All,
I have a BACHMANN SPECTRUM 4-8-2 when I run it at a moderate speeds the pilot truck tends to derail, anyone happen to have any ideas to curb this issue?
TJ
Hi
Light or Heavy. The newer Heavies should do 9.75, with no issues. Light Mountains can't do less than 11 slowly and have pilot truck derailments, even then.
So, if it's a heavy, I recommend watching it, with LED lit magnifying specs and see it'd it's trackwork, or wiggling something. If it's a Light Mountain, I haven't seen a solution, sorry.
Edit - Spookshow has a write up on these. While there is no solution offered, he does show a completely disassembled Heavy. Since the heavy doesn't have an inherent derailing issue, maybe you will note a mod you can make?
Quote from: kmcsjr on June 09, 2017, 01:29:49 PM
Hi
Light or Heavy. The newer Heavies should do 9.75, with no issues. Light Mountains can't do less than 11 slowly and have pilot truck derailments, even then.
So, if it's a heavy, I recommend watching it, with LED lit magnifying specs and see it'd it's trackwork, or wiggling something. If it's a Light Mountain, I haven't seen a solution, sorry.
Edit - Spookshow has a write up on these. While there is no solution offered, he does show a completely disassembled Heavy. Since the heavy doesn't have an inherent derailing issue, maybe you will note a mod you can make?
it's the Light 4-8-2 .
TJ
I never did figure out why the pilot truck always derailed on my light 4-8-2. I eventually just punted on it in favor of a heavy 4-8-2.
-Mark
Hmm, that's odd , I have both and never had any problems with the light mtn . My last layout had 11" curves in places , but my newest layout has 15 1/2 " min curves .
It also depends on which Light 4-8-2 you're talking about. The original 2003 version was the one that I had all the problems with (mainly on 11" or sharper curves). The revised 2012 version (with the DCC-Ready tender) has never given me a lick of trouble.
-Mark
So
As the "if Bachmann makes steam, I buy it, guy". Is there a way to tell which model it is 2012 vs earlier release. (since almost all buying is online)
The newer version has a bunch of wires running between the locomotive and the tender. The older version does not.
-Mark
I bought one of the later version Light Mountains, and had the same problem with the pilot truck derailing on 15" radius curves.
When I took a close look at it and the "exploded" drawing supplied by Bachmann, it looked to me like it was attached up-side-down. So, I turned it over and it has not derailed, since.
Because it was a second-hand purchase, I don't know if that was an original Bachmann assembly goof or a previous owner goof.
I haven't heard of that particular problem with the revised 4-8-2, but it wouldn't surprise me if it came from the factory that way. I know a lot of Bachmann 4-6-0's had the same issue.
-Mark