I have that are beat up the most I plan on converting to passenger cars since it's cheaper to do so.

But leading into my questions here, I've been pretty lucky with any of the cars I've ordered... but most of the time any of the engines that I've gotten have been nailed in shipping. I don't care which 1 that it is... it seems to be a repetitive problem.

The last Suwanee engine that I got was all busted to hell when I got it in. Which is annoying, but plan on using my misfortune to my advantage.

Some of the broken parts that it has on it I can just transplant off of a couple other busted up Big Haulers that I got... but this would be an excellent opportunity to either modify or upgrade the train while rebuilding it.

What's broken on it is the front truck is missing.

Though still attached... the front headlight is ½ snapped off. The clips that hold it in were broken off on 1 side.

I don't remember if it were on the right or left side, but a couple of the brakes are missing. Easy fix.

And on the right side of the cabin... right where the grab bar attaches at the bottom of the cabin... the plastic is cleanly snapped off. It's still attached to the rest of the train via the handle bar... but I want to make sure that I use the right glue when I glue it back together again.

And both drive rods are busted up.

I have no clue if the electronics work because I haven't had a chance to put it on any track. I can't lay any down because I don't have any room for that... so I have to wait until I order some rollers to see if the motor turns over or if there's any problems with anything.

1. With my 1st question, in terms of parts... can I recycle parts off 1 train onto another? Meaning did they use the same color green on a different train that matches the green on the Suwanee River? They milked this mold for what it was worth where they repainted it 400x times over... but I am curious if there's another train that's the same shade of green. Some parts are universal like boilers, base plates where they reused the same part in the same color over & over again, but I am wondering if they reused the same green pieces for a different train.

Some of the parts that I'm looking for I can order directly off of Bachmann's site... but it might be more cost efficient to buy a junker & just do a parts swap.

I own 4 other banged up engines... but they are every other color but green. I've tried to do some research on my own, but never got any hits that answered the question. And you can't trust a photo because the way that something looks like on the screen might look different in person. So I'm just wondering where I can get the right parts to repair the train. In terms of a color match.

2. What plastic/s where used on these trains? Just so I know what chemical compounds to use on it. I'm pretty sure I have something to help fix that broken handlebar (again it's not the handlebar, it's the trim), but I'm also looking at modifying the boiler in the cabin. Shrink it down so there's more room in there, & make it look like more like the real thing. I just want to make sure that I use the right tools so it's a clean cut & weld.

3. Are there any tutorials on how to put real coal onto the tender? Because I want to put real coal on my tender.

I know how to do it, done it before, but I just want to see how someone else did it & kind of have a visual template on how it's done. Like how it's masked up & stuff like that. I'm a visual/tactile learner, so that's why I'm asking that.

4. I'm pretty sure that the electronics in the tender are dead. If not I still kind of don't care because it's kind of banged up, & am still going to do an upgrade on it. I'm sure that it's out there, but I haven't found it... how do you install a Tsunami soundboard into a Big Hauler tender?

5. I know there are places that you can go to get replacement or custom stickers for train sets like this, but is there anybody out there out there that makes literal reproductions (1-to-1 repros) to sets like this?

On the most part the decals on the train are pretty good, but there are a few that are worn. I just want to put something on there so it looks a little more fresh.

And again I'm no expert at this, but do any of you guys know if cars to the Suwanee River where marked with different numbers? The baggage, passenger, & observation cars would have different #'s on them, but if you had 3 or 4 passenger cars to the actual train, would each car have a different #?

Depending on the train company that could be a yes or no depending on the train or line, but I was curious to know if that was the case with this line. I tried to do some research to find out, & I couldn't find anything. I wonder if any of you guys know.

6. Basically I'm planning on running everything off the track. Can't do it at the moment, but later when things kind of settle down, I'll do some sort of layout.

I don't want to anything battery powered (unless it's rechargeable & can recharge directly from the voltage off the track) just for ease of access for me. I'm getting better, but I'm still in & out of a wheelchair, & continuously taking things on & off the track just to replace dead batteries doesn't work for me.

