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  • Bachmann Metroliner issue

  • Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.

Moderators: 3rdrail, stilson4283, Otto Vondrak

 #1118449  by peanut1
 
Hello,
Recently won a set of three Bachmann metroliners off ebay for 40.00. Two outta the three cars run beautifully but the power car seems to be heading for retirement. I did use oil as I thought possible from sitting for awhile this would help, I don't think this is not the issue. The motor does start BUT is just buzzes and sputters out and does not generate any type of movement. Front wheel was a little bent also. I know I have to fix the truck that is bent but what should I do to actually get this car running? I do have the new Walthers proto 2000 metroliner coming in, in 2013 so if I couldn't fix this one I was going to just use that one to pull the trailer cars that I do have that run. If anybody could help that would be awsome. Thank you.
 #1118606  by Backshophoss
 
Most likely the gears in the power truck are loose on their shafts or broken,the motor brushes are shot,or the windings in the motor are
broke/shorted out. The motor wasn't the greatest to begin with(train set quality :( ). Power pickup was at the motor and the "A" truck of
the powered car. Metroliners were married pairs, if you're up to it,carefully pull the gears out of the power truck (dummy it) and tow
the set behind a GG-1/ E-60 :) or repower it with NWSL's stanton power truck (Walters #53-392574,$84.95) and use the other car to
improve power pickup.
If you can find it,I used the NWSL 37062-4 PDT to repower a SPV kitbash using the shells (still in progress)
GOOD LUCK
 #1118747  by green_elite_cab
 
First of all, the Metroliners came in 4 distinct runs. Only the first two runs featured All-Wheel drive. Later runs used Pancake motors (AKA JUNK).

First run cars have metal pantographs, stirrup steps, and drawbars.

Second Run cars have metal pantographs, no stirrup steps, and some sort of unusual coupling system.

The third and fourth runs have just straigh coupler boxes with horn hooks, and about this time lost the metal pantographs for plastic ones.

In all cases, rehabbing the power units are a pain in the butt, though if you have an all-wheel drive unit, its not entirely a lost cause, but you'll have to accept quite a bit of noise.

Number 1, if you DO have an All wheel drive, do NOT under any circumstances disassemble the trucks from the frame. While I suppose its possible to re-assemble these cars, they are reportedly very tricky to put back together exactly right, and i'm told these parts can break easily.

With a little modification, a new motor can be installed in place of the old one. I did this using a PPW motor, and hooked up the shafts using neoprene model airplane fuel line. I also shimmed the bearings so that the drum and disc gear meshed properly (if not shimmed, the gears will "slip" and your train will go nowhere).

If you have a pancake-motor drive, then there really isn't anything that is worth doing. You're better off buying Stanton Drives or equivalents.

However, I must point out, that no commercial underfloor drive available will allow you to reach prototypical speeds with your metroliners. I've talked with NWSL, and the people who Make the Bull Ant and the Black Beetle (separate companies despite insect themed names). All of them inform me that the motors and gearing simply don't generate enough RPM with the given wheel size (36") to achieve speeds over about 60 scale MPH. this might be fine for some commuter models, but the Metroliner is supposed to go fast.

Personally, I don't need to go all the way to 160, but ~100-120 scale MPH would be nice.
 #1119107  by peanut1
 
I decided I would dummy it and turn it into a keystone cab. Just for the record these cars came with metal pantographs and regular couplers. The lead car had one motor in one truck. The other truck was just free rolling.
 #1119202  by Backshophoss
 
The set of 4 I own were picked up at a estate sale on the cheap,were missing all the pans and other roof details.
had to scrap the "pancake" motor truck(burned out motor) and 1 underframe due to cracking along with 1 dummy truck
(crushed,poor attempt to glue together with Goo!!), retained body shell for spare cab front piece.
all 4 front pilots were damaged, the 3 remaining cars now have body mounted KD-5 on the front pilots
with "weedcutter" pilot plows. 1 car was modified to be a push-pull cab car(KD-118 installed on "B" end)
Warning, the pad applied paint(phase I) will take time to remove,stick with rubbing alcohol,
don't use paint stripper,it might destroy the glue bond between the cab and body shell
 #1119303  by green_elite_cab
 
Backshophoss wrote:The set of 4 I own were picked up at a estate sale on the cheap,were missing all the pans and other roof details.
had to scrap the "pancake" motor truck(burned out motor) and 1 underframe due to cracking along with 1 dummy truck
(crushed,poor attempt to glue together with Goo!!), retained body shell for spare cab front piece.
all 4 front pilots were damaged, the 3 remaining cars now have body mounted KD-5 on the front pilots
with "weedcutter" pilot plows. 1 car was modified to be a push-pull cab car(KD-118 installed on "B" end)
Warning, the pad applied paint(phase I) will take time to remove,stick with rubbing alcohol,
don't use paint stripper,it might destroy the glue bond between the cab and body shell
Wait, the alcohol dissolves the glue? I'm thinking that is more beneficial than not, since it allows you to remove the cab to modify it that much easier.

Removing the windows in these things were also a pain. Should have tried that. On my Metroliner cab, I just pained over everything without removing it. Because the Microscale Decals covermost of the pad printed areas, it doesn't really show up.
 #1119552  by Backshophoss
 
Alcohol will not destroy the bond,the paint strippers might do that,yea the window material was a pain to remove,
used a ACC solvent to pull the material out,some of it was useless due to glue damage.
 #1131998  by haberbeckbrandao
 
Hi,
My Metroliner powered car was bought in 1976 (can motor, 8 wheel drive, metal pantograph, cast metal chassis).
To eliminate all drive problems in this unit I built a new chassis with two Frateschi reducers, twin separated Atlas motors with transmission shafts (no mechanical connection between them) and one flywheel per motor. It's all. My train has 8 cars. It's running very nice, no problems with traction power.

Regards
Carlos
Last edited by haberbeckbrandao on Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1132011  by haberbeckbrandao
 
Hi, again
This was the assembly before the definitive version.
The axial connection between the motors was removed, and the Bachmann original
motor (at left) was changed by an Atlas one.


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