Can someone confirm that in order to separate the two halves of the chassis on this loco and get to the motor you remove the 3 philips screws and pry it apart? Is there anything else holding it together?

Thanks.

I am troubleshooting an N scale loco..not Bachmann I must admit but i think the principles are the same. It runs MUCH smoother and faster backwards rather than forwards. I have done all the usual stuff, cleaning, lubricating everything...very sparingly...and its the same.

It is a Hornby Minitrix Evening Star.

Thoughts anyone?

I thought I would start a new thread since I believe that I have found something rather important. My loco is very sporadic, one day its OK then a few days later it runs really erratically. Today it ran very badly I so I took it apart and cleaned the axles and axle sockets for the 1000th time it seems. Just for the heck of it I put it together with the 2nd from the front wheel set missing. This wheel set comes out easily and is not connected to any of the con rods. It also has the traction tyres on it. It ran SUPERBLY with that pair of wheels missing, smooth as silk, never faltered, even when run very slowly. It never hesitated even on the points. I have never seen it run this well. I had it running all day like this. I put back the wheel set and it ran erratically and jerky all over again.

So it appears that there are other reasons for very poor performance on this loco other than poor pickup. This wheel set has a gear wheel in the center and connects together two other gear wheels on this loco. Its almost as if connecting together these two gears binds and ceases the motion now and then. I now need to get it running this well with that wheel set back in the chassis. Anyone else see anything like this?

I have read a lot on line about this loco and how to improve smooth running. Mine is part# 58152 with running # 3783. It's not bad and I have taken it apart and lubricated/cleaned it carefully. It does however still jerk and stall now and then. I am not sure if this is caused by eletrical cut out or by the conn rods jamming (have been lubed several times). I still have not found out exactly where the eletrical conacts or "feelers" are that pick up power from the wheels, even with the diagram (does not have part #'s described). Mine does not have any pickup on the front pony truck or tender.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/N821X-IS001.PDF

Any help/words of wisdom much appreciated. Can anyone put a part # to the electrical pickups in the above diagram?

Thanks..