Update: NWSL has a gear for this at
https://shop.osorail.com/product.sc?productId=3423&categoryId=-1
Suggestions before starting
1. Have the right frame of mind, and be patient, don't rush it.
2. Take plenty of pictures before and during the process.
3. Ideally its very convenient to have a magnetic parts tray
to hold the dozen Phillips head screws.
4. Be patient, don't rush it especially removing and installing the cylinders.
5. Good lighting and magnification.
Remove the two screws holding the ash pan, remove the pan to expose the gears.
Gently lift the drive line assembly up out of the gearbox, disconnecting the slip joints.
More.........
Drive line assembly.
Remove both trucks (pressure fit) by simply pulling each one up. Next remove the 4 screws shown, 2 are for the cab, the other 2 for a cover plate.
Remove the 2 boiler screws.
Remove the 4 screws (top of picture) that hold the cylinders, then carefully pull the 2 pipes (up) from out of the boiler cradle.
The motor and PCB assembly are remove from the gearbox and placed to the side. The gearbox is in the lower right corner of the picture. (I learned this order of disassembly is easier than what I did when I took these pictures, which explains why the cylinders are already removed)
Remove the cylinders.
One side of the gearbox assembly, simply remove the 2 screws and the plate to service these gears.
I split the opposite side for access to the split gear and shaft assembly I needed to replace. This caused the engine to the cylinders, but the loco would not move the as the power wasn't being transferred to the trucks.
Pictures showing the motor assembly and PCB.
90% of this job is figuring out how to disassemble this intricate loco. Keep your screws and assemblies together so you know what goes with what. I hope this was of some help to you, as there are many of the dead Climax locos out there that are shelf queens, hopefully this will inspire you to repair it. Parts are available at Bachmann Trains.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_68_153
The shaft assembly below
Thanks for the help. Missed one darn screw and couldnt get the gear box out. Now to find a gear.
ReplyDeleteSad to say my unit broke down only recently and found out that the same part that you replaced is now out of stock from Bachmann and they don't even know when it will become available. I live here in the Philippines and we don't have hobby shops that sells train and parts so I guess my Climax would be one of the shelf queens. Was hoping that Bachmann Parts would cannibalize one of their defective Climax and get the needed part but they did not even show some desire to help. My trains are all Bachmann. Had I known that this will be their after sales service, I should have bought other brands.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Bachmann will have another run of parts come in, usually when they have an issue with gears they re-engineer the gears (takes some time) and make the out of metal (like the HO and On30 Shay) I was looking at a used 3 truck Climax recently at a train show, when the guy put it on the test track, guess what happened? no movement except for the cylinders........
DeleteYeah, the cylinders would work but no movement because the drive gear was broken. Since this was an issue with the Climax to a point that Bachmann was replacing units because of the problem on the gears, I was expecting Bachmann Parts to take some extra efforts to locate a gear even to a point of cannibalizing the parts from other defective unit in their Service Department just to satisfy a customer. Was working in the Service Department of a Japanese company and we usually stock parts for problematic models good for ten years after phase out or stop production. Hope they do some changes because our trains are not the throw away type of toys which we can dispose once it becomes defective.
DeleteThanks for the great pictures !!
ReplyDeleteI gave up on my Bachmann HO 70 ton Climax a year and a half ago after the second repair. Also quit working on my layout at the same time. This week I decided to go back downstairs and give it a go again. That was my best loco and probably had a total of 4 hours run time and it has broken twice. I came across your blog and pictures, tore it apart today, and like before, no problem found. I checked it for rotation on the wheels at every step thru reassembly. Put it on the track and can only get it to move about 1/8 of an inch forward and reverse.
I am thoroughly disgusted with this engine !! Looks like it will just have to sit there with some log cars and look pretty ! Thinking about going to early diesels to pull the log cars.
All the time and money I spent on this !! I am 75 yrs old and will never get my layout finished at this rate !!
Bachman locos ho scale are crap
ReplyDeleteNo argument here, I hope to help those stuck with a $300 shelf queen in showing how to repair them.
DeleteI have the same problem the Climax I purchased from Clarks Works in Europe. Put it on the track for the first time and nothing.
ReplyDeleteAfter many hours of disassembly and inspection I have decided to shelf it until I am able to find metal gears. NWSL does have gear upgrade kits for the climax engine, but not at this time. I was told they plan to produce more towards the end of the year.
Everybody who wants to see the engine running again should calmly "harass" them to produce the upgrade kits asap!
Any update on NWSL metal gears?? Also any repair shops I can send my 3-truck climax to?? thank you.
ReplyDelete