# bachman big hauler



## kuzmajr (Feb 2, 2011)

I just picked up a pretty beat up big hauler with 5 cars on Craigs list. Most of the cars are missing some parts but I can make them work. The engine a big hauler 4-6-0 has plastic wheels and is r/c controlled. I do not have a remote or any idea how it works. I read on the bachman site about sending in $20 and they repair it, is this only for the primary owner? What can be done to make it work? The previous owner did some wiring and I do not know where to begin. There are 2 wires sticking out of the back of the engine without a connector, where are the batteries? The coal car is missing some parts as well. Does anybody have some detail pics of what rear of the engine looks like and/or detailed instruction manual? I checked the web site and found nothing.
Is this engine just destined to sit on a siding? I know it is not the greatest but I would like to try and bring it back to life. Are there aftermarket steel wheels and parts available? About a month ago I bought an Aristo set and then picked up some rolling stock on e-bay. I think I am addicted, I cannot wait for the snow to melt to get outside and start building.
Sorry for all of the stupid questions but I am very new to this.
Thanks in advance,
Ed


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The Bachmann Big hauler has been around fr ever, and there have been a lot of different versions of it. The version you have, the radio controlled version, is I think the first and also the weakest in terms of how well it runs. Goerge Schreyer's tips page has a great run down on the Big Hauler: 

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips1/big_hauler_tips.html 

Just scroll down to his write up on the RC big hauler. It should be possible to bring it back to life if it's not working. 

I'm not sure what happens if you send it back to Bachmann


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I read on the bachman site about sending in $20 and they repair it, is this only for the primary owner? What can be done to make it work? The previous owner did some wiring and I do not know where to begin. There are 2 wires sticking out of the back of the engine without a connector, where are the batteries? 
Ed, 
I second the suggestion you take a look at George's info. 

I have one sitting on the shelf - yes, it's a "Shelf Queen" as I don't run it any more - but it does/did run when I last tried it. I lost the remote but one of the guys here dug one out and sent it to me, so hopefully someone will find one for you. 

They are very old, and tend to grind up the plastic wheels on curves, so they don't last long if you run them a lot. (I have 1 or 2 sets of spare driving wheels if you need them.) I have no idea whether Bachmann will fix them at this point - call the service number and ask. [P.S. Their service is known to be slow/difficult, so persevere.] 

Batteries go inside the boiler - the backhead (where the coal goes in - inside the cab) slides upwards so you can fill it with 6 "D" cells. There is also a connector in the floor - the original loco came with a short cable that plugged in here and had a 'tamiya' r/c battery plug on the end, so you could use a 7.2V r/c car pack. That may explain the two wires sticking out of the back. Anyway, try to slide up the back and see what you find. 

Photos would help - take a couple and either post them (post the link here) or email them to me and I'll post them for you.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't think Botchmann will do anything for a used engine purchased off of "Evil Bay", but call them and ask!! Also if that fails why don't you contact the seller and ask him your questions about how he wired it and what he did with the engine?????????????? Regal


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I refurbished a Big Hauler a couple years ago. Although it is track powered it is a bit different but the batteries should be in the tender and the two wires should connect to it.

Here is a before picture 















Here is an after.


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## Don Gage (Jan 4, 2008)

Ed, 
Actually to access the batteries storage you lift up the backhead on the boiler. The batteries go into the boiler. 
Don


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

but the batteries should be in the tender and the two wires should connect to it. 
The battery loco has a boiler full of D cells. Bachmann never made a version with batteries in the tender - those are all personal conversions. The two wires to the tender are for the speaker and sound card on the track-powered locos.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

ed 
i know this isnt particularly what you are going to want to hear 
and its your 2nd post-so i know you dont have your sea legs and have sought help 


very simply 
you will spend a lot of time and effort trying to get something that just is not worth it up and running 
you have purchased a particualrly poor performer and short of an entire rebuild with a new mechanism etc-it i unlikely you will get satisfactory performance 

if you want to try garden or large scale railroading 
savlage what you can of the cars-and get something thats not going to give more aggravation than joy 

i mean this well -i mean this to save you time and money and aggravation -nothing else 
save you some brain damage 
i have, in the past, worked on many locos of differing scales, 
and while a talented and perseverant guy can make anythign quite nice 
-it can often take more money and time than one would willingly agree to-the type of project that just grows and the more you invest the more you want to suceed


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## Bubba_in_NV (Oct 26, 2010)

New here too. Retired not too long ago (second retirement) and I have always wanted to do the G scale thing. Started collecting 2 years ago. Waiting for the wife to retire so we can move back home and then I will start the layout.


Last summer I bought a 4-6-0 on Ebay. When it arrived it was trashed. Front of the engine frame broken off and the tender was smashed. It was an older version SF. I sent it to Bachman with a $20 bill taped to it, and in about 2 weeks I got back another one. Don't think it was the same one I sent ans it looked brand new with the upgrade gears or whatever the little round cover on the bottom denotes. It was not there before. And the tender was repaired or replaced. No notes to tell me anything, but it sure runs well and looked new. By the way, the seller reimbursed me my money for it as his packing was terrible. The Post Office was completely worthless on the damage issue. So for 20 bucks I got a new engine and tender.









Bachman was great to deal with as I called and talked to them first. I have since then sent in 3 other 4-6-0's I have.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm! Nice! It's always nice to hear that lemonade was made out of a real lemon!


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

HI Ed 
If you are just getting into the large scale hobby I would suggest getting a better and more reliable engine. The Aristo set you bought should be a good jumping off point. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to operate a train that doesn't work well. You could salvage the cars you bought and tinker with the bachmann engine later on. Before you start laying track outside the Aristo track is ok but if you got any track with the Bachmann set it is not made for outdoors. 
Good luck and have fun. 
Todd


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## kuzmajr (Feb 2, 2011)

I realize that the engine i got was going to be a problem and thanks to somene on this site who sent me a really nice BH for a very very resonable price. I have the BH running. I have also just picked up another Aristo 0-4-0 and tender for a good deal from e-bay. I just need some nice weather to get out and run them. I have a decent amount of track but for now I think it will be enough until I can free up some money to buy more. Thanks for all of the input. 
ed


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