Older Bachmann 250 ton wrecking crane and wheel sets

[Stephen Warrington]

  Hi guys,

I got a quicky question for ya'll experts here on the board  I have a older Bachmann Big Hook aka wrecking crane and 3 TYCO big hooks. OK once ya'll quit laughing about the $4.99 TYCO specials on ebay. I need help on removing the plastic wheel sets from the 3 axle trucks the two outer ones pop out fine but I can't for the world get the center one to pop out and the ones on the Bachmann crane are way out of guage. All wheelsets on the 3 TYCO are in perfect guage for 1977 quality not to shabby considering how much dirt poor TYCO receives at times.

the fun part will be repainting them for ICRR and ICG and body mounting Kadees.

Thanks

Stephen

[Nigel]

If you do not want to save the wheelset, just cut the axle in the middle.

[LD303]

i have several of those cranes and i used a small flat screwdriver to gently pop that center wheel set out,  just dont pry too hard, some of those old tyco trucks can crack if you put too much strain on them....and speaking of old tyco,  yes a lot of their offerings were, ummmm, less than quality, lol....but the crane and boom tender sets were pretty nice,  i have a mehano crane and boom tender that i got in a box o' goodies from EBAY, and im sure it cost a lot more than the tyco version,  but when comparing them side by side,  the tyco has the same level of detailing the mehano does,   once you throw a coat of your favorite roads paint on it and some decals,  that old tyco crane will fit right in, even with the hi-dollar modern stuff.

[Stephen Warrington]

Hi guys,

thanks for the suggestions LDI have to agree I have a new RTR Athearn big hook and two older TYCO and Bachmann big hooks already painted for IC and once you add some good paint they don't stand out and to be honest that old TYCO that I have body mounted Kadees on tracks better than the new Athearn one.

I am bidding on 3 more Bachmanns for a friend who is into heavy construction and not trains so I am going pick out the best of the lot to keep and let him have the other two for static display in his office.

The one that I think is Hopeless is the old AHM one I got unless I can find new trucks for it.

Stephen

[Stephen Warrington]

  Did someone call out the big hooks?


the black one is Tyco and the orange one is a old Bachmann


red Santa Fe is anew old Tyco notyet converted to metal wheels and kadees the black one is a 1960 AHM model which needs new trucks and some way to raise and lower the boom. Since it didnt have a control rod in the box when it was given to me. Also in the yard blocked by big hooks are 4 Proto 2000GP38s for the IC and GM&O



Athearn RTR crane just to pretty to repaint.

Stephen

[kevin2083]

I have the same problem- I am slow to repaint stuff if it looks good, even if it dosent fit in at all. I have a tyco crane that has KD's, but they are mounted way too high, but I cant get the coupler pockets off unless I destroy them to adjust them, so it dosen't move much.

Ya'll have fun now, ya hear?

[Stephen Warrington]

  Hi Kevin,

The Orange Bachmann crane is the same way with the kadees. I mounted them with thick CA and there is no way to remove them. Most of my big hooks are shelf queens at the moment due to no room on the little 4x8 layout.

So far the count is 3 Tyco 1 Bachmann and one AHM, the AHM is the worst it derails every few inches but it was made in 1960 and very little can be done to the fragile trucks to make run better.

I got 4 more older Bachmann big hooks I am bidding on ebay for about $6.00 bucks each.

Stephen