Is this a normal sound?


W

Warpiper

Member
Is this a normal sound for a Backmann diesel circa 1988? This is the one I gave my grandson and I don't remember it sounding like that. From what I can find on the web the sound is because it was a cheaply made Bachmann with a pan motor. Never could find out what might be causing the noise. The conciseness/advice others gave was to throw the engine away and buy a new one.

[video=youtube_share;yygIh_xhqXI]https://youtu.be/yygIh_xhqXI[/video]
 
Is your grandson bothered by the noise, or is it just something you notice yourself? If he is having fun with it, I would just let it be. Or maybe, get an Athearn blue box geep and keep it handy as a ready replacement when the Bachmann one fails...
 
Yes, that's a very healthy sounding dies....oh, wait....did you say this was a scale locomotive? Oooohhh....sorry...no that's not very healthy at all. You have broken gears, or dried hunks of grease lubes, or a bent axle....not sure what it is, but something is amiss.
 
I've heard real trains (but on the rolling stock) making sounds like that, usually a flat spot on a wheel tread. Little fella hasn't been using it as a push-along while Dad's not around?
 
CSX_road_slug said:
Is your grandson bothered by the noise, or is it just something you notice yourself? If he is having fun with it, I would just let it be. Or maybe, get an Athearn blue box geep and keep it handy as a ready replacement when the Bachmann one fails...
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Hi Ken,

Thanks. Doesn't bother him or his father a bit. Me on the other hand.... I'll start looking. :D
 
Selector said:
Yes, that's a very healthy sounding dies....oh, wait....did you say this was a scale locomotive? Oooohhh....sorry...no that's not very healthy at all. You have broken gears, or dried hunks of grease lubes, or a bent axle....not sure what it is, but something is amiss.
Click to expand...

Hi Crandell,

Thanks. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a gear or dried grease. It's been in storage for many years.
 
tootnkumin said:
I've heard real trains (but on the rolling stock) making sounds like that, usually a flat spot on a wheel tread. Little fella hasn't been using it as a push-along while Dad's not around?
Click to expand...

Hi tootnkumin,

Thanks. Actually, now that you mentioned it, I think he has pushed it around from time to time. I'll have to let dad know. I don't recall seeing a flat spot on any of the wheels but did notice something like a rubber band on 2 of the back wheels. I guess they were used as traction wheels way back when. I was given the set back around 1988 so the rubber may have dry rotted. I'm thinking between long term storage and pushing it around a gear or 2 may be broken.
 
I've had several old Bachmann pan motor locos that sound like that. Broken gears to be sure. They'll keep running like that, but they'll sound awful.
 
KB02 said:
I've had several old Bachmann pan motor locos that sound like that. Broken gears to be sure. They'll keep running like that, but they'll sound awful.
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Hi KB02,

Thanks for the feed back. The noise doesn't seem to bother him so I'll leave it alone. Me on the other hand....... It would drive me nuts. LOL!!
 
He probably thinks it's cool, what an awesome sound system! What the heck, run it until it dies, especially since the other option is to toss it.
 
Could be as simple as a piece of "stuff" on a gear. Take a look at the gears and traction tires, and if you don't see anything, run it until it won't run any more.
I used to call that "Penn Central maintenance"...
 
bnsf971 said:
Could be as simple as a piece of "stuff" on a gear. Take a look at the gears and traction tires, and if you don't see anything, run it until it won't run any more.
I used to call that "Penn Central maintenance"...
Click to expand...

LOL! Thanks Terry. Next time I'm up there I'll have to take a look. Never opened up an engine before so that should be fun. Probably should have another one on hand just in case I mess up.
 
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