I just purchased a Bachman 2-8-4 HO Berkshire . It ran around my layout twin double main lines of about a 64 foot mainline 30 times with zero problems. Now all of a sudden the front trucks don't want to stay on the track ( checked all attachment screws) and it now slows down at every switch and often derails at the switches. I have 26 othersteam engines that have no problems on the layout and several diesels with no problems. Only the Bachmann engine gives me problems!
Any ideas to remedy the problem?
It does seem quite light in weight comparedto my other engines.
If a brand new steam engine made it around the layout 30 times without a problem and then suddenly failed, it makes me wonder if the pilot truck had a spring of some type that suddenly fell off. After 30 successful runs around the layout, and if no other steam engines fail, something happened to the pilot truck or, possibly the rear truck.
I don't have the Bachmann 2-8-4, but I have had other steam engines lose the spring on the rear truck, or the rear truck spring failed, resulting in pressure on the pilot truck that caused it to jump the rails.
Check out both trucks on the engine to see if everything is still in place.
Rich
Alton Junction
Being the owner of 5 of these, I would first check the front truck wheel set is in gauge and that it does not have hair/dirt/lint/fuzz caught around the axle.
Because of outside bearing prototype of the front truck, and the design of the Bachmann model, there are lots of places hair or lint could get caught in that pilot truck.
Neither the pilot truck or trailing truck on that model use any springs and they should not need any.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Neither the pilot truck or trailing truck on that model use any springs and they should not need any.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Being the owner of 5 of these, I would first check the front truck wheel set is in gauge and that it does not have hair/dirt/lint/fuzz caught around the axle. Thanks for the advice, I'll take a close look at it! Because of outside bearing prototype of the front truck, and the design of the Bachmann model, there are lots of places hair or lint could get caught in that pilot truck. Neither the pilot truck or trailing truck on that model use any springs and they should not need any. Sheldon
Thanks for the advice, I'll take a close look at it!