I just took delivery on the new Bachmann strealined 4-6-2 steam engine with DCC and TCS WOW sound .
Here's my problem, I have never seen a coupling device like this and so far I can not figure out how to couple the tender to the engine.
Has anyone else purchased one of these engines and figured out how to couple the tender to the engine?
There are no directions in the box describing how to couple the two units together.
The engine uses a "Y" shaped yoke coupler, but I cannot see how it couples to the tender
It is now early AM Saturday morning, so I imagine I will not be able to contact Bachmann until sometime Monday.
If anyone can help, or show with drwaings or pictures, it would be appreciated.
For now I am stuck with a $400 paper weight!
The K4Kid
Does this help? Off bachmann's web site.
https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/HOStreamlinedK4TenderAttachmentIS.pdf
Mike.
My You Tube
The response should work. I agree, not a very good design and no instructions.
I also saw an answer in the Bachmann HO forum. There are company reps there also with a lot of info. Bachmann has a very good site. Just Google Bachmann forums.
Edit.
This was from the Bach-man back in January. "Remove the screw under the front tender truck.This will allow you to gently pry up the shell to slip the yoke between the body and the shell".
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Mike,
Thanks, I saw the instructions about removing or loosening the tender truck screws.
Seems like a lot of work to couple the tender to the engine.
I looked back through all the instructions that came with the engine, and this was not part of them.
I'll take a look at the Bachmann forums.
I don't know if I could modify this to a conventional draw bar without voiding the warranty.
I have never seen this kind of a draw bar setup before on any HO steam engine and tender.
I feel it is a very poor design.
This is a very nice steam engine otherwise.
Thanks for the help.
Mike found the diagram at the Bachmann site on the Parts, Service and Information page. Also a Quick Start page for the K4. The Parts page shows different parts.
It appears the loco and tender are close coupled compared to the other K4's. Might be the reason. Be carefull unpluging the connectors. Some have pulled out a wire.
I use a foam lined cradle when working on locos.
Good luck.
I see the Bachmann set up at a local train show once a year. Nice display.
I have some Bachmann HO locos.
Thanks Rich,
I also spoke with a LHS, and they too were mystified as how to couple the engine and tender.
They told me they lost three sales because of the issue.
They too had no instructions with the engines as to coupling them.
Bachmann needs to adress the issue.
How many hobbyists will purchase this engine and run into the same issue?
I am considering returning the engine.
I'll buy one from some company other than Bachmann
Perhaps not the streamlined K4, but something else I won't have to hassle partially disassembling to couple and engine to a tender.
Ed
I would join the Bachmann forums and address this to the Bach-Man, a Bachmann rep, but I know these are made in China so I doubt any changes will be made. Maybe better documentation with the loco.
Many modelers do not even know the Bachmann site, forums exist.
Bad that even a train shop was not made aware. Bachmann company should know that right from the train shop.
I went to the Bachmann Forums, and they requested that if I join the forums, I must submit a credit card number to them to join.
No thankyou!!!
They have no need for any credit card number from me!
Their wording is I would not be charged.
Sorry Charlie, Bachmann can go pound sand!
You must have had a hacked link. No one including me has ever been asked to use a credit card number to join.
There is a way to check out a site URL.
Some searches can bring up a valid and hacked site I found out.
I will not post my link because some here do not like it and the powers that be will delete it. They did once. Some Troll must have complained.
I have belonged for quite a few years. You better check your anti virus.
There are some here who belong to the forums.
I agree with Rich, you definetly had a bad link.
Here's the main page.
https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/
Top of the page, look for "Ask The Bach Man Forum"
Get rid of what ever link you tried.
From what I recall, https. not http. I saw discussions sometime ago. Not quite sure now.
Thanks Mike. He should get it. It worked fine for me. I signed in ok.
richg1998 You must have had a hacked link. No one including me has ever been asked to use a credit card number to join. I have belonged for quite a few years. You better check your anti virus. Rich
Ditto that, no fee to be on the Bachmann forum, the OP was on a scam site.