I have look into what my options are... but I'm thinking of doing something that's a mixture of a LGB & Bachmann Sharp wiring layup.

Never cracked open a Bachmann car before, so I've got NO CLUE what the wiring inside is like. I don't think it's going to be that complicated, I just don't know how the wires & stuff like that all tucked away.

Since a lot of the railing is loose on most of the cars that I have or feel a little loose... I'm thinking of taking them out & upgrading them with the metal railing that Bachmann sells for their Anniversary sets.

Just so things aren't loose & flopping around, do you guys have any tips on how to reinstall railing?

It should be pretty straight forward. Sometimes you need to put putty or something in there so that they set firm, but do you have any tips?

Just asking for tips before I do it.

The last thing I'm going to add in is I want to experiment with light sensing diodes so that way the lights in the cars are off when its light, but on when it gets dark.

We have a couple nightlights that are plugged in that use that kind of system, & I think that would come in handy with some of the trains I plan on putting out. I wouldn't want the lights on all the time... & something like this would come in handy I think.

I can figure all this out on my own, but before I do anything I just thought I'd ask for suggestions & tips on this.

7. And lastly, I heard that Bernie is semi-retired or pretty much retired from making Big Train kits. I'm late to the party here, but I was wondering if I could still get something like that. I figure that if I'm repairing my train that I'd go all out on it in that department. I heard that he's not doing full kits anymore, but if you're looking for a nut or bolt or something... he'll still help you out.

I wanted to replace my drive rods with something full metal (because plastic doesn't work for me), & MAYBE the base plate for the train.

I do have a CNC, but it won't help me out too much right now because I'm moving & things are up in the air, & I don't have an injection machine to do any kind of plastic work. Maybe I can throw something together when things kind of mellow out, but I don't see certain things happening in the near future.

I was just wondering if some of this stuff was still available.

Anyway guys... kind of a mouthful for a 1st post, but I wanted to be clear at what I'm looking at, & if you could give me some feedback on this.

Thanks again & talk to you guys later!

DB

[Fred2179]

Phew, what a lot of questions. . .  I'll hit the ones I know something about.

1. With my 1st question, in terms of parts... can I recycle parts off 1 train onto another? Meaning did they use the same color green on a different train that matches the green on the Suwanee River? They milked this mold for what it was worth where they repainted it 400x times over... but I am curious if there's another train that's the same shade of green. Some parts are universal like boilers, base plates where they reused the same part in the same color over & over again, but I am wondering if they reused the same green pieces for a different train.

Some of the parts that I'm looking for I can order directly off of Bachmann's site... but it might be more cost efficient to buy a junker & just do a parts swap.

I own 4 other banged up engines... but they are every other color but green. I've tried to do some research on my own, but never got any hits that answered the question. And you can't trust a photo because the way that something looks like on the screen might look different in person. So I'm just wondering where I can get the right parts to repair the train. In terms of a color match.

There are no color swatches for our trains, so it is basically trial and error. B'mann did make several 4-6-0s in green (EBT, ET&WNC, etc.,) but I can't tell you if they match your Suwanee. Loco Bill has a pinned thread about the various sets - that might tell you which are green!

2. What plastic/s where used on these trains? Just so I know what chemical compounds to use on it. I'm pretty sure I have something to help fix that broken handlebar (again it's not the handlebar, it's the trim), but I'm also looking at modifying the boiler in the cabin. Shrink it down so there's more room in there, & make it look like more like the real thing. I just want to make sure that I use the right tools so it's a clean cut & weld.

I use a variety of glues. The best one for Bmann locos might be Testors 281216 - 1 oz. Fast-Drying Liquid Cement with Precision Applicator; Use for polystyrene and ABS plastic; Bonds plastic by dissolving and cementing; Precision applicator makes easy work of gluing even small intricate detailed parts.

3. Are there any tutorials on how to put real coal onto the tender? Because I want to put real coal on my tender.

I don't know of any, but I don't search YT as I've done it enough times already. If you know how to do it then I'm sure you won't have any problems.

