Rich, thanks tons for all the tedious work responding to me...Oddly enough though, I removed the screws you show in pics..But I absolutely could not get shell to budge ! I even took out the 2 screws under the cab sides and still couldn't get it off.  I too, tried yanking the smoke box as I think you said that comes out first. But got only slight jiggling here. Also, it looks like the hand-grabs running up cab corner need to be freed, as a little jiggling movement in cab did seem to show these as concerned with shell removal, too..Anyway, get this: I managed to break off a stirrup (steps) on right  front corner of the tender. And, trying to get screws back into cab bottom I broke off what looks like the brake tension adjuster (perhaps where a turnbuckle would be for tightening brake linkage). It's one those tiny delrin parts which the brake cylinder crosswise rod goes through and seems to be molded to the gearbox cover (as the good one seems to be)..  Finally, I just learned that the eccentic crank is to be several degrees forward of counter balance when rolling forward..So, perhaps the one on mine which is top dead center to balance is the wrong one, not the one which is off center as I'd believed...Now I will try and set it forward of balance..ALSO, the radius rod (highest up valve gear part) is not horizontal on (is it?) the right side as is on the other side! I did get it straighter with a hemostat, but not perfect...
So, all this said, i'm thinking of sending her back to the 'shops' for repair or replacement. It's still under warrantee so I suppose I'm looking at about  $15.00 shipping..What do you think ? What would you do at this point ?
Once again, thanks so much for the help...Mark

Yes ! I just now learned in a Yahoo.com link concerning loco valve gear that the eccentric crank is to be forward of the counter balance if looking at say, right side of loco, rolling forward. So, perhaps I need to change the position of the other crank which is 90 Deg. to the counter balance..

Thanks loads for the pictures Rich !! This looks like a sinch now...While inside, is it possible to do something to get a brighter headlight going ? Odd how a Spectum has such a poor light and a regular line Bach Mogul has one of the greatest !! Anyway, loco is still 'rowing' in reverse ( not forward !?). Maybe running without shell will reveal something.. Mark

Am I correct that to remove the shell on the Ten Wheeler there are 3 screws; 2 under cab and  large one above pilot wheels into smoke box ? As i've described a problem of late with this engine I would like to get a look at the motor and things..Maybe lube shaft.

I own an HO Ten Wheeler for about a year now...She seemed to run perfectly until recently..When in reverse it now does what I call 'rowing'; like the way a row boat speeds up with an oar stroke, then coasts slower when oars are out of water..It had a bent main rod which I was able to straighten by a strong push of the thumb inward..It still was not perfect though..Yesterday I noticed the eccentric crank on same side was not 90Deg. to the driver (not dead center above counter-balance). So I got bold and enscrewed it..First I got main rod straightened out better..But, when I tried to center the eccentic crank, the pin/shaft (tube) which accepts the crank , rods and screw refused to allow me to get crank 90 Deg. to the counter balance below it. It's as if there is a burr or something on the shaft  preventing the crank from being able to spin 380Deg. as seems to have been the case with engines decades ago where one had to hold crank just right whilst tightening center screw...Odder still is that the eccentric crank on OTHER SIDE of engine IS top dead center, 90 Deg. to counter balance !! So, why not on this side ? Does none of this pertain to loco's jerky movement in reverse anyway ? If so, and as I've lubed every moving part but the motor bearings, what is causing this ?   

Ray and Jonathan, thanks for tips...Jonathan a 2-8-0, though it too has 10 wheels is named a Consolidation. A  4-6-0 which too has 10 wheels is always a Ten Wheeler in name , or Casey Jones...Ironically , K C Jones perished in a Consolidation that day, but usually drove a Ten Wheeler...( or maybe other way around. I forget now)...Mark

Hey again, sorry if this is old stuff, but, it seems time to get inside to the motors  now and , if necessary (?) get some LaBelle oil into motor bearings, no ?  If so, where are the screws for both the HO Mogul and Ten Wheelers ? I think I see 2 directly below cab corners into frame...Is this all, and same on both ? I've lost the schematics for both. Does  boiler then slide, say forward and off ? Or are there 4 or more screws on one or both ? Are they long enough that they are easy to drop back into holes ? Or am I looking for trouble , not having  greatest eyesight any longer ?     Thanks, Mark

Chris, don't feel alone. I asked a similar question about my Ten Wheeler (4-6-0) a while back..It is sad though..Your Connie and my Ten are two of the best running locos. Yet , my 2-6-0 Mogul ,not even Spectrum line, has one of the best lights I've ever seen !! It even has a dimmer position (usually button 7 on throttle ). At full strength it nearly will burn out your retina ! Yeah , my Ten is like your's, an extremely low level intensity..Why the fellas at Bachmann let it out this way perplexes me as it seems all they'de have to have done is lower the resistence to (I think someone said) 1k instead of 2k..I'm sure if we could get the shell off we could switch it out, but you'd have to be quite a good solderer I'd think...If you have the bucks, your local train store could probably do it for you at, I'm guessing $25.00 +-... Mark

