Peter,
You might try contacting Tony.
http://www.rcs-rc.com

He's down under also.

Adam

Well said Bill !!!

Adam

Looking good Andrew!
Where did you get the V&T letters and numbers?

Adam

Rick,
Have you tried looking in the "Parts, Service & Information" section of this web site?
Under "Product Reference" I found this link.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/82494.pdf

Hope this helps.

Adam

on30gn15,

I understand the idea of recycling and using all your resources to the max, but since your track isn't in your constant possession, I would be fearful of someone plugging your track directly into a 110 volt plug.

"there is yet madness to it."

Adam

Looks great Bill!
Your fortunate to have room inside to build.

Almost all of my rolling stock and locomotives are Big Haulers and I have been building Colorado Model Structures ( which holdup very nicely outdoors, year round, for a couple years now). I have been using 1/24 scale metal die cast vehicles, but they look a little to small close to the locomotives. I wish Bachmann would come out with a line of 1:22.5 or 1:20.3, early 20th century vehicles, that would go with their large scale trains.
I think that's a niche that needs to filled and many molders would love to have them. 

Once again, looking Good!

Adam

looking good!

Adam

Hi RkyGriz,

I think you could remove the wheels from the "dummy" drive axle and put them on the Big Hauler motor drive axle. (remove the rod screws, unscrew counterclockwise, slide the rods off, from the rear of the wheel push out the plastic center spokes and counterweight insert, behind that you'll find the Philips head screw that holds the wheel on the axle. Reassemble in reverse.) Then swap the front two drivers complete into the Big Hauler chassis. I'm not completely sure about the steam chest assy. but I think that it would fit. the only problems I've heard of is the air tanks might hit the top of the steam chest.
The tanks on my V&T #25 fit perfectly when I installed an Anny. chassis under it, but I noticed the tanks on my Southern #8254 were a little further forward and would have to be mover rearward to clear the larger Anny. steam chests.   

Hope this helps, have fun!!

Adam

Good Job RkyGriz!

If your feeling ambitious, you could order a complete motor assembly for $60.00 and put it in your "dummy" chassis.

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_69_623&products_id=5227

I know your "dummy" didn't come with any electrical parts, But, (now comes the ambitious part) you could use a couple thin strips of copper or brass for the drive wheel electrical pickups and a couple wires soldered to the Pilot wheels assembly.
Or, I just found this...

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_69_671_148&products_id=8854

Just look how your other chassis are wired. Note: If you double check all your wiring and for correct rotation, before final assembly, then you won't need a polarity switch behind the smoke box cover.
Really, If you changed the chassis, you could go a few steps further and replace the motor/wheel assembly.

This way for about 75 bucks you'd have another engine.

This is the kind of stuff I enjoy about this hobby

If someone originally put it together, SO CAN YOU!

Adam

Hi Cris,
I started out playing with trains about 30 years ago.
I built an indoor HO scale RR with 2 mainlines, sidings, a switching yard, tunnels, ect. When the track was clean, it was fun, when not it wasn't. I just got tired of all the reaching and stretching and trying not to make more work for my self while cleaning and polishing the track.
When I decided to to build my outdoor RR, I decided it would be trouble free. So after much research, I decided to go with battery power and remote control.

I just looked online at some higher amp transformers/track controllers and was amazed at their cost.

I have 2 big Hauler 4-6-0s and a  2-4-2 Lyn. that I have converted over to battery power. To convert the first one to battery power was about equal to the cost of a high end power supply. After that, it's just buying another battery and receiver for the other locos.
I'm running 14.8v battery packs from All-Battery and Crest Electronics Train Engineer.
You said your hubby was a mechanic so he must be mechanically inclined. With all the info. on the web and this site (look up Loco Bills threads on battery building and remote control), he should have no problem converting your engine over to battery.

I run my locos for at least 3 hours strait on batteries and there is no jerking or stalling or slowing anywhere on the tracks. I never have to clean the track except when debris fall on it or plants grow over it.