4. I'm pretty sure that the electronics in the tender are dead. If not I still kind of don't care because it's kind of banged up, & am still going to do an upgrade on it. I'm sure that it's out there, but I haven't found it...

All that is in an 4-6-0 tender is the sound card, which is not very good. It needs a 9V battery, but there's no reason it shouldn't work.

how do you install a Tsunami soundboard into a Big Hauler tender?

With difficulty? It's probably easier to install in in the boiler, but as I haven't done it I will leave it to the experts.
The latest gen-7 version [multiple cables between engine and tender] has a complete plug-n-play socket with a pigtail board to make it easy.

5. I know there are places that you can go to get replacement or custom stickers for train sets like this, but is there anybody out there out there that makes literal reproductions (1-to-1 repros) to sets like this?

Not that I know of.

And again I'm no expert at this, but do any of you guys know if cars to the Suwanee River where marked with different numbers? The baggage, passenger, & observation cars would have different #'s on them, but if you had 3 or 4 passenger cars to the actual train, would each car have a different #?

Every railroad numbered all its cars with unique numbers. They have to keep track of servicing, upgrades, reporting to the boss when one falls off the track, etc.  (I'm now waiting to be proved wrong.  .)

6. Basically I'm planning on running everything off the track. Can't do it at the moment, but later when things kind of settle down, I'll do some sort of layout.

Since a lot of the railing is loose on most of the cars that I have or feel a little loose... I'm thinking of taking them out & upgrading them with the metal railing that Bachmann sells for their Anniversary sets.

Just so things aren't loose & flopping around, do you guys have any tips on how to reinstall railing?

The new metal railings are much nicer than the old floppy plastic.  You pull the old ones out and push the new ones in. Long-nose pliers gripping the base will allow you to lever them out. They stay where they are without glue.

The last thing I'm going to add in is I want to experiment with light sensing diodes so that way the lights in the cars are off when its light, but on when it gets dark.

Most folk just use a switch underneath, but there's no reason you couldn't add a light-sensing circuit to switch them on and off.

7. And lastly, I heard that Bernie is semi-retired or pretty much retired from making Big Train kits. I'm late to the party here, but I was wondering if I could still get something like that. I figure that if I'm repairing my train that I'd go all out on it in that department. I heard that he's not doing full kits anymore, but if you're looking for a nut or bolt or something... he'll still help you out.

No idea who Bernie is, but the guy making replacement chassis was Barry's Big Trains, and he passed a while ago.
The latest gen-7 loco is probably as good as his replacements, as it has metal gears, a Pittman motor, etc.

I wanted to replace my drive rods with something full metal (because plastic doesn't work for me), & MAYBE the base plate for the train.

All the Anniversary versions have metal siderods.  If you have an older version with plastic, you can buy a complete chassis from Bmann Parts and swap them.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

First of all Fred that was a fantastic response, thanks for that.

 Now HI DB,   

Your set was made in 1996 and is about 30 years old now.  The locos are chassis version three, which had gear problems.  Freds recommendation to get Chassis version 5 or above is spot on.

There are decal makers that could reproduce the lettering and numbers, but it might be expensive.  Bachmann made an add on coach and a full baggage.  If you found more coachs on ebay they will all have the same number.

I really don't know of other Bachmann locos that match the Southern Railway paint on yours.  Some of the specialty paint makers might have some that match. 

AS for the broken front truck on one of your locos Bachmannn makes a replacement that will will work, but your description of the damage is pretty severe.  I would recommend junking it for parts for other locos, especially if is not a version 5.

Best I can do for now, have fun with your trains!

Loco Bill

[RailMan63]

Hi!
You may be money ahead to bid on this exact same item on Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/306199485982?
It looks good.
And it's currently at a great price!
Mike

[Fred2179]

this exact same item on Ebay

Ah. Now I see the set, I note the loco is actually the same old SOUTHERN 4-6-0 as was used in many sets. Looks like the same green as the original battery big hauler!