Vision Impaired (need som help)

[Terminus]

Hi, I am almost blind now but the zoom super power let's me sill use the net with a huge monitor. I need some help please. I have a Big Hauler Locomotive 4-6-0 ATSF that I would like to get someone to replace the plastic gear. I used to be really good at soldering and working with tools but at this point that is just history. 

Can someone please recommend who I can send the locomotive who is reliable and does good work? They would also need to get the parts for me. I am not in any rush but once this one is done I have 2 more to do. 

Thank you for your patience.

Leonard

[Greg Elmassian]

Leonard: about where do you live? The value of the loco can easily be outstripped by shipping alone.

Greg

[Terminus]

Hi, I live in New Mexico. I understand. I guess I just wanted to make sure  I could get all my Big Haulers upgraded so they could last  longer. I realize they're all on the low end of the market. I really love them.  Thank you.

ETA this is a vintage locomotive with track power not the battery/rc version. I will try to include more information next time.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi Terminex,

There are no metal gears available for the older 4-6-0 Standard Locomotive, or even many of the the latest versions.

Below is the chassis identification list.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,37791.0.html

I will be glad to advise you as to your best options once you let me know which version your locomotive is. I was also wondering how much use your ATSF locomotive gets.  Gear replacement can get fairly expensive, but I will let you know what the least cost options are once I hear from you. 

I do not do repairs only advise as to the best options.

Loco Bill Canelos

[veetwelve]

There appear to be several garden railroad clubs in New Mexico... here's a link to one out of Albuquerque.  They would be an invaluable source of information regarding local repair services, so I think it would be worthwhile to establish contact with them.  http://nmgrr.com/

All the best,
Jay

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Agree with Jay, contact with a local club would be a great idea. 

[Fred2179]

There are no metal gears available for the older 4-6-0 Standard Locomotive,

True, but Jiro Yeramian makes Delrin replacements for several of the final drive gears. Contact him at [email protected].

As Jay says, your best bet is to find someone at the local RR club who would be happy to help swap the gears. It's not a big job.  Check out this thread.
https://largescalecentral.com/t/bachmann-4-6-0-ten-wheeler-gear-fix/81887

[RailMan63]

Hi.
If this is the old #49 Santa Fe (Red Comet), then it's a fairly early version of the Big Hauler 4-6-0.
Those gears fracture quite often and it is a common failure with many gears across several of Bachmanns line of Large Scale models.
The best advice, as others have already stated, would be to try a local train club.
If that doesn't work, then you could replace the broken trains in their entirety and sell the old ones off.
Bachmann still offers a new replacement gear:
https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_671_148&products_id=972
But it's out of stock.
I believe that the gear shown is the one you need,as I've taken several older generation versions apart, and this looks like the gear that I observed in the #2 and #3 gearboxes.
There is a new gearbox available, but it will not work for the version that you have, which I believe would be the version #2,or #3(flat bottom with no center hump) due to gear arrangement changes between the version#3 and version #4.
Bachmann does offer a replacement chassis,but the cost would likely be approximately $153.50, plus around $20-$25.00 shipping.
Not to mention any required sales tax.
Just trying to throw a few options around for your consideration.
Good luck!
Mike

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi All, Without doing a deep dive into my databases I can safely say that every single ATSF 4-6-0 Bachmann produced carried the road number 49. Bachmann usually failed to change the road numbers as new runs of a locomotive were produced. Because of this some 4-6-0's Road names were produced with the same road numbers in many different chassis numbers.  Mike the gear you mentioned is out of stock, and while it is listed as "temporally out of stock", it in reality will never be available again from Bachmann. It is also possible that it is the 2006 ATSF 4-6-0 #49 which has the Version 5 chassis. Also we need to know if Leonard's ATSF Loco is in running condition. We all want to help Leonard which is why I love this forum, but lets wait to hear from Leonard and go from there.  The questions are, What version is it?  and Is it still in good running condition? or running but poorly?

Bill