Dusting off some old N-Scale loco.

[Anonymous]

Hello,
I found my old N-Scale collection in my parents shed. However, I have some locomotives that appear to be getting some power (lights coming on) but they are not moving. Some are jumpy and require a little pu***o only move a 1/4" and then stop again.
I'm looking for some tips on how to clean these beauties up as I am diving head first back into model railroading and want them all to run again.
Any advice would be great. Here are a few of the locos I found:
- micromodels/LIMA - TGV bullet train
- ALCO Century 420
- ALCO Tank 0-6-0 #11
- Bauchman: Brill Trolley market street
- Bauchman: EMD GP40 Southern Pacific
- Bauchman: Steam Loco Consolidation 2-8-0 & Tender #705 (Santa Fe)

Thanks,Kevin

[Anonymous]

sorry for the double post.

[Anonymous]

Hello Kevin,

I recommend getting a copy of Repairing & Maintaining Your Scale Model Trains. You'll find a lot of good information in it that will help you get those veteran locomotives rolling again.

Now I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but I do have to be honest: Don't expect any of those locomotives to be great or even good performers after they've been cleaned and lubricated. They were fair runners at best in their day, and compared to what's on the market currently they're downright clunky. You'll find that many experienced N scale modelers are leaving those old AHM and Bachmann units on the swap meet tables. Bachmann has even produced a new 2-8-0 in its Spectrum line; a real jewel that runs with watch-like qualities. Check out advertisers in Model Railroader Magazine and on Trains.com and you'll see a plethora of great-running, well-detailed N scale locomotives.

Hope this helps,

Paul Schmidt
Contributing Editor
Trains.com

[Anonymous]

Paul-
Thanks for your honesty. I appreciate it.
I am contacting Model Power and Bachmann because they're both Lifetime warranty items. Most likely they'll send brand new units out.

I did pick up a bachmann plus (is that the spectrum line by any chance?) today (EMD F7A - Southern Pacific) looking forward to running it.

-Kevin

[Anonymous]

Kevin,
well you woke some of us up with your warranty claim. Let us know how it goes. I can guarantee you many of us reading this will be curious as to your results.

The best thing you can do with your Bachman's is throw them out and don't spend a penny more on them. I would give on caveat to Kevin's recommendation. The Bachman Consolidation's are a great loco....BUT!!!....there are some bad runners in the lot, so..... Buy from your LHS and make sure you see it run, and it runs well, with no jerkiness or noise. If it is a good runner at the store, then it will stay a good runner. Trust me, some have ended up with some bad ones (the majority are good). The new LL 2-8-8-2 is one hot number to, and people are loving it.

[eastcoast]

Kevin
I AM KEN. YOU KNOW ME FROM FLORIDA. GLAD I FOUND YOU AGAIN.
I remember those trains when they were set up on the back porch, on
83rd Lane !!!! WOW, I AM SPEECHLESS.
[:p]
Back then, you were into HO scale and got out of it. I LOVED YOUR
LAYOUT. I am doing my own HO scale in a house I recently purchased.
Way too much to say. Gotta find a way to talk in private.
[8D]
I read these answers to your question above and do not agree
that you had to swap or trade. Those are heirlooms and are worth
alot in sentimental value, right??? If you have young ones by now,
build a shelf or display case and clean them up good for show. I
have locos and cars that I will NEVER get rid of. The memories run
too deep to lose them.
Hope to hear from ya.
ken_ecr
[:)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Cascade1

The best thing you can do with your Bachman's is throw them out and don't spend a penny more on them. I would give on caveat to Kevin's recommendation. The Bachman Consolidation's are a great loco....BUT!!!....there are some bad runners in the lot, so..... Buy from your LHS and make sure you see it run, and it runs well, with no jerkiness or noise. If it is a good runner at the store, then it will stay a good runner. Trust me, some have ended up with some bad ones (the majority are good). The new LL 2-8-8-2 is one hot number to, and people are loving it.

Hmm, I always thought the Spectrum line of Bachmann was pretty good. I have some plain 'ole Bachmann locos and they run fine (though the GP38-2 is quite noisy, BUT, it's getting old, too) Of course thease are HO, so I don't know about N scale...... though my friend has a Bachmann N set with a Consolidation and it works fine.

[eastcoast]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

QUOTE: Originally posted by Cascade1

The best thing you can do with your Bachman's is throw them out and don't spend a penny more on them. I would give on caveat to Kevin's recommendation. The Bachman Consolidation's are a great loco....BUT!!!....there are some bad runners in the lot, so..... Buy from your LHS and make sure you see it run, and it runs well, with no jerkiness or noise. If it is a good runner at the store, then it will stay a good runner. Trust me, some have ended up with some bad ones (the majority are good). The new LL 2-8-8-2 is one hot number to, and people are loving it.

Hmm, I always thought the Spectrum line of Bachmann was pretty good. I have some plain 'ole Bachmann locos and they run fine (though the GP38-2 is quite noisy, BUT, it's getting old, too) Of course thease are HO, so I don't know about N scale...... though my friend has a Bachmann N set with a Consolidation and it works fine.

[:p]
bigboy,
the trains mentioned here are older than the SPECTRUM line . Bachmann put these out under the original logo about 1985 or earlier. These trains are PRICELESS that he has. I pray he has not gotten rid of them.

[Anonymous]

Oh! Sorry for my misconception! I hope he doesn't get rid of them either, since they're so valuable.

[AltonFan]

The Bachmann's non-Spectrum steam engines (which appeared in the 1980s) range from very good to very bad. One specimen can run like a Swiss watch, while another, purchased at the same time, from the same lot, barely drags itself down the track. The 1970s-era versions often had finely detailed valve gear, but really weak motors and ill-conceived drive trains. (The original Bachmann 4-8-4 is an especially glaring example.)

The ALCO tank engine, which was once offered by Atlas, was built on a chassis similar to Atlas's MTD diesel switcher, which could be a very nice runner. (The new book from Kalmbach on modeling steam locomotives has an article on improving the running characterisitcs of this engine.)

[Budliner]

the old bachmann's looked awsome yes ran poor listen to me get your hands on the new Spectrums you will be pleasantly suprized at the results as a few brass models took a backseat when my Bachmann made a trip around the layout at the (Tech) nickel plate road (M I T) train club I never seen so meny cameras pop out for one train. thank you bachmann you made me feel proud [^] . I bet you will find a shot of my (what a coincidence) nickel plate road 2-6-6-2 on tech's web site I can still hear them saying ( hey look at the plasic go wow ) you need results check out the Locomotive Performance Test at rail model and look at bachmann some well over the othersat the top of the list for tracktive force http://www.railmodeljournal.com/august4site/Pages/loco.html[;)]


the BUD