you would be better off just bidding on one on ebay for afew dollars and replace the whole engine. being the motor is froze up from the battery acid, i doubt that it is any good if you can possible turn the shaft get some contact cleaner from radio shack and spray it all over the inside and shaft. good luck if that doesnt work your best bet would put it on a display shelf or toss. those sets werent that exspensive and the motor alone if available probably would bemore than the set cost. they are ebay quite a bit.

usually ACE IS THE PLACE has a bin with brass stock in it. You can easily make those with the round brass rods just measure. bend to shape  and solder them up. easy to make and strong to boot. i have made plenty for my bachmann coaches and handrails for my other manufact diesels.

Hi I may have the instruction sheet and parts diagram fro the 2 truck shay. If you send me your email ill be glad to scan it and send it to you. GENE
[email protected]

Robert Gene at this end of the wire. Send a picture of that sound system to my email If you can: [email protected]. I might have the info you are loking for but I want to make sure from the picture. Hope you can send it. I do have aPH sound card in one of my engines and it might possibly be the one you have. Or if you can send me any info at all if you cant take apicture. Gene

Robert Gene here again send me your email add and Ill send you the wiring for that sound board as have 2-3 of them plus the instructions; [email protected]

HI Robert pertaining to your sound board. I did find a small potentiometer for a sound board in my parts box your welcome to it if you need it. email me with your info and Ill be glad to send it to you. Please don't ask for it if not needed as someone else may need on in the future. THANKS GENE [email protected]

Hi Robert in reference to your problem. if you have a VOM meter try and measure the resistance on that small potentiometer. There is a web site MOUSER ELECTRONICS that you can purchase one from if you can find the resistance. Or just order a cheap one and try it ya never know it may just work for the price. Going to radio shack anymore is useless to say the least they don't stock small electronic parts any more let alone the folks that work there are as confused about what your asking for. I do have a pH sound sys in one of my engines and I will see if I have the info sheet still for installing it. If I find it ill check and see if it has and values for the componets on it.  the only other place I could figure to get one would to buy the cheapest radio you can and tear it apart and it should have a few on the printed circuit board for volume and tuning. Good luck. Gene

Hi don't know whether you get the garden RR magazine but there is an article in there on how to make handrails which is rather easy to do:

Hi I might be able to help you. If i can find my wiring diagrams I have rewired the 2 truck shay for track or battery powerng using a dpdt mini switch. Its quite extensive wirng as you have to disconnect and run a new set of wires from the circut board under the fire box to the switch. It can be done but a little nerve racking to say the least. Mine works great I used 2  9volt rc car batt packs. fitting them in the small tender back is the worst with a decoder in there also. I have an AIRWIRE DECODER IN MINE. If you send me your email add and if I can find my wiring diagram ill be glad to share it with you: [email protected].Hope you have a lot of patence your going to need it when you start taking the shay apart. GENE
GOOD LUCK!!!

Davies if you have an aristocraft RS3 you can make your own handrails. A little soldering and your all set. Here's a web site to buy all sorts of brass metal stock from. They ship rather quickly. http://www.ksmetals.com/ I have made quite a few handrails for my g scale locos and my Bachmann Pass cars. Use a little steelwool to shiny up the ends and they solder up nicely. I cant remember the size of the brass round stock I used it was the size of a paper clip. Maybe you might know or have a micrometer and size it. Good luck. GENE

HEY MICKEY!! If you have an ACE hardware near you most of them have a brass bin within the store with all sorts of brass stock as square, round and flat pieces usually 12 inches long. If you have a solding iron its easy to make your own. All my BACHMANN pass cars have had their handrails replaced with the home made brass ones. It quite easy to solder the brass just clean the ends that are going to be soldered with some fine steel wool and they with go together rather smoothly. Hope this helps. My local Ace usually has plenty of the brass stock available and they keep it refreshed. ACE is THE PLACE!!

To Mr Bachmann or his higher ups. Why is it that the manufacturers were at a large train show with out their merchandise to sell or a least have some sort or coupon for a percentage off their products to be purchased. Myself and a friend of mine were intrested in purchasing each and engine and your folks directed us to another vender's booth. Who happened not to have either of the engines. I certainly would think that  bringing at least 1-2 of your titems that were on display would be available for purchase. Loss of revenue for Bachmann specially recommending another vendors doesn't seem to be very  :(practical with thousands of folks attending for the show days and not being able to make a purchase.. Bachmann was not the only manufacturer that did this, hence go home and look at the sites to make the purchase instead of at the show.

HI. I beleive the gear box  and motor are available on the Bachmann parts site. Its an easy replacement.  Gene

Peter!! I have had that problem on a few of my engines and cars where needed. what I used was a grey pvc faucet stem pipe. It is a hair smaller than the axle so you have to force the axle in than I use the CA. To this date they have not come apart. Works fine for me on aristo axles and bachmann. Gene

Hi Chris!! I have quite afew bachmann engines with airwire decoders in them. The 4-4-0 is a little confusing to navigate thru but can be done by taking your time and documenting every wire you cut incase you need to put it back.  The batterys I use have the Tamiya connectors on them so I use them insteadd of a charging jack, I just lift up the coal load and both battery packs and their Tamiya connectors are exposed to be charged. At first I used Rc battery packs, 2 to be exact but now im changing them out to Lion packs. They are a  little more costly but you get more run time with them but they do have their down falls as being dangerous to a certain extent. Good luck if you can get thru rewiring the 4-4-0 you can do any one engine. Just a word again to make a circuitsheet as you go or youll never get the wires back where you got them from. Gene