Hi, if one weathers or paints a bachmann loco does this deem it no longer under warantee ? I wish to weather my mogul while at the same time teeter tottering on returning it to Bachmann for either repair or a 2nd replacement..The right side crosshead is not perfectly vertical ( further out at its bottom ) where left side is perfect..I've made some adjustments to the motor CVs and made sure it is in128 speed step mode but it still jutters a tad whilst rolling. I keep thinking it's that tweaked crosshead getting jambing up a tad..Or, do all of the HO 2-6-0s behave a tad like that (not roll pefectly smooth all the time ) and the crossheads are completely cosmetic and have no bearing on the performance ? Most guys seem to say their's run great which makes me constantly wonder...

To those who are still wrestling with the 4 chuffs per 1 driver revolution, what  those knowlegable are trying to get across which many folks, especially newbees, young kids and non train buffs will usually and understandably assume is that all the mechanical activity concerning side rods and pistons, ALL of it is at the opposite position on the other side from the one they're looking at. I did too at 8 yrs old. This is a natural human assumption. But, it's not correct !  If the side rods on one side of loco are at say, 12:00 ( looking at wheel like a clock), the other side will be sitting at either 3:00 or 9:00..If you're seeing them at say, 4:30, other side is at either 7:30 or 1:30, a quarter of the distance apart, not half the distance apart..Thus the drivers are said to be 'in quarter' or 'quartered'
Why ? Because if they were exactly opposite there would be a mechanical position occurring where they'd get stuck, not able to decide which is pushing piston forward OR back, and would lock up...Also it would cause the loco to rock like crazy even if you could have it this way...They are not half way apart on the clock. They are a quarter away from one another ALL the complete 360 degs. of motion, all the time...This, too, is what is responsible for the 2 chuffs per side equalling 4 per one revolution..

Thanks to Tom (above)..Very clear advice...Mark

Hi, sorry if this is a worn out subject. And I can't find the topic from an earlier date. so I will go ahead and repeat topic..: Is it correct to conclude that matching the chuff rate so that 4 chuffs occur for every complete turn of the driver on a Bachmann HO mogul using an NCE Power Cab throttle while programming on the main after entering CV 116 and after we choose a value for 116, 'enter' MUST be clicked in order to see the results of that value ? If so, synching cuffs to wheels is so tedious..I hear one should give CV 116 about 1/2 its value ( 255 Div. by 2 is about 127) and enter this whilst loco is warmed up an rolling. I have done this but still must continually go back to screen , enter CV 116 then enter another value by trial and error and hit 'enter' over and over to try synching chuffs..Is it possible to remain in CV 116 and just raise and lower values until we see the chuffs matched up , and THEN hit 'enter' to lock in that value ? Also , is there a setting which remains perfectly in sync ? Or does it eventually go out of sync on EVERY  steam loco ?     Thanks, Mark

Hey gang, I changed  CV 10 to zero and mogul is running A-1 !! I  AM curious as to why Bachmann ( I'd suppose, as I didn't) gives CV 10 a 1 value ..If I didn't consult the group or other MRR forum I'd never had known to do this and would simply chalk it up to being an inferior product..Why doesn't Bachmann make note of this in the loco packages ? Or did I miss something ? How many, perhaps a thousand mogul owners are running the engine and just assume it's either faulty or don't even notice...or find out its in the decoder and not a mechanical problem..Even I was on the edge of returning the engine until I found out about CV 10...

Quote from: bmjcook on August 22, 2012, 03:09:33 PM


  Gidday
               Do Bachmann decoders have BEMF??  I think the Bachmann Tsunami sound decoders have BEMF. As stated elsewhere, we need to know what decoder is installed in loco.....Cookie
                                                                           

Cookie, as stated by another all Bachs have Tsunami/sountraxx and BEMF. I will try setting CV 10 to 1 or 0 values and see what occurs. If mogul is still eratic I probably will send it to Bach again ( this one is a replacement for 1st one which had a drivetrain problem)....Thanks for your help .. Mark   

Hi, I recently had Bachmann replace a brand new faulty HO Mogul..2nd one is MUCH, much better but has a slight balkiness. Others have stated their's run perfectly...Someone suggested to try changing the BEMF,CV 10...I tried this with random values large and small but all she did was freeze up..I then had to do a 'system refresh' or other to get her back....Exactly what is the BEMF ? And is this correct, to change CV 10 value to smoothen out performance ? If not, I suppose I'll have to replace this one, too !