Recent Topics      
YMR logo

You are here:  Your Model Railway Club > More Practical Help > Everything Bachmann. > Bachmann H1/2 Atlantic To bottom of page
                 

 Moderated by: < Page:    1  2  Next Page Last Page  
Start New Topic Reply Printer Friendly

Bachmann H1/2 Atlantic - Everything Bachmann. - More Practical Help - Your Model Railway Club
AuthorPost
 Posted: Fri Apr 29th, 2022 08:58 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 1st post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

This loco has been well run in and still has a tight spot/hesitation at a certain point in the wheel rotation. Today I stripped it down to the chassis. I couldn't get the reduction gears out, the pins are too tight a fit. I found congealed grease and dirt in there. I think I've either got a model that's been on the shelf a long time, or more likely, a return.

Anyway I thoroughly cleaned the gears and lubricated them with teflon grease and reassembled it, making sure the wheels were clean and bearings clean and oiled. Rods aren't catching, slide bars and piston rods all move nicely.

On to the track and .... exactly the same. :thud

I'll take it apart again when I feel as though it won't go flying. The last ditch thing I can think of is quartering, so I'll have to bite the bullet and try to check.

 



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Fri Apr 29th, 2022 01:21 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 2nd post
CliveFa
Full Member
 

Joined: Fri Mar 25th, 2022
Location: Glemsford, United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

peterm wrote: This loco has been well run in and still has a tight spot/hesitation at a certain point in the wheel rotation. Today I stripped it down to the chassis. I couldn't get the reduction gears out, the pins are too tight a fit. I found congealed grease and dirt in there. I think I've either got a model that's been on the shelf a long time, or more likely, a return.

Anyway I thoroughly cleaned the gears and lubricated them with teflon grease and reassembled it, making sure the wheels were clean and bearings clean and oiled. Rods aren't catching, slide bars and piston rods all move nicely.

On to the track and .... exactly the same. :thud

I'll take it apart again when I feel as though it won't go flying. The last ditch thing I can think of is quartering, so I'll have to bite the bullet and try to check.

  My quartering is done by eye. I've made 2 levers with pins that engage the spokes to hold / move the wheels.







____________________
Clive
"Probably quite loco..."
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Fri Apr 29th, 2022 03:13 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 3rd post
BCDR
Moderator


Joined: Sat Oct 19th, 2013
Location: Reston, Virginia USA
Posts: 3711
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Hi Pete,

Were both wheels geared? Before you dive in and quarter without a jig, try running without the rods. Why?....


You mentioned the idler gear pins were tight (they should drift out using a metal rod and hammer). Did you check to see how much the holes through the gears were worn? If they are worn and enlarged it is possible for one to skip a tooth as it wobbles, or for the gear to catch on the sides. If it still runs badly without the rods it's not the quartering that's the issue.


Dirty and congealed grease is an excellent indicator of age/ill-use. Was it sold as a new model or NOS? The latest version is set up for a 21 pin decoder and speaker in the tender.


Nigel



____________________
©Nigel C. Phillips
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Fri Apr 29th, 2022 10:12 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 4th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Clive,

I've only had success with quartering by eye once. I'm really dubious about trying it again.

Nigel,

I don't know when this loco was first released, but it did have the 21 pin socket. It was sold as new by RoS, but it's hard to reconcile the amount of stuff inside it with a new loco.

Age must be catching up with me because I hadn't thought of running this without the rods. I'll try it today.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 07:00 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 5th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Forgot to say Nigel: no, only one gear. So far it's H1 three Peter nil. I did try it without the rods, and also with the motor disengaged. There was the problem or so I thought. The rods were tightening up around the 3 to 9 O'clock position. I fettled the rods, filing the holes horizontally and then with the rods back on I turned the driven wheel with very light finger pressure: all OK so far. Checked without the body on and it seemed to be all right. Reattached the cylinders/slide bars etc and still OK. Body on and there's the problem again!

There's nothing on the body that's touching anything. It's not a tight fit.
For today I'm stumped. Back into it tomorrow.

