Hi gang. I haven't been active for a long time as am in a funk about being forced to vacate my apartment of 19 years including of course ripping out my beloved 35' long HO standard gauge switchback RR. due to landlord employing the Ellis act (search Ellis act and you'll know what it is easier than my explaining it here ). Anyway, I have been running a little lately and aside from this loco being too light weight (slips on a 2.5- 3% grade if more than 4-5 cars) I just noticed that it has no bell. Is this correct !? Also I have whistle volume CV at 254 and master volume at 255 and yet the whistle remains way too low compared with cuffs, blow down, bell. Are they all this way ? While underway the whistle is too anemic. Is there a simple modification or is mine damaged ?  Thanks, Mark

 Hi. How does the 'switching'-type pilot attach to the HO 'Modern 4-4-0' pilot beam ? The 2 cow catcher types don't look right to me and so will settle for the 'switching', pilot step-type. Problem: Do the 2 single pilot straps remain while still adding switching pilot, equaling 4 hangers in total ? And, 'switching' pilot will not snap into holes and so falls out... What am I missing here ?   .........Thanks, Mark

Hi. I now own this loco. It runs very smoothly and not even broken in yet. The detail and appointments are good as are the extra, alternative domes, trucks and pilot wheel types in box. Headlight is very strong too, but wish it was a tad less amber. I do not like the 2 cow catcher type pilots with it (one is on it). They ride too high above rail head (looks to be a 12" to 16" space). I tend to think these are from another discon loco issue such as the old 10 Wheeler but that this one's pilot beam is this much higher. The switching, stepped-type pilot is correct length, but its strap hangers will not snap into place in the mounting holes on beam, plus not sure if the existing single steps on each end are to remain along with insertion of the 2 switcher pilot straps. IE, should there be 2 strap hangers or 4 present on beam ? Do I need to add glue to pins ? Finally, if I can, can I add weight above rear drivers ? How ? Lead ? Where ?         Thanks, Mark

Hi once again. What are the steps to be able to look at or edit my own account number (keep it/change/state of).I Tried several. No dice, account number not shown anywhere. I do have a number, but wish to make sure mine still matches Bachmann's . Thanks, Mark

Hi, I brought up a similar issue a while back:
When I first registered with "ATB", I sort of expected it to be a place to ask direct questions about a Bachmann item or items such as : "Does the HO 2-8-0 come with blind drivers ?" Or, "Can I obtain an older,non-posted part for my N scale Shark Nose, Monon.....?" And then the Bach Man merely replies to these questions... For me, personally I wish it where that way...There are tons of MRRing forums (of which I belong to three, with ATB) where the larger bodied chats and How Tos  are taken up, wheathering techniques, Can your Challenger be made into a Cab Forw........... ? But ATB seems to have to turned into this type forum, making it that more inundated with  all sides of the hobby at once.. I may be as guilty as some of you. But only because it seems to have totally changed into a forum. Can, should this be remedied ? I, well-meaning, would like it to be the nuts and bolts type of site. What do you think ?
Mark

Hi. I filled a repair order for 2 engines. They now have a tracking number. I may want to cancel this for the moment. They haven't been shipped yet. How might I do this ? Merely let the  (is it ?) due within 7 day rule pass by ? Mark

OK. I filled the repair order forms for my 2 HO steam. As advised to, I used a different road name to list the item number for the Connie, as mine, a C&O, is not shown in Bach catalog. Question: In repair-order forms (one for each loco) there is no place to state the one or several problems items do have (unless I should have done that in the "Have you modified your product ?" box.) So, I suppose I'll just include a list in the box I ship locos in.. Yes ?   Mark

Sorry, I've used Bachmann repair in past. I now need to send in 2 again. Yet I can't recall now what the ' item number ' is...! Is it the Bmann model No. such as :  HO, 2-8-0 W/sound is item number ........But I go to your pictures of the locos available, the item number changes for each road name...Connie is packed to go to you with the mogul. Yet I can't recall Connie's road name (was going to change it some day). So I don't know its item No. ! Or am I way off base ?     Mark

Hi all. Is there a way to find out if a particular loco of mine is still under warrantee ? I misplaced info on my end and thus can't recall how long I've owned it/them. One loco Idid cause damage to. But other one has completely lost sound, something I did not cause ( please no programing suggestions. I've done them ALL: (CV 128, CVs 30 -2 , 8-8 , 19 -0, 'still in consist', 29-38 ). It's Broken either in decoder, speaker, or wires of.  Thanks, Mark

Hi, I have two HO steam I need to ship to you for repair. When I log into 'repair' the blue form on page asks for item number. On right it says " To find item no. click on type of item and go to it to obtain this Number". I do that ("HO STEAM"), find picture of my 2-6-0 and my 2-8-0 but there is NO item number visible anywhere adjacent to the engines ! How do we request a repair when we don't know  ' item number ' for it/them ?!!! Leave alone not all road names are shown (though this is probably  ???a moot point ).   Mark

How do we remove tender shell on an HO 2-6-0 ? All I can see are the tabs in rear under-frame. What else is to be removed/ unscrewed ? How lifted off ?

