Hi Mark,

While they should run about the same speed, it is not unusual to have one run a little faster than the other. I do not see a problem with it unless they are way out of sync.   I had one Annie 4-6-0 that ran faster than my Other Annie 4-6-0.  It was not a problem till I tried to double head it with it in the rear.  Being faster it had a tendency to push too hard on the front one,  when the positions were changed and the fast one was on the front all ran well.

I would not worry about it much.

Have fun with your renewed hobby!!

Cheers & Beers,

Loco Bill

Hi Fred, 

I have no record of the Annie being done in the Emmet Kelly paint job.  Looking at what I see in the photo the arm on the front truck is not a Bachmann stock version so it must be either a homemade or a BBT add on.  There were Annie chassis with the red wheels so it would not be difficult to swap out the chassis.  Bachmann lost the Emmet Kelly rights in 2005 before the Version six Annie chassis came out so there doesn't seem to be possibility it could be a version six with the all metal gears.  It would be easy enough to add metal detail parts when the Annies first came out in 2000, because they were readily available at that time.  I picked up a metal whistle back then because a plastic one on my BH 4-6-0 broke.    Looking at the video the lead locomotive #49 it must have come from a Ringmaster Set if it is a version 5 .  Other EKJX 4-6-0's  had other numbers or were not version 5.  The second loco has been definitely modified and something was painted over where the number would be and I could not read the numberboards on the second loco.   Best I can do for now.

Anyway the video looked great and glad that you and your friend are having fun with it.

Merry Christmas!!

Bill

Thanks Fred, 

Bill

Hi Fred,

Could you post the contact info for Jiro Yermanian, I would like to record the info for future help.  As more and more gears become unavailable every source is important!!

Thanks and Merry Christmas,

Bill

Join the club

Hav4e fun with it!

Bill

Hi Bugsey,

You might try "NWSL.com  I sent them two 242's a couple of years ago, so they could make those gears.   Before you contact them count the teeth on your bad gear and measure it (diameter, width, & total number of teeth.  They have been very helpful to me over the years.  They will do their best to help you.

Let us know how it goes please.   https://nwsl.com/

Cheers & Beers,

Loco Bill

Hi DWP,

They rarely break.  You should see a round tab on the shoe, it press fits into the hole on the loco.  There are right and left side shoes  so be sure to get them in the correct position.  It was not clear from you post if all  have detached, so if even one remains on the loco look closely at it and you should see how it fits in!

Cheers & Beers.

Loco Bill

Greg, 

Only way to know is to take a transmitter and test it on a locos on both frequencies.  Then once u see which loco the transmitter runs, mark the transmitter. There were never any diagrams, and no lifetime limited warranty at first.

The critical thing on the R/C sets is to realize they were sold as toys, built as toys, and sold at Toy stores, and not in hobby shops.  I got a set a KMart on sale for 19.95, and another at Walmart for 24.95 when they first came out.  I painted the locos up in basic black and lettered them for my model railroad.  They looked great and sat next to my engine house as "look good" items, and made good use of the freight cars,  1988 seems like yesterday to me.  I had an LGB set I got in Germany in 1972 for the US equivalent of $75.  I used that loco till Bachmann came out with the electric version of the 4-6-0, then bought one, and got rid of the LGB as I never did care for the European prototypes.  Bachmann was a leader in Large scale US prototype, and thankfully that success let to all the US prototype models we have today, but they rarely gets any respect for what they did. 

Bill

Hi,

There is no reason not to do what you intend!!   I will attach a link as to how I added the front coupler somewhere below In my own case I have added the front coupler to my 4-6-0's so that I can double head them powered, or use one as a pusher at the end of the train.  Might be fun to add the front coupler to it and doublehead with your other locos with it still powered.  I have never done it personally with the 4-6-0, but I have done it with an Aristocraft GE U-25B.  Removing the weights, motors, and gear train, smoke units and Printed circuit board makes the U-25B like just another freight car.  I can run it on the front with another loco, use it as a midtrain helper, or as a pusher at the end of the train

The only concern with the 4--6-0 is keeping the drivers quartered with the gears removed.  If you decide to try it please tell us how  you did it and how you solved any problems!

