Topics

I am looking for where to get a male end for the connectors that Bachmann uses for going between the engine and tender.  In particular the 6 pin cable CONNIE-10548.  I talked to parts and she has no idea but said they never got the corresponding end for the 6 pin just got the 2 and 4.

Does anyone know the history of these?  I recently acquired 2 of these (see pics) on eBay.  Both have the same number but one is more reddish and with a black roof the wording is a also more extensive on it. The other has the body and roof the same color. I'm guessing just different release dates?

Ok, first of all, we know that Large scale is having some issues, as is the model railroading in general.  With our white knight long gone, the odds of getting much, let alone what I want, is slim to it ain't ever gonna happen. But a guy can hope.  Bachmann, are you listening?

What I think is needed is a specialty "car" that can get some attention but not be crazy expensive like a new engine.  Bachmann has been there, done that.  But what if you took something from the HO that's already been done, but scale it up.  What I'm thinking is doing the steam crane like what's been done in HO.  Yes, I would like to see it be an actual working one, but I'd settle for one that would allow the outside market create that part.  So create some Spectrum features (like they did the cabooses) with like some moving crane parts, or whatever.  Maybe a smoke unit in side?  Other suggestions?

The Trainworld site lists the Climax as "New Release". Is there a new release of the Climax?  I know there was an original release, which I got, then a second release with all the DCC stuff, which I also bought.  Is this a new 3rd edition or just some left over stock, or just new road names?

Are there available as a part the plug in dummy boards for doing you own wiring?  The Pervious owner cannot find the original ones. Are these the same board for any of the newer K-27 and later engines?

Just as a curiosity, has anyone ever tested the tractive power of the various Spectrum units, the 2/3 truck Shay, Climax, 2-6-6-2, Heisler, K-27 and C-19?  The. Compared that to real world specs?  Just curious.

Why did they have such small fuel bunkers?  Or were the fuel bunkers on the Shay and Climax about the sane.  Obviously I'm referring to the real world.

Why has there not been a re-release of the long caboose since 2009?  Was it not successful?  Seems like it would not be as expensive or extensive as re-releasing some of the engines.

A number of my engines came with tapes for history and maintenance but I no longer have a vhs.  I know you can see them on YouTube but I want to download them onto my home server so I will always have access to them.  Who knows sometime in the future Bachmann may discontinue the channel, go under, whatever.  Anyone know where I can download the ones for the original Shay, second generation Climax, Connie, 440 and the 3 truck Shay?

Personally, I have both Shays, a Climax, an older 4-4-0 Spectrum and a Connie and I really love them.  All the mechanical intracies is what really got me interested in trains beyond some occasion playing with them and originally my young son. Due to life getting in the way, this 20+ year adult hobby has mostly been on hold.  But as we start preparing for semi-retiring, down sizing and a move, and hopefully more time to put towards trains, I'm packing up trains, track, etc., etc., and realize that I have some damage, missing or lost parts.  Projects started and not completed so things already taken apart trying to get all the parts back to the right place for packing.  Tons of stuff is now not available as parts.  I fully understand that some of this stuff goes back to the 90's and understand the business side of it from Bachmann's prospective, but what are you guys doing now for parts?  With no apparent new G locos coming out I'm assuming there is not a lot of hope for parts reruns.  For example, I'm glad I bought the original Shay metal replacement trucks, even thought they have not been used yet and the originals have not failed yet, but now they are not available.  I had 'planned' to get one of Barry's Connie drives after reading about failures and his universally praised replacement, but never got around to it, only to read about his now health situation, that option is gone. None of my engines have any amount of hours on them but I have no idea what I might run into. So what are you guys planning?  If something goes, just junk it like I have with the 3 Gandy Dancers I have in a dead box?  Really curious what others are thinking.

First, will the Bachmann replacement ties fit the Aristocraft brass track?  Second, how does it compare in terms of lookand durability.  I'm moving my layout as we downsize and retire and when I pulled up the Aristo track, the ties were in horrible shape.

