Connie drive gear

[smcgill]

I feel your pain!
You don't know what you had until it's gone!
Irvin was a hidden gem!
When you called him he told you were it's at! No hidden punches! He did call you back too!
Sorry this doesn't help .

[armorsmith]

As promised, a progress report.....

Had a very pleasant conversation with Bridget this afternoon.  As expected, she could (wouls?) not be too specific.  She informed me that the order for Connie axle/brass gears had been placed several months ago, and they are waiting for the container with the product to arrive.  (Sound like another manufacturer.)  She did give the optimistic comment that she thought they should be here "in the next 4 to 8 weeks.

Just due to the positive conversation with Bridget her name and number will be in my rolodex.

At least I got what I consider to be an honest answer, albeit not necessarily what I was hoping for.  For those in need - there is hope!

Thank you Bridget!

Bob C.

[Chuck N]

Bob, Thanks. 

Chuck

[Barry BBT]

armour,

There are plastic gears and there are plastic gears.  A couple of rules have to be kept in mind.  Regardless of the material, the driving gear must be made of harder material than the driven gear.  I use plastic gears, but all have brass hubs.  In most cases I enlarge the size of the set screw and insert the set screw with locktite #222.

In my gear boxes, the first driving gear is a brass double thread worm gear, which engages an acetal Gear with a brass hub.  On the shaft with the acetal gear is a 16 tooth aluminum gear driving another acetal gear on the axle.

For the record I have lost one gear in the past 15 years, and this is for everything built in the last twenty years.  So the problem with plastic is not that it is plastic, how it is used.

For example all brass gears of the same material will not do well in a stressed environment, if the brass is all equal.

Barry

[smcgill]

Barry
I don't think he is having problems with gears per say but with Bachmann's lack/understaffed service department.

[armorsmith]

Barry, et al,

As Sean has suggested, the purpose here was as much to "shake the bush" at Bachmann as anything else.  If you review the date on the original post, it was early/mid July, with the usual evasive/non-committal answer.  Which was OK for a time. However, as I stated when I "pinged" this thread back to the top, the response from Bachmann, when following the directions given, were also less than exemplary.

As for the need for a gear, yes I need one as do a couple of other people in my local area.  I do understand manufacturing and the requirement to "be patient" for production runs, but I don't find evasive/non-committal answers to be good customer service.  Again, as I stated above, be honest and I have a lot longer patience.  I was also looking for the "factory replacement" it at all possible.  I believe Bachmann is heading in the direction of better gear boxes on all new production.   It would sure be nice if it were backward compatible.

Barry, I quite agree that all plastics are not created equal, and I am also well aware of the "harder drive gear, softer driven gear" principal.  Any drives I have created in my professional career (only a few) have always used a steel worm and brass gear, with excellent results.  I do have a couple of "10 wheelers" that I would like to have a BBT drive in..  Down the road some, I think.

[Jerry McColgan]

Apparently Barry does not do installations. Does NWSL do installations?

Is this the right gear?

Fn3 Bachmann 2-8-0 axle gear 25T SGd x 15.8mm OD x .250" ID

Item #: 2226-6
#1 Fn3 Bachmann 2-8-0 axle gear 25T SGd x 15.8mm OD x .250" ID

Fn3 = Large Scale?

Thanks,

Jerry

[edmc]

Jerry, that is the correct gear. Are you looking for someone to replace the gear for you..?  Ed

[Jerry McColgan]

Jerry, that is the correct gear. Are you looking for someone to replace the gear for you..?  Ed

Yes. It is for a friend and I have never had a Connie apart. I don't like working on friend's locos because I don't want the responsibility if something gets broken.

I had him ask Barry but apparently Barry is unable to do it at least at this time.

He would be happy to have Bachmann to do the repair but it sounds here that Bachmann does not currently have the parts.

For what it is worth we are in Central Arkansas.

Thanks,

Jerry

[Barry BBT]

Jerry,

Sorry it has taken so long to respond, but the nswl/bachmann brass install instructions are at

www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gear.html

Barry

[armorsmith]

Well, I have to say I am now getting real dis-appointed.

