Looking for On 30 gas mechanical disassembly instructions

[old pilot]

Hello All,

I just purchased a gas mechanical engine on Ebay. It has a slight hesitation on each rotation of the wheels. Before I try to take it apart to check the plastic gears for cracks, I would like to find some guidance/direction on how to properly take it apart.

Do these plastic gears crack with age as do some other manufacturers plastic gears?

I see the Bachmann parts store has a replacement set of gears (all 6 gears) to order if that is my problem.

Has anyone replaced these gears? If so, is it difficult, any special tools needed, etc.?

Is there any other area to check relative to this hesitation problem?

Thanks for any help.

Old Pilot

[Fred Klein]

Hello, Old Pilot. I have owned one of the On30 Gas Mechanicals now for at least 5 years. When I first received it, it ran very well out of the box. Then life intervened and the little loco had to sit on the layout for probably 4-5 months before I had a chance to run it again. Now, the "little engine that could" couldn't. It just sort of loped around , stopping here or jumping rail there. Closer examination showed that one of the gears on the main drive train was split. I ordered a replacement drive mechanism (drive wheels, axles, connecting rods and wheel hubs) and installed it per the included instructions. Ran fine for a couple of weeks (if that long). Same problem. Rinse and repeat above. After replacing the drive train three times, I gave up and now have a "park monument" sitting on the layout. BTW, the "instructions" that came with the part were just about useless. Hope this helps.

Fred

I don't mean this to say that I'm "soured" on the little GM. As a matter of fact I'm looking forward to seeing the GM Mark 2 once it goes to dealers. I still would love to own one that works, so depending on my budget and price, it may possibly be in my future.

[old pilot]

Hello Fred,

Thanks for the info. I too like the little engine and want to see it run well on my switching layout.

I found several videos on replacing the gears, etc., so I thought I would start taking it apart to see what I could determine. However, after removing the body and one cover plate, I decided this was going to be beyond my old age fading eyesight and manual dexterity. Since I only live about 90 minutes from Phila., I will make a road trip to Bachmann in the near future and let their experts do the repairs. With my sometimes history, it will probably be cheaper in the long run. I'll post the results after the repairs are done.

Old Pilot

[Fred Klein]

Hello Old Pilot,

As far as disassembly, that's about as far as I got as well. I'm 78, and at my age I just don't have the manual dexterity, nor the patience, to really get into the "guts" of the little engine. Like you, I fell in love with the little engine when it was first announced but, unfortunately, budget and life didn't make a purchase possible at that time. Looking forward to hearing about your "Repair Journey". Best of luck.

Fred

One thought: In your search for gears, you may want to check out North West Short Line (NWSL). They supposedly carry gear made of a different material. However, their website info is very obtuse. 

[old pilot]

Hello Fred and others who are interested,

My initial e-mail exchange with Bachmann is not encouraging. They no longer accept "drop-offs" at the facility, must be mailed. Ebay experience will mean about $10 in postage plus the $99 service charge to look at it. They did not specify but parts would be extra plus return postage. Guessing, this appears to be at least $130 and its no guarantee the engine will operate at the slow switching speed I want/need. I did ask about this requirement but there was no reply to this question.

Facing this expensive decision, I may look at more videos, take a lot of notes, and even with fading my eyesight and manual dexterity, try the repairs myself.

I also tried NWSL web site for gears but too confusing as of now. Maybe a video will offer some insight on ordering gears from them.

That's all for now.

Old Pilot

[Fred Klein]

Hello Old Pilot,

I ran into all of the same issues except I hadn't contacted Bachmann repair. For the moment all of my efforts are on hold and my GM sits on my layout looking pretty. Best of luck!
Fred

[old pilot]

Good morning, Fred and others who are interested,

Another email exchange with Bachmann Customer Service confirms they are not flexible on their service guidelines and prices. As such, for me, due to the large added expense, sending my engine to them will be a last resort.

Meanwhile, I have found three videos on the internet by Black Dog Mine which demonstrate how to take apart the Gas Mechanical engine and explains the gear issue. I am repeatedly watching it, making notes on each step until I am fairly sure I can try it. I am also using the Bachmann exploded parts diagram that came with the engine to see what each part looks like as sometimes the narrator's hands block some of the view in each step. I am only about 3/4 through so I still have a few steps to make notes and understand before I give it a try.

Old Pilot