Hello -
I have a Bachmann 3 truck shay with the well documented bevel gear problems. The gears on mine have failed over the last year or so; the posts on this are anywhere from 4 to 10 years old. Obviously, I have done better than many with mine. I have tracked down several of the solutions, but they seem to leave more issues.
1. Replacement trucks from Bachmann - no longer available from Bachmann.
2. Replcement sideframes from Bachmann - also no longer available.
3. Replacement bevel gears - metal ones are available from NWSL. OK - I've been modeling for 40 years - I should be able to handle these.
So I ordered a set of these. The instructions started out good - very detailed, with lots of pictures to help explain what is going on. They get an A+ on the parts but there is a flaw in that the gears must be press fit onto the existing shaft - I believe the size is 3mm. The instructions treat this rather off handed - they suggest pressing the gears on but don't have any suggestions on how to accomplish this in a reasonable manner - but then they do say these parts are not for a beginner. As I said I have been model railroading for 40 years, and have done a fair amount of craftsman modeling, handlaid track and switches, so I don't think of myself as a beginner. (Pride goeth before the fall....)
I went back to the internet to find some secrets about pressing gears onto shaft, and I foound 2 that were relevant. The first was a blog entry that addressed the replacement of the same gears - seemed to be right on target. The person doing the actual repairs is the guy I want to be when I grow up - he slid those gears onto the shafts like it was nothing. The problem was he made a tool specially for the job - replacement jaws for his Panavise, complete with tubes to press things into, and no explanation on how to build one for yourself. The second video was about pressing gears on and off an axle for a traditional steam engine - the presenter used a NWSL Puller to do this. OK - looks more my speed - I'll order up one of those.
I placed the order and had the puller in a couple of days - what a great thing it is to order new tools over the internet. I then tried to use it, and ran into some problems - the puller works well getting gears off, but is not so good at putting gears on. Alignment of the gear on the shaft is not an easy process - you're actually working in 3 dimensions - trying to keep the shaft aligned perpendicular to the gear. I got the gear and axle aligned pretty close, and i heard a pop, and I though I had it, but I had problems keeping the 3mm shaft on the threaded "ram" that works to apply pressure. The gear is on the end of the shaft, but the shaft is not completely through the gear yet, and certainly not to where it needs to be. At this point the shaft began to bend. The first video warned about this - suggesting that your shay is now a doorstop. I directed my attention to the shaft, and seemed to be able to straighten it - it will go through the critical alignment points and turn, but it hasn't been running yet as I don't have the first gear completely on yet.
So, in going back over the posts here and elsewhere - it seems as though unless you're an old school machinist, the prospect of pressing these gears on the old shaft is a major undertaking. What have others done? I did find a reference to another tool from NWSL - The sensipress - but it seems to be not in stock anywhere, and is very expensive ($ 125 if I read correctly,) and also has lots of adapters to fit to what you're doing - each for a small charge.
I should also add that I am somewhat attached to this loco - my grandson thinks it is great, and loves to operate it when he visits. That is incentive enough right there to want it fixed. Additionally, my father worked for the Lima Locomotive works, and while he didn't work on shays, he did help build steam engines.
Can someone suggest what the secrets to pressing tiny bevel gears onto shafts really are? Does anyone have a set of replacmeent trucks for the 80 Ton 3 truck shay that they don't happen to need? Or maybe a set of the truck sideframes with the shafts and gears already in place? Bachmann - are you listening? You have a good running engine here - I have one that includes DCC and Sound, and is in need of replacement parts that are in your catalog online, but not in stock? How about another run of the parts, Pretty please?
Thanks for reading this, and I'd love to hear from others that have dealt with this problem.
I have a Bachmann 3 truck shay with the well documented bevel gear problems. The gears on mine have failed over the last year or so; the posts on this are anywhere from 4 to 10 years old. Obviously, I have done better than many with mine. I have tracked down several of the solutions, but they seem to leave more issues.
1. Replacement trucks from Bachmann - no longer available from Bachmann.
2. Replcement sideframes from Bachmann - also no longer available.
3. Replacement bevel gears - metal ones are available from NWSL. OK - I've been modeling for 40 years - I should be able to handle these.
So I ordered a set of these. The instructions started out good - very detailed, with lots of pictures to help explain what is going on. They get an A+ on the parts but there is a flaw in that the gears must be press fit onto the existing shaft - I believe the size is 3mm. The instructions treat this rather off handed - they suggest pressing the gears on but don't have any suggestions on how to accomplish this in a reasonable manner - but then they do say these parts are not for a beginner. As I said I have been model railroading for 40 years, and have done a fair amount of craftsman modeling, handlaid track and switches, so I don't think of myself as a beginner. (Pride goeth before the fall....)
I went back to the internet to find some secrets about pressing gears onto shaft, and I foound 2 that were relevant. The first was a blog entry that addressed the replacement of the same gears - seemed to be right on target. The person doing the actual repairs is the guy I want to be when I grow up - he slid those gears onto the shafts like it was nothing. The problem was he made a tool specially for the job - replacement jaws for his Panavise, complete with tubes to press things into, and no explanation on how to build one for yourself. The second video was about pressing gears on and off an axle for a traditional steam engine - the presenter used a NWSL Puller to do this. OK - looks more my speed - I'll order up one of those.
I placed the order and had the puller in a couple of days - what a great thing it is to order new tools over the internet. I then tried to use it, and ran into some problems - the puller works well getting gears off, but is not so good at putting gears on. Alignment of the gear on the shaft is not an easy process - you're actually working in 3 dimensions - trying to keep the shaft aligned perpendicular to the gear. I got the gear and axle aligned pretty close, and i heard a pop, and I though I had it, but I had problems keeping the 3mm shaft on the threaded "ram" that works to apply pressure. The gear is on the end of the shaft, but the shaft is not completely through the gear yet, and certainly not to where it needs to be. At this point the shaft began to bend. The first video warned about this - suggesting that your shay is now a doorstop. I directed my attention to the shaft, and seemed to be able to straighten it - it will go through the critical alignment points and turn, but it hasn't been running yet as I don't have the first gear completely on yet.
So, in going back over the posts here and elsewhere - it seems as though unless you're an old school machinist, the prospect of pressing these gears on the old shaft is a major undertaking. What have others done? I did find a reference to another tool from NWSL - The sensipress - but it seems to be not in stock anywhere, and is very expensive ($ 125 if I read correctly,) and also has lots of adapters to fit to what you're doing - each for a small charge.
I should also add that I am somewhat attached to this loco - my grandson thinks it is great, and loves to operate it when he visits. That is incentive enough right there to want it fixed. Additionally, my father worked for the Lima Locomotive works, and while he didn't work on shays, he did help build steam engines.
Can someone suggest what the secrets to pressing tiny bevel gears onto shafts really are? Does anyone have a set of replacmeent trucks for the 80 Ton 3 truck shay that they don't happen to need? Or maybe a set of the truck sideframes with the shafts and gears already in place? Bachmann - are you listening? You have a good running engine here - I have one that includes DCC and Sound, and is in need of replacement parts that are in your catalog online, but not in stock? How about another run of the parts, Pretty please?
Thanks for reading this, and I'd love to hear from others that have dealt with this problem.