You folks are ALL awesome.  THANK YOU!  Especially Roger for the last comment.  Now I know not to waste my time looking.

Arthur

Lee, the link is NOT working.  Are you sure Ma and Pa is still in business?

First, THANK YOU for your response.  I will contact them.  These passenger cars ARE from before Bachmann bought Williams.  They are from some special PRR set but I do NOT think they are a "Crown Edition."  There IS a connector visible in the Betsy Ross domed car.  I suspect something LIKE QSI's Proto 1 was available for separate sale.

Again, THANK YOU!

Arthur

Can someone tell me what "wired for station sounds" MEANS on the bottom of my new, old, Williams PRR Betsy Ross domed observation car?  I ASSUME it means that there once was a sound unit, sold separately, that could be plugged into the car (I see the electrical connection through the dome windows).  IF SO, what was it called and does anyone know where I can buy one?

JP, did you suggest a 2 door fire station?  If so, I missed your reply.

Thanks, AKY13

A two door firehouse that is BETTER than the old Plasticville model.  One that does not look like toy junk and is large enough to back two O scale firetrucks into!

It is now 6 or 7 weeks since I posted this question.  Would SOMEONE from Williams who KNOWS about this issue kindly respond?

* * *

Gee, I really thought that someone from the Company monitors these questions and RESPONDS to the people who BUY their products!


* * *

Can the Bachmann, or some other knowledgeable kind soul, please tell me how to adjust the height of the couplers on my two semi-scale GG-1s (I have one in green, model 3001 and one in Tuscan, model 41799).

Out of the box, the couplers are at least 1/3 too high for mating with Lionel passenger cars.

I do NOT want to take anything apart until I have confidence that I know what I am doing!

Thanks,
Arthur

Can someone measure and tell me the dimensions of the two fire truck door openings in the Product Code: 45610 Plasticville Fire Station.  I want to be able to back two of my own trucks into the station.  The trucks that come with the station are CHEESY and can be kept!

Which model is PRR GG-1 ROAD NUMBER 4935?

All you folks out there are wonderful.  I agree with the several of you who said that a warranty should mean repairs FREE of charge.  In another thread, I noted that I bought a brand new, factory sealed, Spectrum Erie diesel.  It arrived DOA because of a broken driveshaft.

Bachmann fixed it at no charge, BUT I DID have to pay for shipping to Philly.  There is something wrong with that.

The Bach Man suggests that I call customer service to request a replacement bulb.  That is a wonderful suggestion EXCEPT that NO ONE at Bachmann EVER returns phone calls to the Customer Service number.

The bridge is the 4th or 5th Bachmann item I bought that was either DOA or failed shortly after purchase.  Sounds like terrible Quality Control to me!

Arthur

Mr. Bachman,

I bought a Blinking Bridge, item # 46221, new and factory sealed less than a year ago.  It worked fine for 2-3 months, then stopped blinking.  I have checked the electrical contacts and they appear to be fine.

How long is this kind of product warranteed by Bachmann and do I need to mail it back?

I must say, if you read my messages of about 6 months ago, I am VERY disappointed with the quality of Bachmann products in general!

Arthur

Again, thanks to all.

Thank you for your words of encouragement.  I bought 98% of my HO stuff online, mostly from two vendors, who - I have since learned - are cousins.  One is called The Favorite Spot and the other is Internet Railroad.

John T, - BTW, I am from East Flatbush!

The problem occurs solely at three different turnouts.  TWO are on  straightaways, one at a curve.  I have Weighted cars.  I have swapped for new steel wheels.  Matters not if the cars are new or old, cheap or expensive.

The really troubling thing, to me, is that I have looked very closely at all three switches.  I have looked at the heights of the rails.  I have tightened joiners.  NOTHING seems to help.

Someone, suggested that the engine's coupler does not move freely.  That bears some attention.  How do I change that?  But I have tried three different engines and it has not made a difference.  Can all three need attention?

Arthur

Dear DaveS, et al,

The derailments occur SOLELY at turnouts.  Several of them.  I have looked closely at them both by themselves and with a train passing slowly.  I cannot figure out the WHY and HOW of the derailments.  I have noted, however, that it is virtually ALWAYS the first car attached to the engine that derails.

I am on the verge of selling EVERYTHING HO and reverting to the 027 of my childhood.

Before I go any further, I have one additional "quality" question since you all seem to be such fans of Bachmann.  Do ANY of you think it fair for the customer to pay return shipping for an item than arrives DOA?  I had to pay to return the Spectrum Erie SD45.  I did not appreciate this expense, or the 6 weeks to forever to get it back either fixed or replaced.

My layout consists of an old ping-pong table (5 X 10) appended as an "L" to an air hockey table (water damaged from a pipe leak) covered with a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood.  Since I wanted an area in which one train crossed OVER another, I have a trestle set with a Bachmann blinking bridge (that stopped blinking after being on perhaps 2 dozen times).  This is the only part of the layout with questionable to bad geometry, since it is a fairly sharp S curve.  However, I have NO derailment problems with this section of the layout.

When I was a kid and could not afford switch tracks (turnouts), I always wanted them.  My layout has numerous sidings and track changes with turnouts.  The Bachmann EZ track turnouts are where the derailments occur.

I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read my whining and provide wisdom and guidance.  If anyone wants to buy a whole bunch of EZ track, send me an email at aky13@verizon.net!

Arthur

Dear Yampa Bob,

I tried to send this to you in a private message.  I gather from other posts that this function does NOT work.  Same quality as the garbage I've been getting with the Bachmann brand on it!

Bob,

Thank you SO MUCH for the encouragement.  Patience has NEVER been my virtue.

What you say about the flanges and the track dimensions makes a lot of sense.

I honestly expected to push the tracks together, place the cars on the track and away I go with no problems!

What do you use to weight the cars?  Anything in particular that you buy, or do you "fake it" with coins or something commonly available?  I've always collected wheel balancing weights (lead) for use to be melted and molded into fishing sinkers.  I no longer fish and have these weights.  I could use them.

* * *
addendum - I just spent an hour in the basement trying out various fixes suggested.  All I got was frustrated adn aggravated.  I am VERY tempted to sell EVERYTHING HO that I bought (maybe a $2K investment) and go back to my old Lionel 027 trains!

Arthur

Now THAT makes sense.  Both the actual advice and the philosophical advice.

HOW do I get the needle nose pliers flat enough?  Use one with a bent tip?  Will that work?