4-8-2 Heavy Mountain

[ketchamb@bellsouth.net]

I have a new Spectrum 4-8-2 Heavy Mountain whose headlight flickers in anolog mode. Is there an easy way to access the smokebox to check for a loose connection to the LED or am I better off sending it back to Bachmann.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Terry Ketcham
Etowah, NC

[Jim Banner]

A flickering headlight is most often caused by poor power pickup.  Check for dirty wheels and clean if necessary.  If other locomotives also have flickering lights, or if you have just the one, then clean the rails too.

[lanny]

Terry,

First do what Jim suggested to see if that clears up your problem.

If not, you 'should' be able to carefully pry the smokebox front open. But you will not be able to tell much because though the headlight is accessible, the wires run back through the boiler to the 'plug' under the cab which requires removal of the whole boiler shell to follwo the wiring.

It's possible that you may find that there is a bad connection, but clean rails with alcohol and locomotive wheels with same, first (boiler and tender ... both have pickup capability).

Also, make sure your tender is 'seated' on the rails. Bachmann tenders tend to be pretty light, and depending on how you have the tender connected to the boiler, the front tender truck may not be making good contact. I have had to add a little weight under the coal load on the tender to get it to track well. (I assume you have checked to make sure the plug between boiler and tender is properly seated and that no plug wire(s) seem to be more loose than the others.

Finally ... IF you do try to take the boiler cover off, BE CAREFUL. It is a press fit, but our friendly Chinese 'assemblers' often use glue to hold things in place (from the inside).

I have come close to ruining the boiler front on a couple of Spec 2-8-0s and 4-8-2s trying to pry a boiler front off that has been glued from the inside. Other Spectrum boiler fronts have 'popped' right off.

best wishes on getting your problem corrected.

lanny nicolet

[Eric Norris]

Terry,

If Jim's suggestion doesn't solve the problem, the best way to access the LED it to remove the boiler.  The only thing that you can access by removing the smokebox front is the lightbar insert.