Dear Bachmann Trains,
I have purchased Bill (58805) about two months ago. Unfortunately as when I got it, it showed either troubles or common issues that could be fixed by myself. The locomotive runs around the track, but almost slows down and it sounds like there is some binding going on in the loco. I oiled all the parts and gears and even cleaned it and that seemed to fix the problem for a while.
Now the issue has gotten slightly worse, with the "bind" not going away, even after a running in. Should I return this loco or have it serviced?
Anyone else having these issues with Bill or Ben?
My Bill and Ben aren't very smooth, but they run fine for me. But my Gordon is giving me trouble though...sometimes he works and sometimes he doesn't. He won't run smoothly at all. I've only owned him for two years. :/
Returning to the retailer will be the quickest resolve(USA). But using the warranty or Bachmann service is an option. Having it serviced local would likely be more money out of pocket, possibly with no guarantee of it running better.
Clean wheels and track? Is it faster near power pack connection? Could you have over oiled? Oil and brush dust together can foul out things pretty good. You may try cleaning,and checking the brushes, armature areas if it has a brush motor.
I bought a second one and it did the exact same thing. It runs fidgety for a little bit and stops after a while. My Ben (same tooling) does not share this issue. I cleaned the old Bill out and am waiting to see if the issue resolves. It usually worsens after an hour or two of no running.
If the issue doesn't resolve itself soon, I suppose I'll send the newer Bill to Bachmann Trains.