HI, I powered up NCE. Ran 2-6-0 short distance. Blew whistle once. After that sound quit ! Headlight OK. No 'trouble code' after recycling power CV 30 to 2 or CV 8 to 8. CV 128 (volume) is at 235 not '0'. CV 29 is value 38/tried going to value 50. No dice/worse, wouldn't roll to boot. Other loco RS 3 is normal ( so, likely not NCE problem). Cognizant that loco address was possibly back to 3 or remained at #1908. Either way loco should have an idling sound while stopped. No idle, nothing.. Tried other CVs related. If CV 128 was accidentally changed on function mapping or such there STILL would be an idle... No visible decoder wires torn. If you think it IS physical( speaker blown, wire torn inside tender ) what is tender shell removal sequence ? I see tabs at rear under-frame. Are these pushed first ? Or merely lift shell's front ? Any suggestions I might try which I may have skipped ?  Much thanks,  Mark Harris

Hi, I may have brought this up in past but can't find it. I am not sure if this is a common behavior of the HO mogul in that she lifts up and down whilst under way an extremely teensy amount at one per wheel Rev. I'd like to try quartering the driver myself as it might be off,  before Possibly sending her in to repair. My concern is that someone somewhere implied that the axles have splines on ends to keep drivers from changing position. I.E longitudal slots, and that I'll destroy the wheel hub if I turn it on the axle. Was this ever true ? Or, is axle smooth end to end as I'd think it is ?
Thanks, Mark

Hi, a week or two back I naively began a thread in 'Ask The Bach Man' which was counterproductive and against forum conduct. I, at the time, was not even aware I was submitting a no-no . I WAS cheating and am sorry for that. I greatly appreciate the Admin. for apparently letting me off the hook this time, as I was not able to log in for a while and became worried I had been permanently barred from Ask the Bach Man forum. I am now logged in.
This sort of post will never occur in future.
Mark

I screwed up last night and opened a can of worms merely adding weight in tender to my HO 2-8-0/sound. I'll save boring you as to how. I did and it's done ! Bachmann's repair will add up to about $60 (repair fee + shipping). Not sure if it's fair here to ask , but if you are in or near Los Angeles would you know who can do this to save costs and down time ? If so, would this then void any future repair by Bachmann on same loco?
Thanks, Mark

Please refer to my Jan. 14 post "  HO mogul shell removal Quest ". Thanks, Mark

The first time I'd logged into AtB I was expecting to be asking Bmann representitives my questions, not the rest of the forum members. No problem. But I was always curious if this was the original intention of AtB. You know, ask the (a) Bachmann (Rep). due to the title suggesting this. Also, there are all sorts of other posts not necessarily related to Bachmann items; subjects such as, say, ' Building a wood tressle '. Or, 'What year did  Pennsy change from.....?' ...No complaint here. Again, just curious as to the original intention as meaning to be this from the get go...

Hi to all. A week ago many of you chimed in on my 2-8-0 shell. This was super as I finally did get it removed !! Jonathan in here had great pics of process ! One little mistake I made was I didn't wipe off the original grease but did add new grease (with Teflon). I did not split the weights to get to motor because several folks have stated we don't need to. I am a tad skeptical about this as a shaft is turning in a bearing. Thus there must be friction of some small amount. But I'll wait to see what you say on that.
On to the mogul : I removed draw bar, pilot truck, the support rods at smoke box and the only visible screws remaining (other than the gearbox cover screws), the two under the cab. What did I miss ? I'm betting it's under smoke box between cylinders. Yet the gear box cover extends all way to pilot thus covering bottom of smoke box. The cab wiggles and lifts a smidge but other than that I can not get shell to budge. It's like it's welded on ... I'm afraid of cracking something. Are those tabs I see under cab sides at frame ? I tried spreading cab sides, but this didn't work either. What gives ?!          Mark

To make it easy merely put steps involved in a list, first to last, to remove shell form an HO 2-6-0 and a 2-8-0. No involved explaining necessary. Like:
1) unplug decoder wires (with finger nails or how ?)
2)(if need be) remove such and such grab irons/pipes
3) remove these screws (and exactly where)
4) lift/pull shell toward (which way)
5) (if need be) remove gear box cover
6) lube these parts: ----------
etc, etc. 
Much thanks, Mark

Hi, I may have asked this before but not sure:  A very gifted modeler I know said that the motor bearings need not be lubed, only the axles and running gear (rods , crosshead, guides, crank, etc.. Is this correct ? I'd love to hear "yes" as I always have problems trying to remove shells and wind up skipping this out of fear I'll snap something.. 3 Bach HO;  2-8-0, 2-6-0, RS3 ....Mark