Quote from: Captain_Maberu on December 07, 2025, 04:18:53 PMI just picked up a G-scale 4-6-0 (Super Chief) at a local train show. The Gear axle has split and the wheels pull out, derailing the train. I'm just trying to replace that one gear to see if I can get it back on the tracks! I found a guy on Facebook (search for Jiro Yeramian) who says he can make the gears for a price, but I want to try and fix it myself first.

Have you opened yours up to see what's wrong with it?

It was the drive axle gear in the gear box that split several years ago. I had repaired it. Apparently the repair finally gave out. My symptom both times was the loco would just stop and not move. A whirring sound could be heard which was the motor spinning the gear around the axle.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I actually found the gearbox I had purchased several years ago as a backup. Back then my drive axle gear had partially split and I repaired it by wrapping it with dental floss and super glue. Much the way I learned from someone else on here to fix the plastic axles on the HO 0-6-0 Christmas Engines. Apparently the fix finally gave out and the gear was spinning around the axle.

I have 4-6-0 Christmas Locomotive and in need of a new gearbox. I purchased one a few years ago for another loco. I was looking at the parts area but do not see the gearbox. Are they still available?

Fred, thanks for the info and the link, very informative. I was actually attempting to do what PeterT (in the link) doing. I have another HO motor I am using the brush cap from and will adapt it. Looks like I may need to use the armature also as the trolley armature has melted plastic all over it (the brush cap as severely melted around one brush. I am going to try to pop the brush holders out of the HO brush cap (I have already popped them from the trolley's) and see if I can put the brush holders from the trolley into the HO brush cap. This will keep the bizarre brush connections intact.

I am looking for replacement brushes and springs for the Trolley motor. Any ideas where I can find them? Is this the same motor assembly as some of the HO motor assemblies?

Perfect! Thank you very much.

Bill

wraujr,

Thanks for your response. All very doable. I see the link for just the axles which are metal. Will the metal axles cause a short with power? I assume the plastic axle acted as an insulator since these wheels pickup power.

I have an older 4-6-0 locomotive (part of a Christmas train). The wheels on the front truck are falling off due to the plastic axles cracking. Will the wheel sets with metal axles, i.e. PW03, serve as suitable replacements or will they short the power since these wheels pick it up?

Well, I tried Ebay and purchase two different 0-6-0 locos. Neither one had what I needed. Their wheelsets both differed from mine AND differed from each other. It's a shame Bachmann will not support their older merchandise! Apparently they cannot build anything the same either!

Thanks for the replies/assistance.

Jonathan, I've been looking at Ebay and found a couple of the 0-6-0s like you said. I guess the risk would be if they have cracked axles also. Suppose I'll take a chance.

JWard, I believe there was more than just the decoder added. It would appear they changed the wheel assembly and incorporated metal axles with a smaller gear. This is indicated in the 'parts' area for the 0-6-0 Drive Wheel Assembly where Bachmann also states "CURRENT GENERATION, METAL AXLE, SMALLGEAR  USED IN DCC ENGINES  Can not be used in earlier generation with plastic axle". I was hoping to find out if I purchase one of these I could possibly swap out the middle wheels (with the gear) and it would work. Anyway, thanks for the input.

I have a NON DCC 0-6-0 locomotive in which both plastic axles have broken. I don't see the drive wheel assembly for the 0-6-0 NON DCC in the parts store, only the DCC version which it states will not work in the NON DCC locomotive.

Two questions:

Is the NON DCC drive wheel assembly still available for purchase or at least the plastic axle?

Can the DCC version be modified to work with the NON DCC version (i.e. swap the geared wheels between the two assemblies)?

Any assistance is appreciated, Bill

Recently purchased a used set.  One wheel set will not stay in the truck on a passenger car.  It appears the truck is damaged.  I do not see this particular truck in the parts catalog.  Any plans to have these available in the future?

Hi Bill,

Thanks for all the advice.  I definitely like the tanker.  Nicely detailed as you say.  I'll be purchasing new trucks for it.

Thanks to Hunt for the description of how to post pics.  I guess I also need to set up a photobucket account so I can post pics in the future.  Currently do not have one of those.

Thanks again, Bill

Thanks for replying Loco Bill,

I fully understand what you are saying about Ebay, risky at best!

Anyway, the tanker I received appears to be a single dome product of the Big Hauler Standard Line.  It wasn't advertised as operating.  Advertised as "only for display purposes".   I've since found the couplers won't even join with the coupler on the coal tender.  I stopped by a hobby shop and looked at a Big Hauler tank car and it definitely has a different truck.  I beginning to think I may end up purchasing two sets of trucks.  If that is the case, would I be able to purchase the trucks with the plastic wheels (model PN-8188) and replace them with the metal wheels in the current trucks or do I need to buy the metal wheel truck (model G98901)?  The frames look to be the same whether they are plastic or metal wheels.

I tried to upload pics but no matter how small I make them this system tells me the 'upload buffer is full'.

Recently purchased a Bachmann White Pass Tank car from Ebay.  The trucks will not swivel therefore it will not track around curves.  Upon investigation, it appears the arm for the coupler that is attached to the truck first rises toward the chassis to clear the axle it extends over.  This rise causes the arm to fit between two pieces extending from the chassis and keeps the truck from swiveling.  My question is are these the correct trucks and a spacer is missing between the truck and chassis?  This is not the truck that is illustrated on the any parts diagram for the 'narrow frame tanker' or any other rolling stock, nor is it shown as available in the parts department.

I have seen pictures of other White Pass tankers with the same setup.  The seller also had no clue, he bought it at a train show and only used it for display purposes.