A few more thoughts:
Bachmann has used this drawbar design on a number of different locos over the last 20 years. Most did come with the tender attached in long skinny boxes - like the N&W J.
Maybe they decided this time a more normal box shape was desirable........?
But any hobby shop that could not fiqure it out is not some place I am going to rely on for information about his hobby........
Sure, Bachmann should have had that instruction sheet in the box, did you look under all the packaging? They did that once or twice before.......
I don't have the new streamlined K4, it is unlikely I would buy one (unless I decide to paint one up in my ATLANTIC CENTRAL colors, which I have considered), but I have a lot of Bachmann locos, and I am very happy with them.
Go ahead, send it back, do whatever makes you happy. But it seems pretty silly to miss out on this loco if you model PRR just because they left a piece of paper out of the box.
But what do I know, I'm one of those old guys who actually works on my model trains..........
Sheldon
TheK4KidSorry Charlie, Bachmann can go pound sand!
I've used the Bachmann forums for years, very helpful.
Your opinion seems to be different.
Happy Model Railroading, Ed
Yes. That new decoder is top of the line for running and sound. If you do not like sound, just turn off the sound. Some do not like sound.
TheK4Kid Mike, Thanks, I saw the instructions about removing or loosening the tender truck screws. Seems like a lot of work to couple the tender to the engine. I looked back through all the instructions that came with the engine, and this was not part of them. I'll take a look at the Bachmann forums. I don't know if I could modify this to a conventional draw bar without voiding the warranty. I have never seen this kind of a draw bar setup before on any HO steam engine and tender. I feel it is a very poor design. This is a very nice steam engine otherwise. Thanks for the help. The K4Kid
You do not loosen the tender truck screws, there are screws in the floor that hold the tender body on. You loosen/remove them.
You think it's a bad design? Well it allows the loco and tender to stay close coupled for better appearance and still go around sharper curves. It works very well, it's not a new idea, you just never owned any of the other engines it has been used on.
At one time I spent a lot of time on the Bachmann forum, it has always been a great forum. I simply cut back on all online forums.
I just went on the Bachmann forum and logged in with no problems?
My password program thinks I registered, but Bachmann says I did not. I tried forgotted password and re-registrering and I can't get a confirmation email out of them.
But at no time was I asked for a credit card. It was good you didn't register at whatever that site was.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy re-registrering and I can't get a confirmation email out of them.
I had that, I emailed the on-line store, explained things and got an email back right away saying it would be taked care of, which it was.
I used the Bachmann link that was shown here.
Since this afternoon, 3 times they have failed to send an actiavtion link to my email. I checked to make sure I gave them the proper email. LIke I said 3 times and it is a NO GO.
POssibly they don't send out emails on the weekend.
As far as I am concerned I am DONE fooling with Bachmann, they can go pound sand!!!! :(
I removed the screws from the bottom of the tender.
It is so tight that I cannot get it to pop off , and Iam afraid I may break something.
It's going back to Bachmann and they can keep their piece of junk!
I'll buy a BLI steam engine instead
TheK4Kid I removed the screws from the bottom of the tender. It is so tight that I cannot get it to pop off , and Iam afraid I may break something. It's going back to Bachmann and they can keep their piece of junk! I'll buy a BLI steam engine instead
So because you lack the skills or experiance for this minor assembly that makes the loco a piece of junk?
OK, I get it, your not a model builder, your a RTR only sort of guy, that's fine.
Don't blame Bachmann, sorry they designed a product for different group of modelers........
i haven't used the ask in the forums [on the bachmann site] for a couple of years, but just went there and it logged me in ... no request for a credit card, ??
you just seem to have bad luck, well, good luck with the BLI
...and Ken Patterson thinks this is a fun hobby?
