Here's a picture I did at the NMRA ModuleSIG layout in Sydney Australia. We have a semi-permanent space and are building a staging yard for point to point car card operations. While we are getting that build we have a continuos loop going to keep interest up I don't know much about this train other than the locomotive is owned by Bob Williams, one of our members. Gotta love the billboard leaning up against the sky [ 02 March 2002, 21:20: Message edited by: yankinoz ]
Rob, An excellent photograph almost makes me want to buy a HO locomotive and rollingstock to join you guys
Paul - no need to buy a loco or rolling stock - you are welcome to come visit anytime. Matthew - here's another shot of the same train. Not as much depth of field in this shot.
Rob, Good pictures! I've talked myself out of buying another Spectrum 2-8-0 a hundred times, (now 102 ). Gotta love that wobbly though, (no, not the billboard). 2slim
Good pictures Rob! I however do have a question... The 2-8-0 (I am guessing its a 2-8-0). But anyway, Thats a Spectrum? If so it sure looks alot better then the old Bachmann Plus and regular ole plain jane Bachmann. But the question is, Does it run any better???? If it does and is alot better then is predacessors I just may end up getting 2 of them! One will be a B&O, and the other will be Western Maryland!
John, I have two of the Bachmann 2-8-0's and they do run great. They are like night and day when compared to previous Bachmann stuff. I did however have to return their Mountain, it waddled while it went down the track, possibly aquartering problem. since this appears to be an immensely popular loco, it may be that the problem is not wide spread, but I have heard of it from others as well. For what its worth. Gary
Gary, I invested in to a Spectrum Decapod and now to here the good news on the Consolidation... I will end up with at least one in the near future hopefully. If funding goes as planed that is. I'm kinda interested in the Mountain being that my IHC Premier isn't all what its cracked up to be! I'll look into the Spectrum one tho... It might be a better investment to my roster then another IHC Mountain...
I'd like to add that the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 is a very good performer -- however, the QC at Bachmann is not so good -- so test that loco before you buy -- or, if it's already too late -- take advantage of Bachmann's free, lifetime service. It does take a while, but they will repair your engine for free. My story is that I received a 2-8-0 for Christmas a few years back - and after two trips to Phila -- it has become my workhorse engine -- runs real well at slow speeds and is quiet (engine-wise, I have a Soundtraxx decoder in it, so it's anything but "quiet"). It had a problem with noise and wobble (one worm shaft bearing was not in its' race) and lead truck wheels staying on the track (the spring that pushes down on the lead wheels was not "just right" -- adjusting the bend helped that.
Just a confirmation - yes that is a Spectrum 2-8-0 and it is a smooth runner and also has a Soundtrax decoder in it and is anything BUT QUIET! Bob Williams of Sydney did the weathering. On the topic of QC at Bachmann - there are three 2-8-0's that turn up on our layout on regular basis. Two of them are smooth as silk - the third seems to have all sorts of pickup problem, derails, sometimes it will refuse to go into reverse. All seems to be electrical. I don't know much about the decoder install but this loco is owned by one of the better modelers in our group so I would not suspect that to be a problem - it just seems like he got a lemon. Last time I saw it he was going to rebuild it. I'll give an update next time I see it. (I'm thinking about buying one for myself so I reckon I need to find out about this steam powered thing-a-ma-jigs) [ 25 March 2002, 06:33: Message edited by: yankinoz ]
Rob, I can give you basic heads up on the problems most Bachmann steamers have. One is check the pilot truck, if it has a spring to put tention on it.. make sure it isn;t putting to much tention on the wheels, this will aid in helping lift the drivers off the rail... 2 is check all the drivers for side to side "sway" motion, if they don't have this, on curves is going to be a real headache and on the straights that have any slight kinks and is not prefectly straight will also cause headaches if the wheels do not shift from side to side with the track.... The loco has to "give" somewhere for it to track well. side to side shifting is one of the ways. It will have force somewhere and this is what forces it to derail... Check flange clearances on frogs and gardrails,, they may have dirt or something obstructing the flangeway to lift that wheel that hits first and then causes a domino effect with the rest of the drivers or wheels. Back to the loco, check the elctrical pick ups. if they have collected some grit that dried up and will get hard this forces the wiper out against the wheel, really hard that it won't allow the wheel to shift in the engine bed. And now I'm going to strike a nerve with a few members, finally the drive rods..... If those do not function at the desired precission, it will also cause the loco to run abnormally. and most likely in time derail... They have to be free moving, no binds what so ever! And also alittle play in each one with vibration, it it doesn't slightly wiggle by moving it with a toothpick or very fine flat screw drive the rods are to tight. Also on the rods, on the very FRONT driver, check the wheels connecting rod that goes from the front driver to the second driver and see if it clears the crosshead rod and the crosshead itself... I've found that this locoation is the biggest problem on most steamers with smoothness running problems. The connecting rod that goes from the front driver to the second driver hits the crosshead or even the crosshead rod (piston rod) and or even the hangeror the piston rod guide. To any connecting or ecentric linkage rods that seem to be causing trouble loosen the bolt (if Bachmann has used bolts instead of rivets) and oil it with any ole smoke fluid oil.... Its a light oil and it will NOT attack plastic. I use it on ALL my steam loco rods for it being light and not harmfull to plastic and also doesn't seem to collect alot of dirt so its clean oil for the rods, anyway put one small drop I emphasize ONE SMALL DROP on each movable part at ALL the rivets and bolts. Then with your hand NOT THE MOTOR work the oil into the moving part and this in turn also works the bind out and loosens the joint to work freely. And do as you have to. Do be afraid to work those rods by hand! If you work them with the motor it can cause trouble and make a mole hill into a mountain! You hand can stop faster then that motor ever will if somehwere it gets a really tight bind that you can't move it... See? Once you know the rods are loose and without any binds and is totally free, then continue to assemble them back to their proper place making sure that the main driver (drive with the little crank on it and also the main drive rod) looking at the wheel and seeing the Ecentric crank, the encentric crank must be at a 15 degrees clockwise, on the fireman side of the loco. On the Engineer side of the loco the main driver, should have the ecentric crank also at 15 degrees but counter-clockwise. If none of this helps the problem, then I would most likely be safe to say its in the gearing inside or even the motor.... Thats another lesson...
