Bachmann Spectrum N&W J Class 4-8-4 derailing problems

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

I am the unfortunate owner of an HO Spectrum J class locomotive that has never seen a complete run on my pike. This is actually locomotive # 4 The original was a gift as I never would have p[purchased one in the first place but I graciously accepted it and placed it up on a shelf. Well after looking at it for some time I decided to try and give it a whirl. Never made it 12" as the drivers were out of quarter and actually lifted the locomotive up off the track causing it to instantly derail. Sent #1 back to Bachmann four months later I receive #2 place it on the program track and nothing, try it on the test track and still nothing. Problem bad decoder actually fried to a crisp. Send back #2 and receive #3. Place #3 on the program track everything seems ok so far attempt to run it on the branch line and the front of the locomotive is actually resting on the rails. I did a little research and found that the bars used to mount the front and rear pilot on some models were reversed so I tried that, result: a little better but still not right. I shim the front and rear pilot with Kadee washers and it finally has enough clearance to run, in a straight line that is. As soon as it hits a curve any curve (my minimum radius is 28" on the branch line 32" on the main) and the tender actually lifts the rear of the locomotive off the rails causing instant derailment. I have several Spectrum locomotives including 4 mountains, 3 K4's, and 2 Russian Decapods that all negotiate all of my layout without incident. Ah maybe the 4-8-4 wheel arraignment is too much perhaps, nope sorry I have two BLI M1's that run through the layout like a hot knife through butter a pair of 2-20-2 Santa Fe's used for pusher service that have no problems and well lets say all of my big articulated's 12 of them the circuit like Swiss watches. So I now am studying the J class literally under a magnifying glass and see they have some hokey
close up draw bar set up. That is supposed to keep the tender close coupled to the engine and still allow it to swing. Well guess what that don't work for beans. So I get the nice folks from Bachmann on the phone and tel them my tales of woe. They try to pawn me off with some shinny toy like looking piece of junk J class and I said no thanks. ( I had seen one of these in an LHS and God only knows what they came out with this piece of junk. So after much to do they send out #4 well a month goes by and number #4 never arrives. Oh it's on it's way parcel post bla bla bla well guess what I live in New Jersey Philadelphia Pa. where Bachmann is located is less then 50 miles from my house someone could have walked here with it in less time. So the customer service manager assures me that if I call her by 1:00pm Friday before the FedEx or UPS guy gets there she will personally send me out a new one. Well guess what another week goes by after I call her at 1:03pm and still no J class. So I call her on Thursday and she apologizes saying she must have forgotten good thing I called, well I guess the voice mails I left every day and some times twice a day for a week never got heard (Hum?) So Friday am at a little before 10:00am the FedEx man hands me a box form Bachmann industries Yes it's J class #4!!!! hooray................
Well the box gets opened up and down into the train room we go. You'll never guess what happened.... THE SAME EXACT THING!!!!!!!! So now I am fit to be tied and leave Laura the customer service manager a message telling her that nothing has been solved and what can we do about it I am done with replacing a problematic locomotive with the exact same model as before.
I had to run out to the store and did not have cellphone service for a few minutes during which time she leaves me a message telling me that they ran that engine on 22" radius Bachmann easy track and it ran fine it has to be my track work bla bla bla and that she will be out of the office by 12:00 noon, how very convenient.
So now that you guys are either board to tears or laughing so hard you need to go change your underwear I ask you have any of you had any experience with the Spectrum J class 4-8-4 and if so did you have a similar problem and how did you rectify said problem. Others have told me they experienced the exact same thing and solved their problems by putting them on eBay. At this point a 10lb hand sledge is looking mighty tempting. I'm at my whits end with this piece of junk and the only thing I am possibly considering is eliminating their ridiculous draw bar set up and going with a more conventional type possibly made of delran or perhaps metal. Your thoughts are desperately needed thank you in advance.


Here are a few pictures of the draw bar that I feel is causing all of the problems. Note: it is working freely and has no binding I haven't had the chance to check to see if the tender wheels are in gage or not but will get to that tomorrow

[Here is a shot of the drawbar mechanism if you want to call it that Bachmann in their infinite wisdom decided to use on this particular model locomotive ONLY to the best of my knowledge it is not used on any of the other Spectrum line. A simple prototypical straight drawbar most likely is the answer





[b]You can see in this shot how close the tender is coupled to the engine although a well intended idea it simply just doesn't work[/b]