Do any of you out there, have advice on where i could get parts for a tyco chatanooga, with motor in tender, and smoke. When i first tried it, the motor ran fine and the smoke unit worked, but not how it should be working, so i opened it up and noticed the little piston rubber part had shrank or something like that , so i fixed that and put it back together, then one day while pulling 4 passenger cars, i heard a loud noise and noticed that it was no longer moving, so i took the tender apart and found the smallest gear fell off, so since then it has been sitting. now i need a new dummy front or the little piston and the entire piece, needed to make the smoke unit work, i also need a new smoke unit, or a new chatanooga engine and tender in working condition. Some of you may or may not like this train but i do, and collect tyco trains so i would love to get it running or get a new one. So if any of you have information please, please tell me...
Thanks for any reply
The best places I can think of are train shows and eBay. You'll more than likely have to get an entire engine to use for the parts. The Tyco Chattanooga hasn't been made for 25 years now, and they were so cheap and unique that I don't think separate replacement parts were ever offered.
As for that gear, just press it back on the shaft and glue it in place. Those little gears don't exactly hold on tightly, so some adhesive is sometimes needed to keep them in place.
This reminds me that I need to get back to work on my own Chattanooga. I scratch-built an entirely new drive from Athearn gearing, a coreless motor, some freight car wheels, and soldered brass sheet. I'm also adding new detail and repainting it so it will look better. I took out the smoke unit though, because I didn't like the noise and I don't want smoke oil getting all over my layout.
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Thanks for the advice, I think i need a new gear because, when looking at the gear on the shaft, it has some space and seems to be grinded out in the middle? Other than that thanks for the Reply
Hi!
Sorry to say, but you may find that your loco is just not worth fixing. The Tyco Chattanooga was basically a toy loco, and just was not built for longevity. Yes, you could surely get another off of Ebay or a train show, but of course the one you get could have the same problem - and/or the price may just not justify the purchase.
A lot of us long term train nuts have gone thru this. I recall getting rid of all my old AHM, Rivarossi, Tyco, and Model Power locos and eventually replacing them with P2K, Spectrum, Atlas, BLI, etc.
The one early Loco company that - IMHO - produced quality locos that "we all could afford" was Athearn. I no longer have any, but those I bought in the late '60s and '70s lasted for decades.
Hey, I'm not trying to put down your repair efforts, for if nothing else it will give you some experience and exposure to those mysterious loco innards!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I love when trains have smoke units, even though they do make a mess, but sadly my Chatanooga's smoke unit needs everything replaced, because i found out everything inside was broken, including the little thing on the axle that spins and hits the little piston thing, was cracked and broken.
I would like it to be fixed and complete, but that train is planned to be displayed.
Thanks for the reply
Yeah, I have learned a few things like how a smoke unit works, seeing I have been into trains now for a couple of months.
Thanks for the advice
American Flyer Trains I love when trains have smoke units, even though they do make a mess, but sadly my Chatanooga's smoke unit needs everything replaced, because i found out everything inside was broken, including the little thing on the axle that spins and hits the little piston thing, was cracked and broken.
AFT - While I appreciate you position concerning your Tyco Chatanooga locomotive, as seen from a Tyco collector's standpoint, in consideration of making repairs do you fully appreciate that this particularly model has the worst operating reputation of any in the hobby's long history? From what has been written about it over countless years, it seems that these engines were never intended to function, on average, for more than about 10 hours before failing.
Now, one can always find secondhand examples of the tender drive Tyco Chatanooga 2-8-0 (and 0-8-0) on eBay. However, at this late date, it is unlikely that such engines are for sale in good condition. More likely they are there either because some part has already ceased to function, or is in the process of doing so, making them poor candidates as a source of repair parts. As you are likely aware, the locomotive itself, as well as its manufacturer, have been out of the hobby for a very long time. Thus, it is unlikely that there is any stock of new replacement parts anywhere to be found.
Honestly, I would suggest that, rather than to attempt repair, that you simply leave it as a display piece, as is. As one who for a time was a collector of early pre-war HO, because of the lack of suitable replacement parts I found this is often the soundest approach in such cases.
CNJ831
I do know the Chatanooga has the worst operating histroy, but i still WILL fix it and put it on display and use it every once and a while.