Link to adding front coupler: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,17706.0.html

The photobucket link in the above link may not work after all these years, but try the Dropbox link it should work.

Loco Bill

Hi Greg, 

Frequencies, Battery comments, and instructions are all covered already under the blue heading "Radio Controlled Big Hauler Set Instructions" Scroll to the link below the heading and you will find everything you need there.

Cheers & Beers!

Bill

You must have got it used, as the brand new ones come with an engineer and fireman figure. No matter, the engineer figure I am referring to can be seen here:  https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_75&products_id=10288&zenid=m5sq123dk8clitao9i24j9u0h6

Test fit him in your loco and see what part you might have to cut off to get him in.  I pose him with his arm out side the window.

Have fun,

As for the engineer, I use the bachmann Engineer that comes with the loco.  I cut the legs off so that the figures arms fit to the armrest on the bottom of the cab window

Well T,

This is certainly frustrating, but the only other recommendation I can make from afar goes back to the power supply.  When the Locomotive shuts off  does it immediately start again when you press down on it like before, or do you have to wait a while before pressing down on it to get it to run.  When you first ran the locomotive and it made it laps where there places where it hesitated as it went around?

I have been basing my diagnosis on the fact that you bought this new last year, but I am wondering if you bought and older version of the set.

Here is how to identify the Chassis version of your locomotive:
Big Hauler 4-6-0 Chassis Version Identification  by Bill Canelos  Copyright 1995-2020 by Bill Canelos All rights reserved.               
Version 1  1988-1990  Battery Powered R/C Units                             
Version 2  1990-1994  Smooth Bottom Cover  You can turn drivers by hand and motor will turn.                           
Version 3  1994-1998  Smooth Bottom Cover You cannot turn the drivers by hand.                             
Version 4  1998-1999  Large wide hump dead center between the rear drivers on bottom cover.                             
Version 5  2000-Pres  3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump.


Let me know what you have?  Also do you know anyone with a volt meter?  We could solve this quickly if you have or can get one. 

Bill

Hi T,

Based on the latest info, I feel that the problem may not be the power supply.  So first the middle drivers have no flanges so the locomotive can go around tighter curves, but this is not the problem.  So let go back to basics. First check to make sure the arrow under the front small truck is facing forward. Second make absolutely sure each section of track is tightly connected to each other and that there are no kinks. be sure to use those track clips between each section.  Next use a good quality track cleaner and thoroughly clean the track. You can use mineral spirits, or even WD-40. Do it with a soft cloth and clean until no more black residue appears on the cloth.  Then do the same with all the wheels on the loco.  I use a Q-tips saturated in the cleaner and do each wheel until the Q-tip is clean.  I say this because the sparking you are seeing is often due to dirty track and dirty wheels.  You may not see any dirt on the rails or wheels but clean them anyway. Try these things and post back with how it goes!  I know you said you did some of these things, but do it again.  Also we could do other tests if you had a voltmeter.  Also I am wondering if you have the track set up flat on the floor?

Hang in there.

Bill

Hi,

From what you have posted so far it is hard to say what the problem is.  Can you say when the locomotive stops: Does the headlight stay on?  When the locomotive stops is there still power to the track, or does the power supply just shut down??  I ask this, because the power supply has an internal thermal circuit breaker and there have been cases where after the breaker shorts out frequently or overheats it gets weaker and weaker and eventually fails.   If the loco stops and will not run until til the breaker resets, then the problem is definitely the power supply.  The locomotive in the set rarely is the problem so other things must be ruled out.  If you have a way to use a different power supply/transformer try it and if the loco runs fine, you will know it is the power supply that is the problem.

Loco Bill