Ray,

Is 81" boiler front the correct diameter for the 1200 - 1500 series ICRR mikes and the 1100 series ICRR pacifics?

Thanks!

lanny nicolet

Terry,

First do what Jim suggested to see if that clears up your problem.

If not, you 'should' be able to carefully pry the smokebox front open. But you will not be able to tell much because though the headlight is accessible, the wires run back through the boiler to the 'plug' under the cab which requires removal of the whole boiler shell to follwo the wiring.

It's possible that you may find that there is a bad connection, but clean rails with alcohol and locomotive wheels with same, first (boiler and tender ... both have pickup capability).

Also, make sure your tender is 'seated' on the rails. Bachmann tenders tend to be pretty light, and depending on how you have the tender connected to the boiler, the front tender truck may not be making good contact. I have had to add a little weight under the coal load on the tender to get it to track well. (I assume you have checked to make sure the plug between boiler and tender is properly seated and that no plug wire(s) seem to be more loose than the others.

Finally ... IF you do try to take the boiler cover off, BE CAREFUL. It is a press fit, but our friendly Chinese 'assemblers' often use glue to hold things in place (from the inside).

I have come close to ruining the boiler front on a couple of Spec 2-8-0s and 4-8-2s trying to pry a boiler front off that has been glued from the inside. Other Spectrum boiler fronts have 'popped' right off.

best wishes on getting your problem corrected.

lanny nicolet

Rich,

That sounds like a good option. Any idea of price?

thanks!

lanny nicolet

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Also, thanks to my friend who sent me a very helpful suggestion offline as well. I think I have the info needed to take at least one of my 'awful grades' out ... or as Gene says ... 'unsteep' one of my mainline grades. This will allow me to have one of the two mainlines fairly flat for when the 'long train' urge hits me 

lanny nicolet

Stephen asked me to post this for him. Evidently, as of last night either his phone or his computer was on the 'fritz' so he was not able to read or resond to anything on the forum. Today he is undergoing eye surgery to help correct his eye problem. He wanted everyone to know why he wasn't answering eMails.

lanny nicolet for Stephen Warrington

Gene,

Thanks. Basically that's what I am doing ... 'unsteeping the grade' ... I normally use homasote and cork roadbed, but wondered of the 'blue stuff' would be less time consuming and easier to fit into the area I am 'unsteeping' (aoubt 10 ft).

lanny nicolet

Hi all,

I know this topic has been covered alot ... but frankly, since my roadbed and track was down i didn't pay much attention. Now I am all attention

I am planning on ripping out one area of my layout where there is a very steep grade. I am wondering if the material I think some use might work as good road bed ... I think its some sort of 'blue styrofoam' material.

I use Atlas code 100 NS flex track and would like a 'refresher' on adhering it to this material as well as some basic pointers on cutting, fitting and laying the material before the track is attached.

Thanks for any advice!

lanny nicolet

I feel the same way, Ray. Does Bachmann really 'listen' ... are they really interested in what a lot (it seems to me) of potential customers are telling them?

Though I don't mind seeing a Bachmann 2-8-4 (with a tremendous amount of kitbashing it probably can be made to resemble the early super power ICRR Berks)

But why, oh why, is there not the slightest indication that any 'dent' has been made regarding Harrian style steam ... no one is doing it and there is an obvous market for it from East to West coast.

<sigh>

lanny nicolet

Harriman, Harriman, Harriman, Harriman .... 2-8-2, 4-6-2 etc. Please, please, please, consider the 'West' as another mentined ... a Harriman would be oh so nice!

lanny nicolet

My 'uneducated guess' is that you have an internal gear binding problem which can only be taken care of properly by Bachmann service. Call Bridget and set up a return. You'll get a nice, brand spanking new one in return, probably.

lanny nicolet

Well .... a Spectrum NKP undecorated 2-8-4 is a strating point at least for a MAJOR kit bash project to make it look like an ICRR 2-8-4. I could be interested. Between now and release date, I'll need to do a lot of research on existing ICRR photos of their 2-8-4s.

The name 'Spectrum' attached does make a big difference to me ... quality but at much less the price of P2k or BLI (both of which mfg. great locomotives)

lanny nicolet

Hi Bill,

Wow! Thanks for your very kind comments. As to your question about removing the sand dome: I have finished a second #908 for another modeler and have two more (an 907 and a 908) in the 'works' for other modelers.

