2-6-0/4-4-0 Axle & Gear Availability

[Fred2179]

Mr Bach-man/Administrator,
The axle with gear has been out of stock for months. There are still lots of 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s that need a replacement.
Model: 813XX-13:


And I notice you sell just the gear - some poor guy tried to fit it on the old knurled axle. I don't think we have any of the new "D" gears failing yet, so no-one has an axle with a flat for the new gears. Suggest you delete this:
Model: 813XX-13-A   Axle Gear G Scale (/Universal/2-8-0/2-6-0/4-4-0 )
https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_139&products_id=11565

[Greg Elmassian]

How can that gear be universal? Aren't there 2 different axles/gears?

if so, the gear alone clearly cannot be universal.

[Fred2179]

How can that gear be universal? Aren't there 2 different axles/gears?

if so, the gear alone clearly cannot be universal.

It certainly isn't universal. As far as I know, the 2-8-0 axle is longer for the outside frames and counterweights. There's a replacement axle with a brass gear.  There is no long axle for the 2-8-0 with the new "D" gear.

The 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 axle+gear, as pictured in my post, works on either loco.  The gear, with the "D" shaped hole, is NOT compatible with the old axle which is knurled.

IMHO Bachmann should not be selling the gear on its own unless they also sell the axle.

[Chris9017]

The D axles have remedied the problem of the older splined gear designs of the constant splitting and breaking.
However if you can't get ahold of the D shaped gear and axle, your best bet is to order an after market drive gear from Northwest Shortline.  Those will last you forever and never break given the thicker plastic.
They used to sell the metal gears from the newer spectrum Moguls, but because someone posted about converting their 2008 4-4-0 American from having a plastic gearbox to a metal gearbox on social media, many others jumped on the band wagon, and the bronze gear boxes from the 2017 Moguls sold out like hotcakes.
So best bet, Northwest Shortline gears.