A confirmation email should be a software thing and work 24/7. That said, not nearly as bad as Humana Pharmacy that sends me "important" emails about my prescriptions that require me to sign in. Once I sign in, I am dumped to the homepage with no clue as to where to find the subject of their email.
The local pharmacy was just as bad:
A RTR guy ought to be able to hook the engine to the tender without tools. Evidently, it is not designed that way.
5:37 into this video is a minor tip to do it. The reviewer predicts drawbars will be broken by some owners. That isn't any way to design a model.
Some model railroaders are not modelers, some are modelers but not operators. I have bigger issues in life than that. Drinks are on me.
Thinking back on how I got into the forum, waiting for the confirmation, I called CS, and they told me to send an email to the store, and they would alert the people over there.
Something about " they'ed let Bob know", just a few minutes later I was on, with an email back from Bob. It seemed kind of strange for a site that you would think has thousands of members, I was told that it was not always monitored, as far as new members signing up.
just an idle thought ...
the paper with instructions on how to hook up the drawbar ...
it wasn't under the bottom sheet with the other documentation ?
I do recall now discussing this with someone in the Bachmann forums that had a tight screw so I guess this is not unusuall.
Just do what you have to and make sure you document evrything in nice language and lt Bachmann know. Not every modeler has the proper experience. Even some hobby shops.
I am a retired mechanic and I am sure I could have done it and I would have used anti cam out on the screwdiver tip to prevent messing up the screw head if a tight screw. I did that once on something like this.
Here's the email address I was told to use to get the confirmation process moving:
webstore@bachmanntrains.com
800-356-3910
I can't seem to make it live. I guess I did!
I don't read it as a tight screw problem. He got the screws out, but nothing comes apart. According to the video there is a layer that needs to be spread.
Not every product will be a fit for every modeler.
Not all that long ago all Proto2000 diesels came with the shells separate from the chassis?
Some diesels still come with delicate coupler installation needed.........
Personally, not just in model trains, I think a lot of people today have unrealistic expectations, but I'm old school about a lot of things......
But, maybe I should just spend my time elsewhere......
BigDaddy ...and Ken Patterson thinks this is a fun hobby? A confirmation email should be a software thing and work 24/7. That said, not nearly as bad as Humana Pharmacy that sends me "important" emails about my prescriptions that require me to sign in. Once I sign in, I am dumped to the homepage with no clue as to where to find the subject of their email. The local pharmacy was just as bad: RX: "You have a prescription that needs to be refilled' Me: "What prescription?" Rx: "We can't tell you because of HIPA (a government privacy act) but you can guess" Me: "Your kidding" RX: "No" A RTR guy ought to be able to hook the engine to the tender without tools. Evidently, it is not designed that way. 5:37 into this video is a minor tip to do it. The reviewer predicts drawbars will be broken by some owners. That isn't any way to design a model. Some model railroaders are not modelers, some are modelers but not operators. I have bigger issues in life than that. Drinks are on me.
Henry, I took a few minutes and watched the video, I'm not a youtube fan......any hack with a video camera can pretent he knows something.......
Clearly the reviewer does not have the depth of experiance to even know why Bachmann used that design.
As I explained earlier, it keeps the loco close coupled on the straight for better appearance while allowing it to go around sharper curves. It works well on other locos it has been used on.
I noticed he found the hidden paperwork but did not bother to go thru it, at least not on his video, to see if the draw bar instructions were included?
His solution to the task is not what Bachmann recommends on the instructions linked earlier in this thread?
Do we really know the drawbar instructions are missing from these locos? Or just hidden under that insert just like the EM-1 and latter 2-6-6-2 packaging?
I know, every one of these locos needs to come with a DVD instruction video, because we all know reading things from paper is obsolete.......
Seems to me the OP was quick to blame Bachmann without giving them a chance - he should send it back. Not because it is junk, but because of his own built in bias.
I'm now more temped than ever to buy one, paint it grey and red, and letter it ATLANTIC CENTRAL..........and of course get rid of that pesky decoder and sound...