In all cases I have found that removing the boiler and cab from the mechanism is the first step. That way you can work from the insider of the boiler.

Depending on when the model was mfg. the sand dome will either pop out with pressure, or, it will need to be 'cut out' with an eXacto knife. The older runs of the 'DCC ready' (pre 'DCC On Board') seem to release their sand dome more readily. The newer runs require some patient cutting work with an eXacto knife, but eventually the dome can be removed.

It appears to me (this just my personal uneducated judgment) that most of the Bachmann Spectrum parts could be 'press fit', but the folks who actually assembled them were not hesitant to use some glue (from the inside) to hold the various parts.

This makes dissassembling more of a challenge. I think someone mentioned using acetone to help in releasing the parts, but don't take my word for that because I haven't tired that method.

For me it has been 'pressure' from the insider pushing the part out, or, the good 'ole eXacto knife method.

lanny nicolet

Gene,

The .20 styrene strip is a great idea! Wish I would have thought of that! That would make a 'fix' much less noticable than the Kadee washer method I use.

thanks!

lanny nicolet

I'll jump in here to say 'thanks' for the info Ray (Orsonroy) 

Got what I need Stephen, I'll get the decaling done and get it shipped back to you soon.

lanny nicolet

Quote from: Jim Banner on July 22, 2007, 02:24:38 PM

Quote from: conradin on July 21, 2007, 07:35:37 AM
...  how many trains do you guys have?

... No, I don't laugh evilly in my basement watching my trains go by.  I much prefer laughing with friends as we get together to make a lot of trains go by, or with guests as they discover yet another mini scene on the layout, or best of all with children as they see a miniature world for the first time, or with older children, as they run trains for the first time.  To me, this epitomizes the best of model railroading - sharing.

Jim,

Very, very well said. This, to me, is the essence of model railroading ... 'sharing' and bringing a bit of 'joy' and 'excitement' to others (specially my wonderful grand kids ) , while finding one's self able to sit quietly and relax as trains run by.

I have way more locomotives, cars and kits than I need. But I enjoy building kits and kit bashing locomotives. I too, in a few days, will be 'thinning' my rr empire of very high quality HO trains to make room for the kit built stuff that is slowly taking over.

The most recent addition, thanks to my dear son, is one the grand kids are really excited about. It is the UP #844 4-8-4 (last run of this model by Rivarrossi, an absolutely gorgeous model and incredibly powerful, smooth runner) that we recently saw when it ran through central Iowa. I have added 5 con cor passengers cars (72' variety), and have found an old Ambroid H-5 UP postal storage 60' box car kit which will complete the 'excursion' consist when I get it built (I may even add the special UP tender if I can ever find one at a 'reasonable price').

I mainly model the 1945-1960 era (heavy on the steam) of the ICRR, but my son has a three very modern trains which I am currently building staging yards for, so they can be stored. (one is a Chicago Metra train, one will be a 'long' UP grain train pulled by a Kato MAC SD 90 and a Bachmann diesel ... can't think of the model number, but its the big Spectrum diesel that Bachmann used to sell), and the UP #844 excursion train).

I have a lot of Bachman steam and a couple of Bachmann diesels (all Spectrum), three BLI (steam and diesel), a resin HH660 I purchased in kit form and built into an ICRR switcher that is running on a Proto S-1 chassis, and some IHC steam that has been or will be 'bashed' into ICRR style steam.

Except for the modern trains that will occupy storage tracks until they run for 'exhibition' , my rolling stock is being sold off (shake the box stuff ... but nice quality Atlas, Athearn Genesis, etc). They are slowly being replaced with various mfg's resin kits, Tichy kits, Branchline Blueprint kits, Intermountain kits, Red Caboose kits and other high quality, craftsman type kits.

Its all fun and relaxing, even though I am constantly loosing some 'necessary part' on the floor and have to spend 10 minutes searching for it 

To me, if mrr'ing gets too technical or heavy on the 'rivet counting' side, I loose interest. But each person finds some area in model railroading that particularly interests them - scenery, DCC operation, special layouts, club, protoype operation, rivet counting, etc.

It's supposed to be fun! 

lanny nicolet