ACY,

The $40.00 fee is if you return a loco that is no longer made and they have to send you an upgraded unit. An example is a replacement for the old model steam locos.

Did you guys give any thought to maybe the poster was sitting back reading all the great comments that had been left and was waiting for more before re-entering the post to give you the Thanks that you want.  This attitude, that is so often shown on some replies, can chase away new modelers. I hope you have not discouraged another potential model railroader.

I was at the one here last week and they have a lot in stock.  I have not heard that the are going to stop selling model trains.  They had a Bachmann 2-8-2 in the display case the was not there last month.

Hobby Lobby carries quite a few Bachmann train sets at reasonable prices.  In addition they run a 40% off coupon about every three weeks that can be applied to the price.

They also carry single cars, track sections and scenery materials which are located in the rear of the store by the plastic models.

I finally dug out my old Bachmann GS-4 Daylight and found the boiler front missing.  I have contacted the parts department and the only thing that the have is the entire body that costs 30 dollars. They did offer to exchange it for 40 dollars.

I prefer to keep the engine for personal reasons and the cost for a new body is a little high for me. Does anyone know where the boiler front can be bought?

Once the builders start building again, they will usually let you have the pieces of foam insulation that they trim off.  I have picked pieces up that were  2' by 8' and there was no charge. These trimmings are usually thrown away by the builders so they readily let you pick them up.  You are doing their clean-up for them.

There is nothing better than to see an articulated loco running.  I have three cab forwards. A Rivorossi, a WSM brass and a BLI with sound.  Needless to say that the BLI is the one that I operate the most.  The sound system is designed where the driver chuffs can get out of sequence with each other as was common on the full size locos. Every one should have one.

A typical two lane road is 24 feet wide with 4 feet on each side for a shoulder.  If you have a ditch it is usually about 2 feet deep and about 6 feet from the edge of the shoulder.  A typical right of way for the roadway is sixty feet.  I design sub-divisions and county roads and these are typical dimensions used throughout all states.

The 1/2" plywood is fine but you need to get the 4 ply kind.  The 3 ply tries to warp if you get it too wet when doing scenery.

Another very good source of non-dcc, non-sound steam locomotives is IHC.

I have 20 plus year old Athearn, Rivarossi and IHC locos that have performed without flaw. None of them had to be returned for service. I currently have 5, less than 1 year old, Bachmann locos: three required repair, one I repaired but the last is doing fine so far.

This brings up the question of the repair of a non sound steam loco should it break while still under warranty.
If the loco is not repairable and needs to be replaced what will the options be?
Will it be replaced with the sound equipped version? If so will there be a fee required even though it is still under the one year warranty?.  Will they offer whatever leftover that they may still have that is not sound equipped?

Walthers has backgrounds that are listed under "Instant Horizons".  They are offered in numerous scenes and are 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall. The edges are designed so that you can attach any two together and have a flowing scene.

I bought the doodlebug because that is what I wanted to fill in my roster.  I have every wheel arrangement from the 4-4-0 up to and including a 2-10-4 and a 4-10-2.  I also have 2 Cab Forwards and a Big boy.  As I am 63 and have been collecting for well over 30 years, I can be selective of what I want and buy. The MTH 4-12-2 would be nice.

I do not want anything other than the doodlebug.  A substitution with some other loco would not do.  Bachmann should honor their warranty by repairing what they sell.  An option they have is to sell a product that does not need to be fixed shortly after it is purchased.

P N,

That is the same reply that I got when I called them about warranty repair.

The problem with that is that I model steam and have no desire to have a diesel. If I wanted a diesel then that is what I would have bought.

They did offer to send the replacement part if I wanted to try to repair it myself.  I received the part in the mail today.  It has a much tighter gear fit then the one that I need to replace. Maybe this will fix the problem.  If it does not then I will just let visitors know my thoughts about it if they make comments about the noise.

This is a very nice looking piece and it will move at very, very slow speeds. It is a shame that Bachmann has taken this attitude in regards to its repair.  The problem appears to be with the ends of the gear shafts. Apparently, the seats are enlarged with use.  Maybe they need a stronger metal bushing on the ends of the gear shaft.

Ben

jward,

The method that you describe is the tried and true way to fasten track.  I have been doing it that way for many years.  It works very well should you decide to make changes.  A slight wetting of the area will loosen the ballast and the track can be easily removed.
When soldering rails it is best not to solder them all.  I will typically solder every other joint or no more than 3 in a row.  The rails will increase and decrease in length if the layout is in an area that is subject to temperature changes. The combined change in length, even though it is very small, can cause alignment problems. Been there and had it happen.