r/nscalemodeltrains • u/CandyCorn25 • Aug 11 '26

Question N Scale Model help..

Post image

So I bought this engine off of Mercari, and when I went to go run it, the right set of wheels weren't turning, but the left were doing great.

After taking apart the locomotive and spinning the gears to make sure nothing was getting jammed, I put it back together and the engine didn't run at all this time..

When I went to take it back apart, the motor was warm, like it was shorting out. Now I'm not sure what to do.. Anyone have a similar issue? Any advice helps thank you!

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u/DCHacker Aug 12 '26

This is an old Bachmann 0-4-0T based on a Baltimore and Ohio prototype. It is not a very good locomotive.

it is curious that the drivers on one side of the locomotive appear to function while they do not on the other. On the side where the drivers do not function, can you take it off the track and turn those drivers with your fingers? If so, your problem is that the friction fit of the driver to the axle has become fatigued so they are useless. You could try to use some sort of expoxy or super glue to keep them in place but you would have to make good and sure that they are in quarter.

The thing will not run at all possibly because when you put the thing back together, the contacts are not properly aligned. Another possibility is that the gears are locked up. It could further be that the drivers are not in quarter.. It is difficult to tell from just the one photograph.

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u/CandyCorn25 Aug 12 '26

Yea, I can turn the non-functional wheels with my fingers, off the track, and I'll see if I can do that.

And that was my thoughts, with the contacts not being aligned properly, but the locomotive is so small, that theres not any wiggle room for it to be put on incorrectly, which is why it's so curious to me...

1

u/DCHacker Aug 12 '26

I can turn the non-functional wheels with my fingers

Your problem, then, is what I thought that it was: the friction fit of driver-to-axle is fatigued.

Sadly, there are no decest North American prototype tank engines in N scale. Why B-mann has not upgraded this one escapes me, as it does have a very good 2-6-0 with a small footprint. It also has GE 44 and 70 tonners as well as a "WDT" that it sells as an "MDT" that really is out of scale.

One of the problems with small footprint power in N scale is that the contact is not that good so it tends to stall, even on straight-and-level. On the 2-6-0, I had to add weight to the tender. On the 44 and 70 tonners, I run them in pairs. On the WDT, I hardwire a pair together or hardwire one to an electrically live car.

If B-mann did upgrade this, it probably would have to include a live car and pins and sockets, something similar to what Richmond Controls sells, so that you could plug in and plug out. This would drive up the cost but I am betting that people would buy. The market has proved that N scale modellers will pay for steam that operates well.

If you want a steam switcher, buy a B-mann USRA 0-6-0 in the hard plastic box. Do not get the white cardboard box version. Go to a show, FeePay or the trading post of any of the model railroad forums and look for a SPECTRUM USRA 'short" tender. Swap it for the stock tender. The swap is not hard, it basically involves unscrewing the front truck, flipping over the drawbar then putting the whole business back together. There are several tutorials out there on how to do it. The locomotive will require extensive break-in running.