I bought a Niagara 4-8-4 used at a local thrift shop and it needs to be repaired/replaced.
Could it be covered under the lifetime warranty?
Thanks
Welcome.
Not if it's used. Repair or replacement. A lot depends on age of loco for repair.
Since you are new, take time to look all round the Bachmann site as there is a lot of good info about Bachmann trains.
Check the Parts page. All kinds of repair, replacement info.
I have sent in a old two motor HO 44 tonner with cracked gear and got a new DCC ready 44 tonn3er. Cost me what they show for replacement.
Rich
Howdy! Bachmann typically covers all of their stuff under warranty either it be new or old. Usually they just ask to send a certain amount and the engine with shipping. A call to their service dept could shed some light on your delemia. Best of luck to you man.
Marc.
This spells it out but a call might help. Some times the replacement might be what Bachmann calls "equal value replacement" if the exact loco is not in stock.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/service.php
Rich
Dear IA,
Your second-hand loco will not be covered, but the service department will be happy to do their best for you.
It's like buying a car at a service station and taking it to a dealer and asking for warranty repairs...
I think you'll still be happy with their efforts.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Thanks for the help!
I would like to know how this all plays out.
I'll let you know.
Thanks :)
Ok, so I sent it in and they got it yesterday. They said that they would replace it with something else for $25.
We'll see what I get. ;D
Doc Wayne;
I had a really good experience with Bachmann this year. If I had to suggest a company for the "good will" poster child, Bachmann would be it! Rarely is it have I seen a company that would go all out of their way to put a smile on a customer's face and good thought in their head, but Bachmann is it!
In talking to the guys in parts dept., I kind of got the idea that parts are available per what they have in inventory for their own repair/replacement service, and I am OK with that. I don't know, but Being in business really gives you a pretty fair perspective of how things are done right up the echelon.
At any rate, my hat's off to Bachmann, and will certainly regard their company as tops!!
On replacement gears:
My standard operation is to replace with brass or bronze, unless it is critical that nylon be used; and I do this for a number of reasons, one being that brass is a better, smoother run than nylon-but that is my choice-not any other reason.
Parts: Again, I lean towards brass, but for two reasons: The added weight, and the material's ability for high resolution; even though EG: Engineering plastics are really good. As some of you know, I am an Elesco nut, and these parts add the weight to the ponies really well!
At any rate, Onward and upwards, Bachmann!!
Rich C.
Do you use brass on brass or any other metal on metal? Reason I ask, is my understanding is that metal on plastic is ok and works well, as does plastic on plastic, but metal on metal, creates more wear and tear. Just curious.
Thank you doctor. And yes, I am quite familiar with diesel locomotives that have delrin/plastic gear boxes with all delrin/plastic gears.
So, is what I heard/my understanding about the materials correct?
Delrin gears get used in HO & N primarily because of reduced friction, and lower production costs, than small metal spur gears and worm wheels. Metal worms are easier, since they can be mass produced on a screw thread machine.
Larger locos, S & O, often use brass spur gears and worm wheels with steel worms because of the improved wear characteristics in the heavier locos. Smaller 'starter set' locos often use Delrin gears though. Large Scale, G, is a mixed bag depending on manufcaturer, loco size, and weight.
Len
Thank you Len, but I was aware that delrin gears are low friction. Also, it makes sense of course that producing delrin/plastic is cheaper than producing metal. And thank you for the info re: larger (than HO) scale locos.
However none of this or the just prior info provided, answers my original question.
Perhpas no one knows, which is why I am getting info on everything but. ???
Quote from: jbrock27 on September 28, 2015, 12:14:04 PM
Thank you Len, but I was aware that delrin gears are low friction. Also, it makes sense of course that producing delrin/plastic is cheaper than producing metal. And thank you for the info re: larger (than HO) scale locos.
However none of this or the just prior info provided, answers my original question.
Perhpas no one knows, which is why I am getting info on everything but. ???
To answer your origninal question more directly, no, having metal to metal gears does not create excessive wear. At least as long as normal lubrication, as with any gears, is used. In fact the wear characteristics are generally pretty good, which is why heavier S & O locos generally have metal gears.
