Bachmann 70-Toner Parts


Trucklover

Trucklover

BNSF SD70MAC's
Hi guys,

so i picked up some 91% Isoproyl Rubbing Alcohol and started taking the details parts off one of the 9 Bachmann 70-Toners that i got for my M&ET Engine Project. Well i got most of the stuff off of the first shell okay. The only things that i could not get off successfully without breaking them were the corner railings/posts. All 4 of them broke where they attach on the top of the side steps. I have to drill them all out after i strip the shell.

The shell is soaking right now in the alcohol.... My question is where can i get new railing parts? Im sure this is going to happen to all 9 of them, there really tough to get out and are glued in there good. Is there a way to soften up the glue or something? Im at a loss other then to just yank them out and break them at the base where they connect to the side steps?

Any help would be appreciated :D
 
Could you take photos of the part, installed? I'm thinking you can replace the whole thing with a piece of brass wire, if its the railing I think it is.
 
Hey Josh,

here is a pic of the rail. Its the one thats a U-Shape, and the part that broke off on all 4 of them was the connection to the left of the letter "F"

SL373508.jpg
 
I broke one of the cut levers and called Bachmann and they do not sell them or the railings. I broke 2 of those too and just glued them in place. They look ok.
 
Upon closer inspection on the railings of the M&ET 70-Toners, i notice that the railings are different anyways, and i will need to make new corner railings to replace the ones that broke anyways LOL What would be a good thing to make them out of though?

Jeff, the Cut-Levers were very hard to get out, i broke them both as well, but those i can just glue back in place, fortunately they broke so they wouldnt be hard to glue back on lol

I would still like to somehow soften the factory glue if thats possible? That would sure make things easier i think in removing the parts. Do you think the 91% Isoproyl Alcohol will help soften the glue up if i just leave the details on the shell when i put them in?
 
A tiny dab of acetone is the best way to soften up the glue that holds handrails, especially those engineering plastic handrails. You have to keep a close eye on it and have a small flat blade screwdriver at the ready. After about 30 seconds, use the screwdriver to start prying up the handrail. You'll here a pop when the glue breaks free, Have a clean rag ready to wipe off any remaining acetone because it can distort other plastic. I emphasize that the acetone should be a tiny amount, like one drop per stanchion.

Like Josh said, .015 brass wire should be about scale just make sure you get soft brass and not music wire. If you're going to have to replace the corner handrails on 9 locomotives, I suggest making a jig would be a good investment of your time, and your handrails will look better.
 
Music wire will work, it just takes some good tools to bend... Brass is by far easier to bend.
 
Thanks guys for the replies!! Ill order some .015 brass wire with my next Walthers order lol

Jim how would i go about making a jig? Ive never done anything like that before so im clueless as to how to make one :eek: :eek:

Also, thanks for the tip about the Acetone, ill give that a shot and hopefully it will work lol :D
 
Josh, the hard part is making the first set since you have to bend them by hand unless you're a better draftsman than me. The soft brass is a lot easier for this. Once you have your first set done, get some small pieces of 1x2. Trace the handrail on the wood, noting any parts the have to jut out and measuring the distance. At every bend, drill some starter holes and put in wood srews with the right dimensions as the bend. Make the wire longer the the actual handrail and use a wood screw and washer to hold the bottom of the wire to the block. Next, just bend the wire around the screws and make any curve by hand that juts out, making sure the measurement from the block matches the actual mounting. Unscrew the bottom and test fit. You may hae to make a few small adjustments. When it's right, snip off the extra wire that held the handrail and then make bends for the mounting holes with a miniature needlenose. Mount them with a small drop of CA in each mounting hole bend and you're ready to move on to the next one.

Other folks may have better ideas but I've been doing it this way for 40 years and it's a cheap and reasonably accurate way to make new handrails.
 
Awesome Jim!! Thanks for that brief tutorial :D

im ordering some brass wire on my next Walthers order, so ill get a jig made after i get the wire in :D
 
Josh,
If you wanted to keep the original hand railing a method I used was to drill a small hole in the hand railing to insert a brass wire, about half the thickness of the handrail, and a hole in the frame. Leave the broken piece in the frame and then slide the wire into the hole, holding the handrail in its original location. It works like a peg holding two pieces of wood together in furniture building. A drop of ACC holds the whole thing together and if you need to remove it later it will pop out and still be usable with the wire not breaking. I used that method on my O scale RS3. Jim's jig with the wood screws is an excellent method for uniform bends. If you go that route, try replacing the whole handrail with brass. If you like, I can e mail you the instructions from a kit I bought on making brass hand railing using brass wire and soldering tips.

Greg
 
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