 I used to be able to strip down and rebuild engines, diesel or petrol, gearboxes, manual or auto. I can't even get a model loco to run properly now!



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 08:07 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 6th post
Colin W
Full Member


Joined: Thu May 2nd, 2019
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1110
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

peterm wrote:
I don't know when this loco was first released, but it did have the 21 pin socket. It was sold as new by RoS, but it's hard to reconcile the amount of stuff inside it with a new loco.


The Railway Model Database only shows one Bachmann release #31-910 - in 2018. That's usually a reliable source. It has a 21 pin socket.



____________________
Colin

Upper Hembury GWR BLT Westown-Heathfield
WC&PR; Workbench
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 08:53 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 7th post
CliveFa
Full Member
 

Joined: Fri Mar 25th, 2022
Location: Glemsford, United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides



____________________
Clive
"Probably quite loco..."
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 08:58 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 8th post
CliveFa
Full Member
 

Joined: Fri Mar 25th, 2022
Location: Glemsford, United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

My home made quartering levers.
By placing a crank in line with a connecting rod, and then looking at the opposite wheel and moving to 90deg - and trying and adjusting...

I have aligned a good few of my locos.
I start with the axle with the drive gear.

As for the body fitting bringing back the problem - I have no idea.
Good luck.



____________________
Clive
"Probably quite loco..."
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 01:46 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 9th post
BCDR
Moderator


Joined: Sat Oct 19th, 2013
Location: Reston, Virginia USA
Posts: 3711
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Hi Pete,

RoS - 'nuff said.


Grasping at straws time. When you say it runs OK without the body on, is that with power? Is the body too low? Or skewed? Sound like you may have a rod hitting a low spot on the running plate/inside wheel arch. Best checked with a 10x loup.


Are all the screws holding the rods in square? Are the wheels square to the axles? (Any wobble?). Have you checked for any wear on the outside rim or boss indicating the wheels are rubbing? 


If you remove the motor and run it body on by hand with lateral pressure left and right does it bind?


What gauge did Bachmann set it at? Should be ~14.5mm from previous Bachmann models I have had. 


How springy are the pickups? are they the same on both sides? If they are unequal then torque will push them more to one side. 


Does it bind in both forward and reverse? On both inside and outside curves?


Is the keeper plate on square?


If you've opened up the rod holes and they are still loose at the binding spot I doubt it's the quartering. Because of the green plastic it's often difficult to see rubbing spots, especially the inside of the wheel arches. Paint them white or yellow with acrylic. It's one of the compromises OO manufactures have to make, wheel arches, foot plates and pistons have to be moved in. I had the same problem when I regauged a Bachmann pannier to EM gauge. Binding, which was due to 2 wheels fouling the inside of the wheel arches, which of course were only meant for OO gauged wheels. If this is NOS from 2018 Bachmann may have quietly changed the tooling. The only revision I could find was a 2020 one dealing with Zimo decoders.


Nigel



____________________
©Nigel C. Phillips
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 09:21 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 10th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Colin W wrote: peterm wrote:
I don't know when this loco was first released, but it did have the 21 pin socket. It was sold as new by RoS, but it's hard to reconcile the amount of stuff inside it with a new loco.


The Railway Model Database only shows one Bachmann release #31-910 - in 2018. That's usually a reliable source. It has a 21 pin socket.
Thanks Colin,

It's too late now for returning it as I've modified it to take an MX 645 and larger speaker, But I'm now convinced I've got a 'returned faulty' model.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 09:23 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 11th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

CliveFa wrote: Thanks Clive,

I'll get round to making myself a pair of those.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 09:38 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 12th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

BCDR wrote: Hi Pete,

RoS - 'nuff said.
I'm thinking the same.

Grasping at straws time. When you say it runs OK without the body on, is that with power? Is the body too low? Or skewed? Sound like you may have a rod hitting a low spot on the running plate/inside wheel arch. Best checked with a 10x loup.
Yep, glasses on and one of those magnifying visors and can't see any binding.

