SW900 Scraping Bottom

[ASRR Mark]

I have a Bachmann SW900 that is stopping mid-travel when it runs into something on the track.  This happens most often at turnouts.  It runs around most of my layout but then stops abruptely, as if a track nail were sticking up.  I have checked the track of course but find nothing that is protruding high enough to stop the locomotive.  No cars or other engines encounter this problem.  Is there a low-clearance on the SW900?  Is there a way I can raise the body/lower the trucks so that this doesn't happen?  This is a nice little engine, but it can't.

Thanks,
Mark

[HO-Ron]

Sounds like a coupler airhose is to low. Check it and bend it up with a needle nose pliers  if it is.
Rgs, HO-Ron

[the Bach-man]

Dear Mark,
I've never seen a Bachmann SW, but I hope the airhose tip works!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[Tylerf]

It shouldn't be too hard to just find a trouble spot and carefully watch the loco, if it is the coupler than it should be quite obvious. And ho ron I'm guessing by "coupler airhose" you mean the trip pin

[engr.todd]

It sounds like a P2K SW9 that I bought years back. The gear casing under the trucks were so low they drug on the frogs of Atlas switches and stopped. I ground the casings down and it took care of the problem. Just a thought.
Bob

[jward]

Dear Mark,
I've never seen a Bachmann SW, but I hope the airhose tip works!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

would there be ANY chance of a sw900 or sw1200 from bachmann in the future?

[ASRR Mark]

B-Man and Todd, you're both right, its a P2K.  Sorry about that!  Todd, glad to hear mine isn't the only problem out there.  Will check the gear casing under the trucks.  The engine stops on track after passing over the Atlas turnouts tho.  Anyway of raising the body up off of the trucks without taking the whole thing apart?  How do you grind it down?  Dremel?

Thanks.  Mark

[jward]

i think what he's referring to is the bottom of the truck gearbox being very low and hanging up. early atlas diesels had this problem. uncoupler magnets would cause these units to hang up as they bottomed out. the solution would be to carefully file away the bottom of the gearbox. on my proto s1, which i assume is similar to your unit, the bottom of the gearbox and truck sideframes appear to come off together. remove these pieces before you do any filing, to keep the dust out of your gearbox. i would stay away from a dremel tool for this task, and use a mill file instead.

[engr.todd]

Mark;
I took the gear casing off and used a Bastard file. Took it off and left it clean and smooth.
Bob

[jowalmer]

For what it's worth, I had a loco do the exact thing.  It turned out to be the trip pin hanging too low and catching on the track.

[Dr EMD]

Not likely, especially if someone else has it in their catalog. 

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would there be ANY chance of a sw900 or sw1200 from bachmann in the future?
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