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x2f
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 Posted - April 18 2010 : 7:46:03 PM
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Well my LHS sold me a box of what they called "junk" for $35.00. There was a lot of good stuff in it. One of the items is a Bachmann DD40 in perfect cosmetic condition. Even the strobe flashes. I don't know how it managed to stay intact lodged in a twisted pile of AHM, Tyco Brown box, and other Bachmann items. It suprisingly woulden't run. I had gotten nearly all the other engines in the pile to run. Upon dissasembly I notced the metal motor frame was cracked and warped. I have seen this in castings of prewar Lionel, American Flyer, and even Marklin. I even ran across a 1950's Mantua tank loco once that had it. But a 1980's Bachmann took me by suprise. Has anyone ever seen this before in Bachmann. I was thinking of keeping it and finding a beat up but running example and doing a shell swap. Are my chances of finding a running example 25 years on very good?
X2F
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Posted - April 18 2010 : 8:14:38 PM
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I guess zinc pest can happen anytime if the manufacturer isn't careful about the purity of the white metal. Still, with all of their other problems, I've never seen a Bachmann frame with zinc rot. Is this the better version with the dual can motors? If it is, it's certainly worth something in parts, and if the warping isn't too bad, you may be able to repair it with CA. Does the frame still fit inside the shell?
The Tyco Depot
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x2f
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Posted - April 18 2010 : 9:35:05 PM
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This is the early version with one pancake motor. The motor frame is intact but seems to have swelled up so that it no longer pivots in the frame. I haven't seen this before in a Bachmann. There are also little cracks all over it. The same is true of the dummmy truck frame on the other end. I would love a new version of this engine but I am limited to 18" radius curves.
X2F
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Posted - April 18 2010 : 10:07:21 PM
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got a pic of the finds you got? 
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x2f
Switcher
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Posted - April 18 2010 : 10:35:01 PM
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I still haven't figured out how to post a pic. It was a pretty good pile though. Probably 12 cars with all steps intact. Mostly 1980s bachman train set boxcars. A few nice tyco boxcars. A pair of Athearn streamlined NP passenger cars and a Bachmannn Central Pacific Combine. One of the engines was an early Bachmann Geep with the diecast frame. All the railings were intact. I dissasembled/cleaned it and got it running. There were a couple other bachmann Geeps from the 80's. Some nice Selley (i think) people that were painted very nicely. Probably another 12 freight cars that had somthing wrong,broken step or roofwalk, etc. And a bunch of brass track, including several switches.
X2F
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Posted - April 19 2010 : 12:41:28 AM
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I have many Bachmann locos but not the DD40.
I haven't have any problems with zincpest on any of those.
Carl T.
President of the Cape James Terminal RR.
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x2f
Switcher
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Posted - April 25 2010 : 10:54:26 PM
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Good News. I was able to find another DD40X of the same vintage with intact motor castings. Half of the railings were missing and the strobe no longer worked but the motor ran fine. I installed the motor and dummy truck in my nice shell/frame and now have a nice looking, complete and running DD40X. The old castings broke into several pieces just trying to remove them. It put me in mind of early Dorfan castings. Man does that loco swing wide on my 18" curves! I love it though. I remember seeing an ad for it in Boy's Life in the early 80's.
X2F
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Posted - April 25 2010 : 10:59:30 PM
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I got a pic of a real DD40X 
yes I want the EXACT numbers someday
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