Are all the screws holding the rods in square? Are the wheels square to the axles? (Any wobble?). Have you checked for any wear on the outside rim or boss indicating the wheels are rubbing? 
All screws square, no binding of rods. Body on and upside down in a cradle, it runs perfectly.

If you remove the motor and run it body on by hand with lateral pressure left and right does it bind?
No, no binding there either.

What gauge did Bachmann set it at? Should be ~14.5mm from previous Bachmann models I have had. 
Yes, 14.5mm.

How springy are the pickups? are they the same on both sides? If they are unequal then torque will push them more to one side. 
Pickups seem OK but I'll have another check.

Does it bind in both forward and reverse? On both inside and outside curves?
Worse in reverse.

Is the keeper plate on square?
Yes, it has csk screws which line it up.

If you've opened up the rod holes and they are still loose at the binding spot I doubt it's the quartering. Because of the green plastic it's often difficult to see rubbing spots, especially the inside of the wheel arches. Paint them white or yellow with acrylic. It's one of the compromises OO manufactures have to make, wheel arches, foot plates and pistons have to be moved in. I had the same problem when I regauged a Bachmann pannier to EM gauge. Binding, which was due to 2 wheels fouling the inside of the wheel arches, which of course were only meant for OO gauged wheels. If this is NOS from 2018 Bachmann may have quietly changed the tooling. The only revision I could find was a 2020 one dealing with Zimo decoders.
I'll revisit that with some paint. It's worth a try. I'll be leaving it for today, I'm not the best. The joys of getting old.
Ps: What's NOS?
Nigel



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sat Apr 30th, 2022 11:19 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 13th post
Colin W
Full Member


Joined: Thu May 2nd, 2019
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1110
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

peterm wrote: Thanks Colin,

It's too late now for returning it as I've modified it to take an MX 645 and larger speaker, But I'm now convinced I've got a 'returned faulty' model.

Pete,

A few lessons for all of us in this sad tale. I think we're between a rock and a hard place over here as returns have become more problematic (time and costs) while problems have become more common over time in my experience. Worth developing a plan of action regarding acceptability testing of new incoming purchases.

Regarding the retailer, based on my various favourable experiences with them I'd be more suspicious of just a simple manufacturing "lemon" or a customer "pulling a swiftie" on them somehow by getting a return accepted. I see that the product is still a current stock item. Can't see any reason at all why they would willingly foist a product with a known problem onto a second customer - asking for trouble. Especially when that product is from a key supplier with whom they have a strong relationship (almost 700 products listed on their site as of now).



____________________
Colin

Upper Hembury GWR BLT Westown-Heathfield
WC&PR; Workbench
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sun May 1st, 2022 02:29 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 14th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Yes, a good counter argument. A customer pulling a swifty is a possible of course.

Bottom line is though, that it's up to me to sort it out.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sun May 1st, 2022 02:08 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 15th post
BCDR
Moderator


Joined: Sat Oct 19th, 2013
Location: Reston, Virginia USA
Posts: 3711
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Hi Pete,

NOS - New Old Stock. Usually sat on a shelf for several years. Warrants a hefty discount.


Sound like you may have exhausted the likely and unlikely. Interesting that it runs worse backwards. That is usually symptomatic of a gearing issue. So if you run it without the rods on (and where quartering is not an issue) how does it perform? If it still runs like a goat it's not the quartering. 


Colin has a good point about developing a check list.  Number one on mine is run it on DC. If it runs badly on DC it will do the same on DCC. 


I face the same issue that you and many face - how to deal with returns of items from the UK. I stopped dealing with RoS because of this when I bought what was clearly a citron.


Nigel



____________________
©Nigel C. Phillips
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sun May 1st, 2022 02:56 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 16th post
Petermac
Admin


Joined: Sat Oct 13th, 2007
Location: Nr Bergerac, France
Posts: 19270
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

"Body on and upside down in a cradle - runs perfectly" I'd have thought gives a clue ....................

