Advice for Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0?

[trailsidedreamer]

 any advice for a beginner regarding the subject loco?  Track radius?  Sound card?  Things to look out for?

 

 

[ttrigg]

There is a bunch of good reading here

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Bachmann+Spectrum+2-8-0&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

[two tone]

Hi,  I run consolidations   Radius 3 is as small as you want to go, go for larger if you have room  And always follow the maintenance instructions  then you should have no problems.  I use  LGB track and turnouts my layout has been down seven years and ive changed it several times over the years. I control it all with Aristo  T/E  for power and accessories all my turnout are electric motor this saves me running all over the garden changing them.   I use pheonix sound its easy to install in tender, and use reed switches for chuff as the pickup from loco is a bit erratic for other sounds the reed switches will pick up from LGB magnets set into the track where you want the sound to trigger  Your loco should pull 8-10 Jackson Sharp coaches this is just a guide ALWAYS load light and build up lenth of train you DO NOT want to strip gears      Hope this helps

[cacole]

 The big weakness in these locos is the nylon gear on the 3rd (blind) axle, which tends to crack and just spin on the axle.  The only way to repair one is to get a replacement axle/gear/wheel set from Bachmann or replace the Bachmann drive with one from Barry's Big Trains.

I have two of these locomotives -- one currently runs because I replaced the wheelset a few months ago, and the second one still has a stripped gear.

If Bachmann had just used a metal gear instead of nylon, these locos would probably run forever.

For sound, your only choice left seems to be Phoenix.  I put a SoundTraxx Sierra and AirWire900 decoder into one of mine, and operate it from battery power, but Throttle Up is no longer marketing the Sierra.

One thing to avoid doing at all cost is, never push the engine.  This seems to be a sure-fire way to strip the nylon gear off of the axle.

I was originally pushing the locomotive into a carrier so I could bring it indoors, but soon learned that this causes the nylon drive gear to split.

[Rex in Pinetop]

I soldered a metal RC car gear onto the drive axle after mine split.  It works great and was a cheap repair.

Rex

[cacole]

Rex in Pinetop

I soldered a metal RC car gear onto the drive axle after mine split.  It works great and was a cheap repair.

Rex

 

Great idea, but where did you get the gear and what is its exact part number/definition.

[Rex in Pinetop]

I picked up the gear at my local hobby shop.  Details and pictures are in a previous post I believe last year.  I don't recall the part number details from that far back.  All I'm suggesting is that it can be done (I did it) and it works for cheap.  Count the teeth on the gear and measure the dia then go to your hobby shop and pick one that fits the need.

Rex