Speaking of track. Another money saver is aluminum track. It costs a lot less then brass or stainless. Did I mention I never have to clean it

One other benefit with battery power is there is no need for special track wiring for turnouts, loops or whys.

I truly enjoy running one train nonstop, on the mainline, and switching cars with another. Or, pulling one train into a siding while pulling another train out.

When I built my garden RR, I decided I wanted to enjoy it. Half of my fun is building and improving it, the other half is running it. There is no third half for track cleaning. 

This is just my opinion and there are many others out there. All I know is that I'm very happy that I took this rout.

Garden railroading should be fun and relaxing and you should only have to work hard at it when you want to.

Enjoy your garden and railroad!

Adam

gooner_1967,

Sounds like you figured out the problem, good job! Bad switch, try working it back and forth awhile.
If you live in a humid area, corrosion could form on the switch contacts and also the contacts for the bulb, especially if you left them stored with batteries installed. (electrolysis) If I'm remembering correctly the bulbs in the passenger cars screw in just like a regular light bulb.
I've used an electrical contact cleaner, "tuner cleaner" purchased from Radio Shack, to clean and protect switch contacts in the past. You might try that if you can find an open Radio Shack or electronics supply store, just make certain it's plastic compatible!
If you're not mechanically inclined, you might want to see if you can find a garden railroad club in your area to help you out. Or, you could also call the Bachmann Service Department to see what they would charge to repair your cars. I had a great experience with them in the past.
It sounds like you're on the right track. (no pun intended)
Let us know what you find.

Adam

gooner_1967,

I know this sounds simple but... did you try the, little, slide switch, on the bottom, near the battery compartment?
Also how many passenger cars do you have? Do they all not light up? Did any light up before?
If they all have a battery compartment than, most likely, they all are lighted by battery power not track power. Also look at the wheel sets to see if there are any "pickups" or wires connected that would use track power to light the cars. If no wires (on the trucks) then you should check and make sure the battery connections are good and clean. also the 9v battery should fit in only one direction, it could possibly be installed with the positive and negative reversed. That wouldn't make the lights not work but the connections may not mate up correctly.   
That's all the simple stuff. If none of this works it gets a little more complicated.
Give us all a heads up to what you find.

Adam
 

Sometimes its the simple things that cause the most problems, easy to overlook and... "how did that happen?"

gooner_1967,
Happy to be of service!
You came to the right place for LS Bachmann answers. There's a lot of knowledge in this forum. I don't participate as often as I would like too but I do try to read this forum every day or so.

Enjoy your train!

Adam 

gooner_1967,

lay the loco on it's side and look at the pilot truck (the four,small, front wheels) There should be an arrow pointing forward on the bottom, if it's not pointing forward carefully rotate the wheel set and try it again.
The  pilot truck also has electrical pickups attached and if its rotated backwards will cause a dead short.

Good luck and tell us what you find.

Adam

punkin,
welcome, 
I just have to add my two cents worth.
I started using the "hook and loop" couplers with my 4-6-0s and Bachmann rolling stock. They couple together very easily and stay coupled, sometimes too well, like when you try to separate cars to put them away. Also they don't look very prototypical. Then I switched to Bachmann's "knuckle couplers". They worked OK, but sometimes became detached from each other and it took a lot of "slamming" cars together to get them both to couple.

On another note... I like switching.

The mechanisms made to unhook the "hook and loops" didn't go over to well with me.( bulky and unprototypical looking)
As for the knuckle couplers... I still had to stand up and manually trip (open) them. Although now some companies are offering radio controlled actuators to operate these.$$$
What suits me are KaDee couplers and track mounted magnets installed on the turnouts. They couple very easily and stay coupled. They also look pretty much prototypical. When I put my cars away for the night, I just lift it off the track and they release from each other. I find it very enjoyable switching cars and making up trains.

When I started in large scale I was happy just to watch them go round and round. Then I put in a siding. Than I put in a reversing track. Then to reverse it back, I put in another. Then another siding and a yard and on and on and on...

Good luck Punkin, all options are fine, what pleases you is what counts!

Once again welcome to the fun!

Adam