If it runs fine upside down, it's something to do with sitting it upright .......... :hmm

I'd be inclined to give Nigel's "modeller's blue" a go - paint some white acrylic around where the wheels "might" catch and see if any rubs off...................... :roll:



____________________
'Petermac
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Sun May 1st, 2022 10:40 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 17th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Just to complicate matters more... I lied. It's the same with the body off. I did end up going back to it yesterday and eased the rods a touch more: no change. I've checked the rods for straightness and also the piston rods/main rods

I can see that nothing is catching the chassis, so I'll have to try again to get those reduction gears out. Not looking forward to that with the shafts being so tight.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2022 06:28 am
PMQuoteReply
link to this 18th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Well here we are nearly eight hours later and it's running nearly right. It wasn't long after this mornings post that I went back to the garage to do battle .

I stripped it down and this time I'd made up me mind, Those gears were coming out! I decided to sacrifice a 1.5mm drill bit and used it as a drift. I might even have not damaged said bit. Anyway, I was surprised to find swarf mixed up in grease. I think this one must have missed out on cleaning between the machine shop and the assembly room. It all got a good wash out. No burrs or rough spots for gears to catch on. No damage to the gears so they went back in after a lube.

It went on the track with no rods, all good. With rods, still good. Cylinders on and connected, back to hairy goat mode.
I couldn't find anything wrong with the cylinders or piston rods etc, so the wheels came off again and everything was OK. Believe it or not I hadn't sworn yet, but it was getting close.

Ages later I had a brainwave. I loosened the keeper plate screws and it ran like a dream. I really can't see why this made a difference because the axles are in brass or phosphor bronze bearings and it's the bearings that are held by the plate. It still has a slight catch in reverse... sometimes, so I'll leave it alone for now.

I do hope you all enjoyed this saga which proves that you should try the easy things first, except in my case there was still all that muck in the gearbox. I suppose Chinese factories have Friday afternoons and Monday mornings just like us.

BTW, this is an expurgated version. :)



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2022 12:28 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 19th post
BCDR
Moderator


Joined: Sat Oct 19th, 2013
Location: Reston, Virginia USA
Posts: 3711
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Hi Pete,

Definitely a "Would you #@%&$ believe it?!" moment or three. Plus lots of horlicks and sugar.


Nigel




____________________
©Nigel C. Phillips
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

 Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2022 12:51 pm
PMQuoteReply
link to this 20th post
peterm
Full Member
 

Joined: Thu Oct 18th, 2012
Location: Bongaree, Australia
Posts: 1099
Status: 
Offline

My photos:
view photos in Gallery
view photos as slides

Yep, there was a fair bit of grumbling going on, but I didn't want to subject my wife to what I was thinking.

I have to say a thank you to all involved.



____________________
Cheers Pete.
Back To Top PMQuoteReply

This is topic ID = 17021     Current time is 08:44 pm Page:    1  2  Next Page Last Page    
You are here:  Your Model Railway Club > More Practical Help > Everything Bachmann. > Bachmann H1/2 Atlantic
You can type a quick reply to this topic here. Click in the box below to begin.

Or to reply to an individual post, or to include images, attachments and formatted text,
click the Quote or Reply buttons on each post above.

To start a new topic in this forum, click the Start New Topic button below.
To start a new topic in a different forum, click the Forum Jump drop-down list below.
Start New Topic

Back to top of page

           
15 Most Recent Topic

Problems with this web site? Please contact the Webmaster.

All material submitted to this web site is the responsibility of the respective contributor. By submitting material to this web site you acknowledge that you accept full responsibility for the material submitted.
Unless stated otherwise, all the material displayed on this web site, including all text, photographs, drawings and other images, is copyright and the property of the respective contributor. Registered members are welcome to use it for their own personal non-commercial modelmaking purposes. It must not be reproduced or re-published elsewhere in any form, or used commercially, without first obtaining the owner's express permission.
The owner of this web site may edit, modify or remove any content at any time without giving notice or reason.    © 2008

                 

Recent Topics Back to top of page

Powered by UltraBB 1.15 Copyright © 2007-2011 by Jim Hale and Data 1 Systems. Page design copyright © 2008-2013 Martin Wynne. Photo gallery copyright © 2009 David Williams.