Rail Car Parts

[kajohnson9]

I have a burned out gearbox assembly in my rail truck (rail car). Bachmann doesn't have any in stock and doesn't know when they will get them. My rail car has been out of commission for over a year. They have suggested contacting this forum to is if anyone knows how I can get the part.
The Bachmann rail truck gearbox assembly part number is 8239X-00H01.

Is there anyone who can help me out? Any knowledge of where I can find this?

Thanks much,
Keith Johnson

[armorsmith]

Keith,

Finding parts that Bachmann does not have is not going to be an easy task. Most folks that have them will be wanting to keep them running as long as possible. I would suggest one possibility would be eBay. Be prepared to pay high prices, as Bachmann has pretty much said there will be no future runs of existing product until the market returns.

I normally would have suggested NWSL (North West Short Line) but the owner has announced he is closing the business after the passing of his wife.

I have one, but due to Hurricane Michael it is tucked away in a corner and I don't anticipate access to it any time soon. Check on both Large Scale Central (www.largescalecentral.com) or My Large Scale (www.mylargescale.com), there may be folks there that may be able to provide better assistance.

Happy Railroading.

[grsman]

This seems to be a popular problem. There are a lot of people 3D printing parts.
I don't know why one of them hasn't picked up on this.
Maybe just because nobody has asked.
Tom

[armorsmith]

Keith,

Check out this vendor. He has a pretty good reputation on LSC.  https://glxscalemodels.com/

[mickeykelley]

Call NWSL as he still has parts and will be selling until he's out, as I understand it.  

It's a shame about parts, but that is the new business model with cheapest international manufacturing cost, which is currently China.  Whatever size run in the beginning and when it's gone, it's gone.  Parts business for almost anything is history for anything.  At one point Japan was the cheapest, then Mexico, and which ever.  I anticipate Africa will be next.  Maybe be India as they have a better workforce?  Who knows, but we get these lower price consumer goods this way, even if they don't last.

[Greg Elmassian]

The parts issue is not about where they are made, but WHEN they are made.

For virtually all parts (except ones that have such a volume that they justify their own manufacturing run, like wheels) the parts are made at the SAME time as the production run.

So, if something is only produced once in a while, that is the only cost effective time to make "extra" parts.

If you realize this about Aristo, USAT, Bachmann, Kader, and Sanda Kan over the years, you will see that this is true.

The "shrinking" of the G scale hobby means parts will be harder and harder to find. 3D parts are becoming available, but the cost is high since they are much more expensive to manufacture.

Greg

[mickeykelley]

The point I was making is that the whole manufacturing business model has changed.  We get less expensive items, relatively speaking, but repairing with the manufacturer parts is dying off.  Same is true of many things, TV, toasters, blenders, etc.  Back in the 50's, things were more expensive, relatively speaking, but were meant to be repaired.  Stocking parts for a 10-15 year old items was the normal.  I know personally because my dad ran a TV/appliance repair business in small town Marfa, Texas. Now things are run in a one time batch, for the most part for economies of scale (read lower price).  Then they change something and run again as a different model, like coffee pots, toasters, etc. and old parts discontinued.  Then convince us we need the latest, greatest, with extra special whatever, so throw the old in the dump and buy new.  And 'we' (me included at times) bore of the old and want that new shinny, cool version.  That's the new economy. Some appliances like dryers have changed very little, internally speaking, so timers, idler arms, motors are available for 'older' models.  Hell they are all Whirlpool inside. But $500-1,000 trains don't get that luxury.  So for me, I'm gambling on what parts I 'think' I may need and buying while available, both mechanically and cosmetically. But it's just a crap shoot gamble.