I started this thread requesting information on the pending availability of the Consolidation replacement axle and gear back on July 10th of this year.
My next post with some tone of dis-satisfaction came on October 4th, almost 3 months later. On October 5th the Yardmaster posts with a name and phone number inside the usual 800 system.  A call to that party resulted in being told the 'parts are on the water', and should be here in 4 to 8 weeks.  I cordially requested that she please keep us informed here on the forum.
Here we are, January 1st of a brand new year, and I do believe there never will be any new parts. As has been said by others, they have our money for the defective units, why should they care? I am to a point I will fix what I have and will not purchase any new motive power from Bachmann.  It is truly a shame that the American manufacturer (if such really exists) has so little regard for their customers.

RIP Bachmann.

[JerryB]

armorsmith:

So you have recently called back to the 800 number to find updated information about the parts you are looking for? When you originally talked to the person who gave you a schedule for the parts, you left your contact information and an order for those parts? That contact and your order were ignored?

Or, is it just easier to post your unhappiness with your own lack of clarity and follow through here?

This is a public forum where most of the respondents are just civilians like you appear to be. Or, perhaps you actually work for a Bachmann competitor and are just trolling?  In any case, venting your unhappiness here is just so much garbage.

If perchance you are really a Bachmann customer with a problem, may I politely suggest that you use the (previously supplied) 800 number to speak to the same person and find out if / when the parts are going to be available. That was where (according to you) the promise was made.

I have found Bachmann service to be very good, but they can't always please everyone, especially folks who do not allow them the chance.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[Loco Bill Canelos]

I have found Bachmann Service and Part to be very helpful.  They have not always had everything I needed, but I have seen them go out of their way to try to help.  They have problems with things they have no control over.

Bachmann does extremely well compared to two other major large scale companies I have had experience with, no to mention several retail sales companies.   I have never had a problem with anything when I have sent items in for repair under the warranty.  

In one case I knocked a Spectrum 2-6-0 Mogul off my workbench and it crashed sickeningly to the concrete and was wrecked, I'm talking really wrecked even the tender .  I called Bachmann and told them about it. They said to send it in with the $20 handling fee charged at the time for items more than a year old.   I shipped it at my expense not expecting much, but to my amazement they sent me back a completely new unit.  I had expected to get the mechanism fixed but not the banged up chipped body shells and as minimum expected to get some sort of extra charge since it was entirely my fault.  I called and they said no there would not be any extra charge above the original $20.   Not only that they shipped it back to me at their expense.  

I don't know of any company making large scale trains that has such an amazing warranty on their locomotives.  

Armorsmith, Your Connie  could be shipped back to Bachmann  for warranty repairs and although the fee is now higher than back when I sent my mogul in, it is well worth the the time and effort it will involve putting the new gear in. It may not the brass gear but it should still give great service.  I bought two connies when they first came out and use them constantly one is still going strong and a few months ago the other had the gear failure.   I fixed it using the NWSL gear and it is functioning very well again.  Any well used product of a mechanical nature will eventually break down American made or not, you call it a defective product, I call it a great product that has preformed wonderfully for many many years which is now having age related problems.

I can't imagine that Bachmann is deliberately withholding brass gears just to make the customers mad, I suspect there is some other problem.   I will try to see what I can find out, by contacting them and asking them very nicely what the problem may be.



Bill

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Armorsmith

I thought what the heck, I will contact Bachmann about the brass gear,  I got connected to Yardmaster who is in Cleveland at a show, and many employees are having time off today because of the holidays.  He was not sure if the Brass gears have arrived yet.

He suggested that you call the service department on Monday and ask for Rodney Watkins.

I will follow up and contact Rodney myself on Monday and report back to the forum.

If I hear anything sooner I will report that as well!!

Have a good rest of the holidays!!!

Cheers & Beers
Loco Bill

[grayfitz]

Hi All,, I have been patiently watching the spares site for four months and dont miss a day in case the axel and brass gear sell too quickly, I see that BACHMANN have listed the best selling part for the CONNIE is the AXEL & BRASS GEAR,,strange as this part has been out of stock for six months,,, Loco Bill says send the loco back to BACHMANN but Im in AUSTRALIA and postage cost there and back is well over $200, so I like most other people around the world have a great loco on display only,, I now have a SHAY that is having drive shaft problems and see the parts i need are out of stock so Ill sit and wait for them too. GRAHAM  F (australia)