# Broken gear catastrphe!



## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm totally bummed out. 

Fired up my Bachmann hand car...










Which as you can see I've spent some time customizing. But it's usually a very smooth runner and it ran very very poorly. And Mutt and Jeff were not animated at all. So I turn it over and open it up and find one of the two plastic gears that interface with the worm gear was broken in two places and had fallen off the axel. And the smaller gear on the other axle that drives the car handles for the animation is cracked.

Has anyone every fixed a hand car that blew the gears? I'm better with the cosmetic stuff and a novice with the mechanical stuff. Any advice would be most welcome.

Best,
TJ


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Nope. 
You can look, but I found when looking several years ago, that the cost of gears, shipping, and repair equalled or exceeded the cost of a new one. 
I don't think NWSL has anything, but since I looked last they might. 
Stock Drive back east might be the best, but you'll need tooth count, pitch, inside and outside diameter.....width should not be critical. 
I have a dozen of them, placed on handcar tracks all over the railroad, with split gears, exploded motors (winding sticking out all over....probably the result of Bridgeworks Speed Runs) and they are just "scenery" now. 
The only one I have that works is an original belt-drive unit.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, 

Thanks for the quick response. If you can't keep'em running I guess "scenery" it will have to be. 

Best, 
TJ


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## Ross (Jul 19, 2009)

BACHMANN SPARE PARTS CATALOGUE PAGES. This is what you may be looking for • Model: G96210 handcart gears? 
Check 'em out anyway.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

If you customized the hand car and like it very much and it is cheaper to buy a new one. I would buy the new one for parts. 
JJ


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

I was going to say buy a new one for parts, I bought one from E-bay for 35.00 including shipping for a project that I am working on.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Bachmann makes alot of pretty things, but not too well engineered for longevity.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ross on 01 Jan 2011 02:51 AM 
BACHMANN SPARE PARTS CATALOGUE PAGES. This is what you may be looking for • Model: G96210 handcart gears? 
Check 'em out anyway. ....................................................................................................................................................................................

I didn't know they had a parts Cat. but his is the link.. and ya gears for the hand car. I'll be darn..









Bachmann Gears.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ross on 01 Jan 2011 02:51 AM 
BACHMANN SPARE PARTS CATALOGUE PAGES. This is what you may be looking for • Model: G96210 handcart gears? 
Check 'em out anyway. Ross,

Thanks for the tip. I looked up G96210 on the Bachmann site and it only shows two gears, neither match the gears on the axels that broke. I'll try calling Bachmann and see if more than the two gears shown in the picture come with the replacement gear set.

Best,
TJ


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Please keep us posted, TJ. I've grown fond of mine that I'm currently detailing, and it sounds like I may eventually need the info...
Thanks,
Matt


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Matt, 

I'll try to call Bachmann Monday at work. Assuming I'm at work... Friday, New Year's Eve they started laying off staff. 

Oy. 

Best, 
TJ


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

They had one at the Botanic, and we'd run it now and then for grins. The last time I tried it, the gear was failing, and just as the little guy bent down, it'd make the gear grinding sound that sounded just like 3rd grade humor


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks TJ.

I can relate... my last day of work was Dec. 23rd.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay, I tried calling Bachmann parts department 1-800-356-3910. Repeatedly get a recording to leave name and number. 

I have emailed the Parts department address as well (see below). 

Will post back here when I hear something from the parts people. 

Best, 
TJ 


========================== 

Parts, 

Have a recent Bachmann G Large Scale hand car with trailer. 

Two gears have broken on the hand car. 

One gear is on the front axle that drives the animation (the hand car handles going up and down). It is cracked and the handles no longer move. 

One gear is on the rear axle and supplies power from the worm gear on the drive motor. 

I see on the parts page there are three items related to the hand car. 

Gears [Handcar & Trailer] - (Large Scale) #G96210 $10 - shows the two large main gears, neither of which are what I want. I do not see in the catalog picture any of the axle mounted gears, which are what I need. 

Wheels w/axle [Handcar & Trailer] - (Large Scale) #G96223 - in the catalog picture only the axle is shown, not the gears that slide onto the axle. 

Gearbox w/Motor [Handcar & Trailer] - (Large Scale) #G96211 - again, in the catalog picture no axle gears are shown. 

Are the gears I need included with any of the three products listed above? If so which? If not, how can I get a complete set of replacement gears for the handcar short of purchasing an entirely new handcar? 

Please advise. 

Best regards, 
TJ Lee


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I heard back from Bachmann via email almost immediately. Unfortunately they provided me with an exploded view of the hand car and asked me to specify which gears I'm in need of. 

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/96201.pdf 

And in the exploded view there are no gears on either axle shown. So I'll take some digital pics and send them to Bachmann and see if they'll admit that there are in fact gears on the axles. 

Sigh. 

TJ


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Found a pic that shows exactly what I need on George S. site! George's site is every bit as wonderful as MLS, yea George!

Have posted to Bachmann, waiting to hear back.

Best,
TJ


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like I need $20 worth of gears. Probably part G96212. The catalog stuff posted on the Web site seems out of date or just not comprehensive. 

I'm waiting for confirmation from Bachmann then I'll order and see. 

Best, 
TJ


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Torby, Matt, 

I spoke with Jennifer at Bachmann today. Part #G96212 $20.00 has both front and rear axles for the hand car, with the gears attached. This part does not appear on the Bachmann web site. I have ordered this today and will follow up on this thread when I get the hand car working again. 

As long as I had Jennifer on the phone I queried her as to why only a handful of replacement parts were listed on the web site compared to what's actually available. She didn't know. And what's available versus what's not available is odd. I can order a replacement bell for my 2 truck 55-ton Shay, but not a generator or headlight. Weird. 

Anyway, so far so good. 

Matt, 

>I can relate... my last day of work was Dec. 23rd. 

Sorry to hear you were laid off. I wish I was in a position to help you with that. I'll hold a good thought for you for whatever that's worth. I'm sweating every payday as that's when they drop the hammer on you around here. 

Best, 
TJ


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