Experience Gained - Obtaining Parts for Bachmann Thomas Series

[James Day]

Dear All,

My Thomas was three years old in February and was starting to show his age. The main problem with him and Percy were the wheels which had begun to lose their plating, making current collection erratic and problematic.

When new these locos would both skip round smoothly, even on unclean track, where even my LGB and Playmobil would stutter, but as they aged and wore, the track needed to be cleaner than a room in which spacecraft were assembled, or else jerking and stuttering were the norm, whilst other locos all ran smoothly.

Mechanically both locos were in excellent condition, except the wheels, so I took the decision to replace these.

An enquiry was made to Bachmann, firstly in the UK, who referred me to Bachmann.com, where parts for some of the Thomas range are listed. Not all the bits are there, and strangely nothing for James yet, although bits for Emily can be obtained:

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_69_218


Wheels for both Thomas and Percy are both available as complete sets, assembled and correctly quartered on axles, with coupling rods and pins. They cost $50 and $35 respectively, which works out at around £31.60 and £22.12.


At present Bachmann can't take online payments from anyone outside the US BUT if you e-mail them your order they will then send you a quote and ask you to send your credit card details by e-mail. Obviously, this is not ideal, but if you split your card details over two or three messages, you will be reasonably secure. I did try to phone these details through, but the phones all seem to go direct to answerphones.

I ordered three wheel sets and some other bits. The total cost was $145 and postage cost a further $29 (£18.33).

Bachmann were quick to reply to all messages and just as quick to act. They acknowledged receipt of my card details and the goods were here in just over a week and best of all, I didn't get hit for Customs duty!

They are very easy to fit - Just drop the keeper plate and in they go, with a little oil and grease. Percy needs the connecting rods removed from the old set and fitted to the new ones, by unscrewing the crank pin - Very easy. Thomas and Percy are now fit to run smoothly for another three years at least, (well six actually, as I bought an extra set for each, just in case!).

With LGB we are accustomed to replacing skates and carbon 'bullets'. With Bachmann it seems to be the wheels that are disposable, however, if it is this easy and relatively cheap, I can't really complain!

James

 

[PhilP]

That is a 'really useful' post!

 

[mmts]

And you have a set of used wheels for a load in a wagon or yard clutter

 

[trammayo]

Whilst your experience is an interesting tale James, don't you think it's a sad indictment of the quality of the product? Also very little European back-up.

I have the first three Thomas locos so I'll have to look out for this wheel plate wear - as I have with all the other Bachmann locos in my stable (and then cope with it in my own way).

 

[ntpntpntp]

... At present Bachmann can't take online payments from anyone outside the US ...

Really? Is that a recent thing? When I ordered a replacement main gear for my Connie last year through the eStore I had no problems paying for it online.

 

[James Day]

Mick,

I can't deny what you say is true. I have many LGB locos from the 70s and 80s, only one of which has needed new wheels, although a few have needed a new motor and some new gears too. However, we are talking of a period of 30 to 35 years of heavy use, not just three!

That said, the thought of junking a three year old loco breaks my heart, so I am pleased to have been able to carry out the fix.

Whilst it is annoying to have to go outside the UK to get them, we need to accept that despite being made in China, Bachmann Large Scale Thomas is primarily aimed at the US market and having one point of contact for spares in the US probably makes sense.

At least Bachmann are still willing to supply some parts - My recent experience of LGB is that they have gone from being very helpful (before Marklin), to being completely dis-interested these days.

Mick,

Yes it is correct - Bachmann can no longer suport online overseas payments. I too have ordered one lot of parts before and paid for them online. That has all changed recently, as the message on the site explains, but hopefully will eventually change back. It appears to be an issue with US Postal Rates to overseas destinations changing.


James

 

[trammayo]

Whilst I admire LGB - I don't have any LGB locos - and consider their products to be at the top end of the quality spectrum, I like Bachmann.

But recently, I have experienced a large trenche of my loco fleet suffering pick-up problems due to wear on the main wheels. Nickel is probably the best form of plating - just wish it was more thicker!

I buy very little from the US because of postage costs.

 

[James Day]

Mick,

Much as I would like to, it is many years since I bought a new LGB loco.

What is your solution to the plating wear issue, that you hint at? I would love to find someone to re-plate wheels, but do it in a more durable/substantial way, as you suggest.

I would like to eventually re-plate some of my more worn Playmobil wheels as my job lot of new chassis that I bought from Mexico a few years ago is slowly diminishing...... I get a chum to silver solder the sliders, which keeps them going, but eventually the plating on the PM wheels wears through...

James

 

[trammayo]

Alas James, I cannot do anything to remedy the worn plating! What I do is convert to tender pick-up (16 wheel pick-up? in Locomotives & Trams) - crude but effective. I still have a lot of plastic wheeled stock so I reckon the worn tender wheels can replace the plastic ones and any new wheelsets can fit the tenders! My method is basic (crude even) but does work.

I too would love to find somebody to replate the wheels. It's virtually always the driving wheels because of wheel slip and sharp curves. Pony trucks seldom seem to suffer this wear. Then, of course, there's always metalurgical deterioration. This affects a lot of die-casting. Monkey metal my father used to call it!

 

[James Day]

Yes,

I have added tender pick-ups too, on the tenders of James and Emily, although I made the latter switchable between, none, two and four wheels, as it tended to overcome short isolating sections on some layouts.

I found extra weight in the tenders was necessary too, to ensure reliable contact. I use the 'old fashioned' LGB sprung carbon type pick ups, which bear on the rear of the existing TTE wheels, but modify them to reduce the force of the spring, to minimise the braking effect.

James

 

[James Day]

I thought that I had better update this thread: Three years after my open chassis surgery Thomas is still skipping around as good as new, but Percy has just reported in Sick. The wheels on one side have lost thier plating and as a result it can only do a few laps without stuttering before more wheel cleaning is required.

I have tried to be very kind to the new wheels and used meths to clean them rather than my electric wire brush, but I fear that it is time to get the second spare out of the stores and do more open chassis surgery. On the bright side I can make up one sound wheelset out of the two currently in use, but the other three pairs are frankly shot!

Percy wheels are still available from Bachmann US web site at $36.75 per set, including coupling rods, a set for Thomas is $52.50, so only a little more than three years ago. I guess I will be needing to buy some more if I hope to keep Percy running into the next decade!

Some wheels for Emily are available, but for James and Toby only complete chassis are sold.

James

 

[James Day]

I dropped the keeper plate today and took out the old wheels. Two are fine, but on the others the plating has worn enough act like a 'dirt magnet'. I gave them a good clean with a scratch brush that removed all the clag, but the act of wiping them afterwards with meths soaked tissue was enough to make the worn parts dull and dark again. Wheels that attract and retain dirt so readily are no use on a such a small loco for the garden, so the final set of new wheels were fitted.

The gearing is in good order, but the copper internal wiper collectors are starting to show a little wear, although still working fine at present. These are not available as spares from Bachmann, so replacements will eventually need to be fabricated!

So Percy is all set to chug off into the distance for some more serious running. Next Workshop Date - Summer 2019! Better get those extra wheels whilst they are still available!

 

[PhilP]

Slightly off-topic..

I *really* liked the look of the Smallbrook Studios 'Emett' loco...

Then discovered it used the Bachmann 'Percy' block..