Bachmann ON30 engines


Marlin39

Well-Known Member
Have there been any serious issues with the Heisler or Centercab? I know the earlier Climax and Shay had gear issues. I don't want to start into a new scale and step into #2 with motive power.
 
Not sure, but I think that one of the Facebook groups would be the place to ask - if you are a member of FB? If you are not - let me know and I will do some snooping!
I Would like to know as well?
 
Man you should - just for the model experience. There must be 2 dozen different On30 groups.
Awesome photos of equipment, layouts, you name it!
 
don't know .. i have the porter that i used for a clearance check, and then put in my display case .. DCC and sound ... there were no problems with that one the little bit i ran it ..
 
Received these answers from On30 Railroading which has 4000 members.

Asking for myself and a friend. We are considering jumping from HO to On30.
Have there been any serious issues with the Heisler or Centercab? I know the earlier Climax and Shay had gear issues. I don't want to start into a new scale and step into #2 with motive power.
Thanks ...

  • https://www.facebook.com/don.wills.52035
  • Don Wills Both my Heisler and my Whitcomb Centre cab run beautifully. I have had no problems with either of them.
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  • Tim Chemodan
    My Heisler is my smoothest loco in 0n30
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  • Matthew Welsh
    Both are good running locomotives out of the box and by all accounts pretty reliable.
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  • Al Judy
    You won't regret the change. I went to On30 after 40 years in HO and have never enjoyed the hobby more than I do now. To your question, Bachmann solved the gear problem years ago. Only the earliest runs had the bad gears.
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  • Trev Gardner
    All 3 of my Heislers and 2 Centre Cabs run perfectly out of the box! Even after doing many many laps of my layout! Only locos with gear issues were Shay, Climax, Rail Bus, Rail Truck and Davenport Gas Mechanical. All others not a problem.
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    • Brian Powers
      Trev Gardner and that's horrible, because the shay and climax just look super cool! My Shay has very little time on it (and its fine) but I want a climax too.
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  • Todd Groettum
    I would say that so long as you are not the purist rivet counter type you'll find On30 will bring alot of enjoyment back to your hobby...Now that does not mean there is no room for the purist but so few actual 30" gauge railroads were built that you must needs start out taking a little creative license and once you start down that path you will find it gets easier and funner LOL :)
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  • Simon Cox
    My 4 Heislers are all great runners and have done many hours of duty. All my Shays have needed the gears replaced. I've been lucky with my Climax locos....so far.
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  • Jeff Kraker
    I have one climax, never had an issue, the one shay I have I spent a few minutes and replaced the gears, it runs fine. That’s all I own so I can’t comment on the rest
 
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Received my center cab and sound module yesterday. Ran it for a few minutes on a piece of old HO flex track. VERY impressed. O is so much easier to work with now that my eyes and I are older.
 
Received my center cab and sound module yesterday. Ran it for a few minutes on a piece of old HO flex track. VERY impressed. O is so much easier to work with now that my eyes and I are older.

Pictures, or it didn't happen? LOL :D
 
Have there been any serious issues with the Heisler or Centercab? I know the earlier Climax and Shay had gear issues..

Received these answers from On30 Railroading which has 4000 members.

Asking for myself and a friend. We are considering jumping from HO to On30.
Have there been any serious issues with the Heisler or Centercab? I know the earlier Climax and Shay had gear issues. I don't want to start into a new scale and step into #2 with motive power.
Thanks ...

How does one determine the younger or older age of there On30 locos?

I have several On30 locos that are still brand new in their boxes,...that I bought a number of years ago when a well known hobby shop was going out of business. I had been thinking of taking them to Thailand, but instead they have just set in their new boxes. I am thinking of selling them now as I am just going to concentrate on my HO layout.

Does Bachmann still supply replacement gears for these? I was thinking I should get some for the eventual new buyer/owner of these locos??

I have these suspect ones: (I would like to know which ones are really suspect?)
1) Rail Truck #29160, Pocahontas Lumber Co
2) Two-truck Shay # 25660, Pocahontas Lumber Co
3) Baldwin 2-8-0 #25962, Colorado Mining Co
4) articulated 2-6-6-2, unlettered

I don't do much FB at all,...just too confusing at times (they bounce you all around from place to place, etc).
Would that be a good place to sell them??
 
Have there been any serious issues with the Heisler or Centercab? I know the earlier Climax and Shay had gear issues. I don't want to start into a new scale and step into #2 with motive power.
My Heisler ran great when we last set up my On30 modules, but then COVID came along and it sat in it’s box for over a year, when I then tried to run it, the motor was seized up. My two Porters with sound would run a foot or two, then the sound decoders would overload, cut off, and then restart (very annoying!). I have one Porter with DCC only but no sound, and it runs OK, as do my several Porters that are DC Analog only. My On30 gas mechanicals had split gears on 4 out of the seven I own. My luck with Bachmann On30 has been pretty bad, though my several 2-6-0 mogul’s are still running sweet, as is the new trench loco and recent 0-6-0. Just don’t ask about the Shays, Climax, Rail Bus and Rail truck, which are only fit for static display.

Bill in FtL
 
i have an ON30 porter i occasionally put on my HO layout. it used only to check clearances, doesnt see a whole bunch of use ... it has sound and hasnt exhibited any problems in six or seven years now
 
Consider yourself very lucky! My three Porters were still sealed until earlier this year, the one with DCC but no sound works fine, the two with sound overload immediately and begin the shut down/restart cycle. I wish they didn’t have sound, because the sound is so quiet, it’s pretty much useless anyway. I’m still debating whether it’s worth it to try to take them apart to put in new decoders…
 



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