Len
This does not have anything to do with the OP's question but a lot of good info about model railroading gears.
NWSL has a good gear primer that I found back many years ago which helped me a lot in gear planning. I suggest everyone store the link and do a lot of reading, even if you never do any gear modifying.
http://www.nwsl.com/
As an aside, I remember years ago some mentioning how a brass worm could chew up a fibre spur gear in a brass loco.
Rich
At last, were are finally getting somewhere. Thank you gentlemen.
Please note, I did not use the words,
excessive or
abnormal doctor and
Len. I used the word
more in relation to metal on metal use, as in faster or quicker, wear.
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 28, 2015, 12:43:16 PM
...it's still the usual practice, when using all metal gears, to use dissimilar metals (usually steel and brass), and to use the softer metal in the gear easiest to replace.
Wayne
Good
doctor, there must be a reason for this, correct? Having to do with, wait for it,
wear, no? This practice makes perfect sense when the likelihood of wear is high. I only mention this bc I never heard of 2 delrin gears wearing each other out. I don't consider a cracked or split, plastic or delrin gear to be the result of "wear", as I attribute that to a manufacturing flaw or the plastic "drying out" for lack of a better term. I have seen my share of split axle gears that had no visible wear to their teeth. I also never heard of a metal gear or worm, wearing out a delrin or plastic gear or worm.
Just sayin...
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 29, 2015, 02:50:49 AM
With most locomotives nowadays, the gears, whatever their composition, are in gearboxes, and run within whatever tolerances are acceptable for the application and the materials used.
Wayne
Certainly, without a doubt.
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 29, 2015, 02:50:49 AM
Earlier locomotives, especial steam, often used a worm mounted directly on the motor shaft and the worm gear on one of the loco's axles. It was up to the modeller to assemble the components in a manner that achieved the best gear mesh and to ensure that the motor sat square to the geared axle. Incorrect mesh (too tight or too loose) could cause excessive noise and/or rapid wear. Some locomotive kits had frames machined so that the motor sat in the correct position, but others required shims under either the front or rear of the motor to adjust the gear mesh. The worm on a motor skewed sideways on the frame could chew up a gear pretty quickly.
Like any other gears, worms are matched to worm gears, with the teeth on the worm gear set at an angle based on the diameter of the worm.
Wayne
I for one am glad this is no longer the norm. And I would not include having to perform such machinations, in my question about more wear, as performing such machinations could easily lead to incorrect alignment, thus causing excessive or abbynormal wear. I would not consider these kinds of circumstances as "normal".
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 29, 2015, 02:50:49 AM
For most applications, Delrin gears won't likely wear out...
Wayne
...but metal against metal can in a
hobby locomotive setting. Thank you for confirming my point.
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 29, 2015, 02:50:49 AM
spin.
As for metal-on-metal gears, the standard transmission on a car seldom fails due to gear failure, and, when it does, the failure is usually due to damage, not wear of the gears.
Wayne
Okaaaaaay, no argument there
doctor....but we are not talking about automobiles here. I would also point out that those auto gears are immersed in liquid lubrication in a sealed gearbox.
Interesting that the guy I originally asked this question of, is so far, a no show. Must be out in his Jag, chasing 20 something year old red heads, while his guitar gently weeps... ;)
Quote from: doctorwayne on September 29, 2015, 03:21:21 PM
If that's the case, then he must be having more fun than worrying about gears. ;D
Wayne
I would agree w/you, if not for believing it is more a matter of he just talks a good game ;)
But, no worries here, as I have no metal on metal gears or worms on metal gears and only 1 steam engine to speak of and not a great one at that. Mostly for Xmas time around the tree. All the rest are diesels and are modern enough to either have metal (mainly brass) worms, on delrin gears or nylon worms on delrin gears. A good combo that has worked flawless for me thus far. My preference would be to have that as opposed to metal on metal. Buying stuff from NWSL can get expensive enough, w/o having to do it very often.
Nice pic! As I have said before, I have long been an admirer from afar.