I'm watching this with baited breath (no.. not breath that smells like bait... okay... maybe a little like bait)

Anyway... I just recently bought my first ever wood laser cut model (and then bought three more) from BTS.... they are car kits, that will be riding behind my Bachmann Spectrum "Richmond" 4-4-0.

(seen here)



The kits I'm planning to build are these:





So watching what you're doing is going to help me out a LOT! I am determined to build these...

I even started on the trucks I plan to use (all metal, for the extra weight)



This is a great thread so far!

Oh, and as far as the importance of the town saloon... I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who once said that it was important for a town to build it's tavern first, bef0ore the church, as there are meetings of a political nature that wouldn't be polite to have in the church, but church services can always be held at the tavern.

I think a UNIT train, with a TARDIS prop would be cool...

Oh, and I do believe that Bachmann DOES make a Star Trek, and Star Wars train that's marketed through The Bradford Exchange.

They might even make On30 ones as well (I know there are quite a few On30 Bachmann trains that the Bradford Exchange makes through their Hawthorne Village series)

I mean, they do a Ninja Turtles train, so I would imagine asking them if they would consider a Jurassic Park train in On30 would be a fun idea... worse they can do is say "no".

https://www.bradfordexchange.com/products/917921_teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-train-collection.html


This is one of their On30 trains:

https://www.bradfordexchange.com/products/918098_horror-express-electric-train-collection.html

(sorry, I couldn't link the photos, because they are in PNG format)

As for Harry Potter...

I was given a Harry Potter loco by a friend I met on this forum, and simply HAD to convert it to DCC and sound... I may model the head light it has in a few of the movies, but, right now, the only light is coming from the firebox in the cab (which has a nice flicker... I'm using a Digitrax 8 bit decoder with a "Power Xtender"... I normally use 16 bit, but I wasn't sure if I could do it, so I always go cheap when I'm not 100% sure) It made for a nice effect, and you can almost FEEL the heat in that cab by looking at it!

I LOVE Doctor Who...



This little TARDIS ends up in some of the strangest of locations on my layout (all EZ track, BTW... it's amazing what you can do with EZ track... shameless plug)

Here it is hidden behind a new building on the layout:

w00t!


As for the Pegasus... here she is so far!

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!!!!

I got the motor today from Bachmann (I'm in San Diego, and I only ordered it on the 3rd, and it's here today! Dang, Bachmann is FAST!)

The great news? IT'S PERFECT!

So, for anyone who needs to re-motor a Bachmann 4-2-0 "Norris" engine... the Gandy Dancer motors are the exact same motors, just with a slightly different worm gear. Just put your old worm gear onto the new motor!

Also, on another front (same engine) I also got the Digitrax SDN136PS 8 bit sound decoder today as well, that I plan to install into the tender of the Pegasus (I chose Digitrax, because I need to be able to put Norris sounds into the decoder, and I have a PS3Xtra) Anyway... for anyone planning to put DCC and sound into a Norris engine... this decoder FITS! It not only fits perfectly, but, with room to spare (it's a tiny little thing) so I'll be able to put an 8 pin plug in, saving me some headache with hard wiring.

Quite the life sever there, indeed! I didn't even realize I had it until I was going through the tool box, looking for something else! It made my day, to be sure.

It's off! It was just on really tight, and I was using the wrong tool for the job originally. I thought I was using a gear puller for model trains, but I was using a gear puller for a Victrola. (which doesn't use the pins)

Repairing old Victrolas is my other hobby.

Once I found the right tool for the job (found it completely by accident... it's going in with the regular tools now) it worked.

Now, I can buy a new motor from Bachmann (the Gandy Dancer uses the exact same motor... I checked it against one of my Gandy Dancers, and then checked on the site) and easy peasy.

Unfortunately I have to wait until payday. I have $16 in my account, and the motors are $11, but after shipping and tax, it's $20. But, payday is only next week, so, I'll be set then!

I think what I'm going to do, is run wires from the motor the second I get it, and separate wires from the wipers on the driver, so that when it's all together, I can have thoose four wires going to the tender, and be ready for DCC on it.

My roommate pointed out that it looks like I'm complaining... I just want to assure folks, I'm not complaining. I just thought the response was funny is all. I had been talking about this on a few forums, and a couple of forums told me to contact Bachmann parts, because even though it isn't listen, there is a slight chance they have it, or know of something compatible.

So forums said to ask parts, and parts replied by telling me to ask forums... that just struck me as hilarious is all! (okay, I'm easily amused)

An update though... GREAT NEWS!

So, I wasn't able to remove the worm screw before, and even tried a gear puller, however, today, while going through the tool drawer, I ran across a gear puller that Terry sent me a while back... it was a different sort of puller that uses a pin... the pin was a bit fat, however, I have a box of record needles here (I restore Victrola Talking Machines, and seeing how you need to change the needle with every record, I have a zillion (spell check says that's a word) steel needles, new, and used) so I grabbed a needle, stuck it into the bolt, lined it up with the gear, and pop it went!

That being said, it changes everything!

Now... do I take apart one of my Gandy Dancers (I have six of them) OR, do I buy a new Gandy Dancer motor from the parts store?

You know what? I'm gonna order a new motor! (besides, children LOVE playing with the Gandy Dancers when I set up tracks at the Steampunk Convention)

The DeWitt Clinton has the right worm gear, while the Gandy Dancer has the right orientation of the motor. I was hoping the parts people could help me out with that, seeing how they have the parts to do it... but they told me to ask here instead.

I would have asked repair, but the last time I had an issue and talked to them, they would only offer a replacement of a whole discontinued loco with a completely different loco (I have a George Washington that was wired wrong, and they offered to replace it with a non-George Washington engine, which defeats the purpose of spending all of that money on a collectable set... apparently the repair department doesn't actually do repairs... they just replace)

Yes. It is the exact same motor, but, the worm gear is on the wrong side, and how the motor goes in, it's supported by the plastic fire box, so it's measurements have to be very specific... meaning, I can't flip it like that.

Here's the actual motor taken from the Pegasus:

Oh, and I checked with NWSL for a replacement motor, but the worm gear is, once again, an issue, because it's such a weird size.

It's the same motor, BUT, the worm gear is a bit too big, plus, it's on the wrong side of the motor.

The Gandy Dancer has it on the proper side, but, the worm gear is still too big. I found a few more in the parts catalogue that is the same motor, just the wrong worm gear.

Oh, and I tried removing the worm gear on my Norris motor, but, it doesn't come off, even with an NWSL gear puller.

Unfortunately.

What I'm probably going to have to do, is buy a Lafayette off of eBay, and strip the motor from it for my Pegasus. (I did too much work on the Pegasus to not try to save it... plus, I plan to put DCC and sound into it)

So I need to fine a new motor for my Bachmann Pegasus 4-2-0 Norris engine. The old one burned out.

I shot an e-mail to Bachmann's parts department to see if it's in stock, and this is the reply:

<<Hello,

My suggestion to you would be to go onto the Ask the Bachmann Forum online at the website.

See what the modelers can tell you.


Cynthia
PARTS DEPARTMENT
Bachmann Industries
1400 E. Erie Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19124
www.bachmanntrains.com
www.parts@bachmanntrains.com
Phone: 1-800-356-3910
Phone: 215-533-1600
Fax: 215-533-1650>>



Okay... so... do any of the modelers here know if Bachmann has the motor and worm gear I need in stock?

(strange way to look for a part in stock, but... I'll play)

If the Tidmouth Sheds had an electric turntable, I would be all over that! I love that the doors are spring loaded, and open and close automatically with the engines.