Hello. First post here.
I buy and sell train engines from time to time, and I normally just put them on a dyno (roller type with trolleys) and test them. I run forward and reverse, check electronic functions, and create my descriptions based on what I observe. Fast and easy.
However, I recently sold an old Bachmann GP50 and the buyer claimed it made a clicking noise in reverse. Initially he left positive feedback, but then a week later, contacted me to complain.
Is there a chance there can be damage that you won't detect on a dyno, but that will show up if running on rails (or maybe only when loaded)?
In this case, the train had been wrecked, and there was cosmetic damage, as well as an interior light that didn't work after the wreck. All of this was disclosed, but running on a dyno, it sounded as good as any old 80's Bachmann that I have heard.
Anyway, the buyer was very belligerent. Immediately accused me of lying to sell a broken train. I was trying to offer him things to check, like could the bulb have broken and a piece of glass in the gearing be causing the noise? Or could there be a broken bit of plastic in there that in shipping, got into the gearing, but wasn't when I tested. Part of the damage was to some plastic bits that went into the body, so maybe a small piece fell through the hole to the inside of the body. Could rough handling in shipping knocked a drive shaft out of whack? Things like that. It could be something simple to fix that just requires removing the body for a minute or two.
He also wouldn't tell me anything. And he wasn't willing to look at anything I suggested. Wouldn't tell me how loud the clicking was? What was the situation (engine by itself, pulling a load, etc)? Then when I told him again that I had tested it and had not heard anything, he got irate and accused me of calling him a liar. I was trying to help and he just wanted to be a jerk.
So I'm done with him. But if there is a problem with how I test, or defects that a dyno test might not reveal, I would like to know to improve my process. I guess I had never stopped to consider the possibility. Thought the dyno was just as good as running on tracks, and much faster to check.
Now it does occur to me that if only one truck is driven, the non-powered truck wouldn't actually roll on a dyno, so bent axles or wheel damage might not be heard on the dyno. Anything else?
Thanks!
I buy and sell train engines from time to time, and I normally just put them on a dyno (roller type with trolleys) and test them. I run forward and reverse, check electronic functions, and create my descriptions based on what I observe. Fast and easy.
However, I recently sold an old Bachmann GP50 and the buyer claimed it made a clicking noise in reverse. Initially he left positive feedback, but then a week later, contacted me to complain.
Is there a chance there can be damage that you won't detect on a dyno, but that will show up if running on rails (or maybe only when loaded)?
In this case, the train had been wrecked, and there was cosmetic damage, as well as an interior light that didn't work after the wreck. All of this was disclosed, but running on a dyno, it sounded as good as any old 80's Bachmann that I have heard.
Anyway, the buyer was very belligerent. Immediately accused me of lying to sell a broken train. I was trying to offer him things to check, like could the bulb have broken and a piece of glass in the gearing be causing the noise? Or could there be a broken bit of plastic in there that in shipping, got into the gearing, but wasn't when I tested. Part of the damage was to some plastic bits that went into the body, so maybe a small piece fell through the hole to the inside of the body. Could rough handling in shipping knocked a drive shaft out of whack? Things like that. It could be something simple to fix that just requires removing the body for a minute or two.
He also wouldn't tell me anything. And he wasn't willing to look at anything I suggested. Wouldn't tell me how loud the clicking was? What was the situation (engine by itself, pulling a load, etc)? Then when I told him again that I had tested it and had not heard anything, he got irate and accused me of calling him a liar. I was trying to help and he just wanted to be a jerk.
So I'm done with him. But if there is a problem with how I test, or defects that a dyno test might not reveal, I would like to know to improve my process. I guess I had never stopped to consider the possibility. Thought the dyno was just as good as running on tracks, and much faster to check.
Now it does occur to me that if only one truck is driven, the non-powered truck wouldn't actually roll on a dyno, so bent axles or wheel damage might not be heard on the dyno. Anything else?
Thanks!