Replacement anniversary drives

[Mark Oles]

Dear Bachmann,

Do the replacement anniversary drives come with metal gears?

[the Bach-man]

Dear Mark,
Good question!
Give the parts department a call.
I will, too!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[mickeykelley]

I just ordered one of the $50 special price ones the other day.  I assumed it did, but we know what happens when you assume.  If it doesn't, it's going back for refund.

[Joe Zullo]

I purchased one of the $50 drives not long ago. It's a good drive, the worm gear is brass, the rest of the gears are nylon.

[Kevin Strong]

Mickeykelley, there's nothing to worry about with the 5th-generation drive (brass worm, nylon drive gears), so no need to send it back just because the gears aren't all brass. Recall that the 5th-generation drive was introduced with the "10th Anniversary" version of the 4-6-0, which came out nearly 13 years ago. It's proven itself to be very reliable in that time. The brass gears are a nice improvement, but this is one case where I don't think they are a necessary one. I bought a chassis a while back, and had the chance to test it alongside a 6th-generation drive (all brass gears). Both ran very smoothly.

Later,

K

[Loco Bill Canelos]

All those I have seen on sale have only the brass worm gear, but the other gears are indeed plastic. This would be the version 5 chassis.   This is also true of the two chassis I bought for myself 81098 and 81099 with the Walshearts valve gear. they are definitely Version 5 and not the Version 6 with the all brass gears.  I would never send them back!

One of the reasons these are on sale by Bachmann, is because they stocked a bunch of them for warranty service and other repairs, only to find out that the original version 5 chassis 4-6-0 was so good they were not needed for repair work.  Now they have a huge overstock!  Kevin is correct about the amazing performance of the Version 5 chassis in the 4-6-0.  Mine have been worked to death over the past 13 years without a single failure so far.  That is amazing to me imagine driving your car for 13 years and never needing a repair.  Even if one of mine blew up tomorrow, and was totally unrepairable I would still love the version 5 chassis 4-6-0.  My version 6 chassis also performs very well, but it is too new to see if it will be as good as the version 5. 

Mickey, I personally believe you will be better off keeping the chassis you get, you would be out the cost of shipping both ways if you send it back and that alone makes it a not so great a reason to send it back. 

If you lube the gears on your new chassis with a good plastic compatible grease and oil your valve gears with light oil every 10 to 20 hours of running you can expect to get great service out of it.

Bill

[mickeykelley]

Ok, I'll go with both you guys recommendation. You have experience and that counts. I thought I was getting a version 6 chassis which is why I ordered when I saw on sale after I missed them at Christmas.

[Joe Zullo]

Ok, I'll go with both you guys recommendation. You have experience and that counts. I thought I was getting a version 6 chassis which is why I ordered when I saw on sale after I missed them at Christmas.

I told you it was a good drive. I converted a second generation 4-6-0 and everything fit except the air tanks. The cylinders and valve bodies are larger than the old ones and the tanks needed to be shortened a bit to clear. This loco is now my most reliable, best running, and the most superior hauler of the 4 Bachmann 4-6-0's on my roster.

[grsman]

I have a Bachmann 4-6-0 Emmett Kelly circus engines #49. We would like to have an engine to haul several circus cars.
Would one of these replacement drives fit this engine? Would it make it more suitable for the task?
What drive would one of the new Bachmann 4-6-0 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey engines have?
Would this be a better choice?
Tom

[Chuck N]

GRSMAN:

It would help to know which generation of the 4-6-0 you have.  I'm sure someone here might know the generation, but a Bachmann number for the set of the engine, not 49, would be of assistance.  There are 6 generations of the engine out there.  The later ones 5 and 6 probably don't need it.  Earlier ones probably do.

Chuck

[Loco Bill Canelos]

GRSMAN

Number 49 was in sets 90020 and 90021, and may have been sold seperately(I did not look it up) as well.  Any of the $30 drives will fit your loco. Some of the drives have the long pilot used on woodburners, others have the modern short pilot(cow catcher).  The chassis paint will not match to the paint on your existing chassis, so if you want the colorful paint you will have to paint the chassis parts to match your old loco.  All of the $30 and $50 drives are version 5, but the $50 drives have metal siderods instead of plastic and are replacements for the Anniversary 4-6-0 and are not an exact replacement for your loco.

They are all great replacement drives!

Bill

[mickeykelley]

I'm planning on putting it on at 1995 era blue wood burning Durango.  Not sure which version that era is but what I understood is that it will word but will have to make some minor mods.  I guess we will see.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Mickey,

There are differences between the anniversary 4-6-0 and the standard 4-6-0 chassis.  there are modifications needed to fit the new chassis you bought from Bachmann on to the older 4-6-0 boiler.
The motor placement on the new drive you bought is different because the newer chassis is one that from the side you can see through while the older chassis is solid.

It has been done before and with patience I suspect you will be able to do it with no problem. 

I remember someone describing how to do it, but can't remember where.  I did a search and couldn't come up with it tho.  You may have better luck searching than I did.  I was thinking it was Barry of Barry's Big Trains who laid out the procedure.

Have fun with it!!

Bill

[mickeykelley]

I'll just take my Benford model 88000 to it and it'll fit.  Oops, I'm showing my age doing a tool time joke

[Mark Oles]

So the chassi shown on the online store are version 5 chassi?  THe other improvement is the lead truck, and I'd want that.  I suppose I should consider a new Annie, in that case.