One of the pipes broke off my newer version Climax right where the valve attaches to the boiler.  At first I was going to just use super glue, then I started remembering how in the past sometimes super glue doesn't last. Before moving forward, what do others use on these small parts?  Epoxy?

I keep reading about G scale being way down, which I don't doubt with manufactures going out of business, out of G or not producing much in the way of new.  With that said are existing items we own going up in value?  I occasionally look at Trainsonline just for the heck if it and they still have some of the later Climax engines.  Seems like they have had them for a ton of years.  I had to have gotten mine 4+ years ago and I don't think it was when they first came out. Did they just buy a ton of them and get stuck, or are they being inventoried by Bachmann?

For me life has gotten in the way of trains, I barely got my outside layout done then life got in the way.  Now we've decided to downsize and semi-retire to Durango.  So as I am starting to pack everything up for possible 2 years of storage, I'm trying to decide if I will get to mess with them in Colorado or not.  And with the wild elk, deer, turkeys and bears on the land we bought, an outdoor layout may just not be smart and I won't have the room inside for a layout.  I had my share of dogs, critters, and one time a cow, on the current one.  That does get old.

Not sure if this is the right place, but wife and I are thinking about retiring to the mountains in a couple years.  I would like to take my layout, but we are looking at 2-10 acres so no fences, etc.  the current one is maybe 300' as I recall. Do you leave your track out all year?  How about wild animals like deer, elk, turkeys, etc?  I already decided I'd move to battery to avoid the cleaning and connection issues.  How about snow, falling pine tree branches, sap, etc? I'm not crazy about a raised layout but it would have to be substantial as my existing has a loop made of the square PCV moulding that cows have wrecked the first time the hot wire was down. Any input and especially real world experiences would be appreciated.  

I recently saw on the Bachmann site where there are animated stock cars with price as TBD. When are those expected to be available?

Just got my new 3 truck Shay Oregon Lumber.  I think some things might be missing.  The instructions diagrams (8.5 by 11 sheets of paper) talk about both a coal and oil bunker, but all I got was the oil.  It also shows 3 different stacks but I only got one.  There was also no color brochure like I have received with all my other Spectrum engines which told about the engine, history, etc.  There is a dvd.  When I got my 'new' second generation Climax, it came with both bunkers and several smoke stacks.  I also did not get an extra drop coupler for matching up to the existing Bachmann side dump and log cars.  My original 2 truck Shay had that.  So the question is, before I even take it out of the box, what accessories should it have come with?

I recently got a new version NEW Climax DCC ready.  I added a Phoenix P8 sound board  using the factory speaker and it all sounded great.  After maybe only a half hour or less of running DC, I started hearing the. Sound cut in and out. At first I thought the were dead spots in the rail but noticed the engine seemed to still run.  Then all sound stopped. I assumed a wire came loose or something. So today I started chasing it down, saw no loose wires, so first hooked up another speaker and got sounds.  No loose connections on factory speaker and it looks fine. Is there another way to test it?

I originally had one of the first generation Climax and became aware of the replacement rear driveshaft with the slip function, which I did. I recently bought one of the newer generation and when working on it today, noticed that the driveshaft was solid, not the slipping style.  Does it need that? Did they solve the binding issue that caused the need for the replacement shaft?

I have one of the Connies from before the C19 was released.  I freely admit that I'm not the most knowledgable on trains so I'm trying to learn what the real difference between them from a real world, not just the model perspective. Are they the same size, time era, etc? 

On my Climax and Shay, I've got several of the metal detail parts that have come loose.  Today's was the cab handrail bottom attachment joint.  What's the best glue to put these back on where they attach to the plastic.  It does not appear to have ANY glue residue from the factory.  Before I just get something out and start trying, I thought I'd see what I can learn from some of you pros at attaching metal to plastic.  Thanks in advance.