Post by Mopacman on Apr 14, 2024 1:01:09 GMT
Good Evening,
I am a big fan of Williams (pre Bachmann acquisition) engines, having acquired several diesel engines. I own a used Dash 8 powered unit, buying it used on Ebay. The engine has always run well, but has derailing issues, both with the first freight car being pulled and the front truck on the engine.
When pulling a long consist of freight cars, I always place heavier cars at the front of the consist, as they have less tendency to derail as the lighter cars are less of a drag on the cars in front of them. Every lead car on the consist would delay going around a curve. I'll spare the details of all of the testing that I did to isolate the problem, except to describe what caused the issue. I removed the shell of the engine, and ran it slowly while pulling the consist of cars. What I discovered was the screws fastening on the decorative sideframes on the trucks (there are two per side) are manufactured so the front screw protrudes slightly higher than the truck on which it is fastened. That screw, if protruding too high, makes contacts with the hole in the frame through which the powered motor fits onto the truck. I swapped the screws, placing the screw formerly fastened into the recessed screw hole into the screw hole where the screw protrudes. That solved the issue. Both sideframe screws are factory screws, so I suspect that for whatever reason, the distance between the truck and the bottom of the frame is shorter than what it should be. So, that issue has been resolved.
The second derailment issue involves derailment of the front truck on the engine when rounding the curve. It derails every time, as long as the two front mounting screws (there are four total, two front and two rear) are fastened in to the shell. The front screws make contact with the front truck, as they protrude down far enough under the frame so they keep the front truck from rotating freely. My temporary fix is to remove both front screws, leaving the shell fastened on to the frame with only the rear mounting screws in place. This fix works, but I would prefer to have the shell securely fastened on to the frame with four screws. If I could find screws with a flat surface (these screws are also factory) my problem would be resolved.
In closing, if anyone has a better suggestion, I am most happy to hear it. I own several pre-Bachmann powered Williams engines, and have never encountered this issue. They are my favorite brand to collect, as they are extremely reliable. Although not as prototypically accurate as MTH or Lionel engines, they have always been more cost efficient, until the last couple of years when Williams by Bachmann has reduced the amount of powered models they offer, and have increased the retail prices.
I am a big fan of Williams (pre Bachmann acquisition) engines, having acquired several diesel engines. I own a used Dash 8 powered unit, buying it used on Ebay. The engine has always run well, but has derailing issues, both with the first freight car being pulled and the front truck on the engine.
When pulling a long consist of freight cars, I always place heavier cars at the front of the consist, as they have less tendency to derail as the lighter cars are less of a drag on the cars in front of them. Every lead car on the consist would delay going around a curve. I'll spare the details of all of the testing that I did to isolate the problem, except to describe what caused the issue. I removed the shell of the engine, and ran it slowly while pulling the consist of cars. What I discovered was the screws fastening on the decorative sideframes on the trucks (there are two per side) are manufactured so the front screw protrudes slightly higher than the truck on which it is fastened. That screw, if protruding too high, makes contacts with the hole in the frame through which the powered motor fits onto the truck. I swapped the screws, placing the screw formerly fastened into the recessed screw hole into the screw hole where the screw protrudes. That solved the issue. Both sideframe screws are factory screws, so I suspect that for whatever reason, the distance between the truck and the bottom of the frame is shorter than what it should be. So, that issue has been resolved.
The second derailment issue involves derailment of the front truck on the engine when rounding the curve. It derails every time, as long as the two front mounting screws (there are four total, two front and two rear) are fastened in to the shell. The front screws make contact with the front truck, as they protrude down far enough under the frame so they keep the front truck from rotating freely. My temporary fix is to remove both front screws, leaving the shell fastened on to the frame with only the rear mounting screws in place. This fix works, but I would prefer to have the shell securely fastened on to the frame with four screws. If I could find screws with a flat surface (these screws are also factory) my problem would be resolved.
In closing, if anyone has a better suggestion, I am most happy to hear it. I own several pre-Bachmann powered Williams engines, and have never encountered this issue. They are my favorite brand to collect, as they are extremely reliable. Although not as prototypically accurate as MTH or Lionel engines, they have always been more cost efficient, until the last couple of years when Williams by Bachmann has reduced the amount of powered models they offer, and have increased the retail prices.
