Connie brass gear replacement

[armorsmith]

Bob,

That question has been asked in the past, and if memory is correct, they will replace the gear "in kind".  Meaning, if a plastic one broke, a plastic one will go back in.

The replacement process is really quite easy.  Tools needed are:

7mm socket or nut driver (I used a Sears nut driver), or a very thin 7mm open end wrench
the small and large phillips screw drivers that comes in a jewelers screw driver set
a standard P1 phillips screw driver.
a smallish straight blade screw driver.
A well lit area to work in
Some form of cradle to stabilize the locomotive upside down. (I used the top half of the styrofoam packing provided by Bachmann. Removed the tender, put the top packing back on, turned upside down, and removed the bottom packaging.)

After turning the unit upside down step one is to remove the two screws (7mm hex) holding the main rods on the drivers. Remove the valve eccentric and main rod. PAY ATTENTION TO THE ORIENTATION OF THE ECCENTRIC RELATIVE TO THE COUNTERWEIGHT!! It matters when you re-assemble. Next, loosen (do not remove) the hex screw on the #1 driver holding the connecting rods. Remove the remaining hex screws on drivers #2 and #4. Now take the connecting rods and fold them over the drive cylinders, out of the way.

Now loosen the eight small screws (using the small jewelers phillips head driver) on the retainer bar running the length of the frame. Do this for each side of the frame. If you are careful, you can remove the retainer bar with the screws still in the holes in the bar. Note which end is the front of the engine, it will make re-installation easier. This will facilitate lifting and folding the brake rigging back and over the cab floor. Pay attention to how this comes out of the locomotive, there are locating bars that go into slots in the frame that must be correctly relocated to keep the brake rigging aligned properly.  NOT DIFFICULT, but tedious.

Next, remove the four screws holding the cover on the gear housing using the P1 phillips screw driver.  Again, a bit of cautious handling and the screws will stay in the cover. Carefully lift the drive axle out of the frame.

Doing one side at a time, use the large jewelers phillips screw driver and remove the screw retaining the counterweight on the end of the axle. There is a small ring of plastic used to hide this screw which will be pushed up as you remove the screw, this is OK.  Carefully pull the counterweight off the end of the axle. The bearing block, spacer, and wheel will follow. There is a small brass ring on the original Bachmann axle which I beleive is a centering device for the plastic gear. This is NOT required for the brass gear axle. Re-assemble the parts on the new axle in the opposite order you removed them from the damaged axle.  Repeat for the other side of the axle.

Now is a good time to add some new lubricant to the gearbox.  This will go a long way to a long life for the gear train as a whole. Carefully drop the new axle back into the frame, making certain the sprung pins on the bearing blocks face the top of the locomotive frame, this is part of the springing mechanism and will not work properly if they are installed incorrectly.

Next, re-install the brake rigging previously folded back over the cab floor.  Make sure the alignment is correct, there should be NO binding between the brake shoes and the drivers. Re-install the retaining bars with their accompanying eight screws each.  Again, lightly tighten the screws to hold the assembly from moving.

Next, fold the connecting rods back over and relocate on each driver. Loosely install the screws in drivers #2 and #4, do not tighten yet. Now reinstall the main rod on the #3 driver.  Remember I told you to pay attention to the orientation of the valve eccentric?  Now is where that is pertinent, when you re-install the valve eccentric.  If this is out of sequence the valve gear will bind and the drivers will not rotate properly.  Not a huge issue, just adjust the orientation until you get it right.

Next carefully re-install the gear box cover. Use the smallish straight blade screw driver to assist in holding the lower half of the gear box up so the cover screws can engage the housing. Lightly tighten the cover screws.

Check to be sure all the parts are back where they should be and tighten all the screws.  My process is a little bit different from the one presented by "Mik", but I used his site as a guide.

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

Hope this will help anyone else looking to replace this gear.

Bob C.

[mjltuk]

I have two of these lovely Connies with busted gears.

First one I replaced last year OK using all the available instructions online including Mik's the-ashpit site and JohnLythgoes' book.

They all include instructions for disconnecting/reconnecting the Johnson bar reach rod. That was the most difficult step in my experience.

So my question for Bob C. is:

Can you please confirm that it is not necessary to disconnect/reconnect the Johnson bar reach rod using your method?

Many Thanks


mike

[Loco Bill Canelos]

FYI, 

Just got an email from Laura in the service department.  She says they do replace the Connie bad gear with the new brass gear.   For loco's over one year old the fee is $55 which includes return shipping. Shipping to Bachmann is at the customers expense.

Bill

[armorsmith]

MJ

I did not remove or disconnect the Johnson bar, and a quick skim of Mik's directions I did not see it in his either.  My only purpose for posting my process was to hopefully clarify a couple places I thought Mik made a few assumptions about the hobbiest's abilities/knowledge that left a couple of holes in his instructions.  Unfortunately I did not take any photos because I had a marathon session doing multiple locos that day.

Bob C.

[mjltuk]

Many Thanks Bob C

Removing the screw that attaches the Johnson bar reach rod is in my saved copies of the instructions from:

Ashpit
Dave Goodson
Russ McIntire

But I'd love to avoid doing that (particularly reconnecting it!) so will happily go with what you recommend.

Thanks again

mike