Bachmann Class 108 32-904DC

[myth3_16]

Hi All,

I've just acquired my Father-in-Laws train collection and in amongst these is the above model, a Bachmann DMU 32-904DC.

During it's time on my FIL layout, while being played with by one of his grandchildren, it decided to take a tumble from the layout onto the wooden floor. Inspection on the outside seems to show no damage. However, I noticed (when looking at the directional lights from the outside) that the directional lights on the powered car seemed a bit dimmer on one side than the other.

Upon taking the loco apart I found the clear plastic light bar, the takes the light from the directional LEDs (the white and red) to the front of the loco had snapped in half. This part sits in front of the white/red LEDs under the cab section.

Does anyone in here know where I might be able to get a replacement part? I've tried Pete's Spares but they don't carry these as spare parts. So if anyone else has any ideas I would be very grateful to hear them. Maybe it's just a question of getting in touch with Bachmann themselves but I want to try every other avenue first.

Many Thanks,

Brett

[Ironduke]

They don't make it easy do they?

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/page/service-request

[Bigmet]

I think you will find it has to be Bachmann, unless you can find someone helpful prepared to break a model to supply spares. I have only gone to Bachmann for spares a few times, and not that recently either, but both helpful and reasonably priced has been my experience.

Because I had one of my Bachmann class 105's on the bench I was able to look and see if the directional lighting was similarly arranged, and it isn't. (There's a small PCB under the cab desk, and two separate LED's, one behind each of the lights.) There's a lot of commomality between the 105 mechanisms I have, and a friend's 108 which I have looked over while decoder fitting some years past, such that I thought they might have the same directional lighting arrangement, but not so unfortunately...

[myth3_16]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies. You don't happen to know the part number for this do you??

Does anyone have a service sheet for the 108 at all? I can't seem to access the service sheet site on Bachmann's page.

Regards,

Brett

[Bigmet]

On the 105 the whole PCB which runs the entire length of the vehicle is a single piece - which has the DCC socket at the corridor connector end, and the LED assembly at the cab end - and is listed as a spare, as 'PCB'. I'd imagine the 108 layout will be the same, but sadly not having the diagram cannot provide any help on the part number. I should think if you took a good photo of the PCB from the 108, Bachmann would be able to identify it.

But let's hope a 108 owner with a diagram can help with the part number...

[Ironduke]

You can see a light-pipe in this video. Is this it, Brett?

https://youtu.be/AabGiaTuWUc?t=42

[myth3_16]

You can see a light-pipe in this video. Is this it, Brett?

https://youtu.be/AabGiaTuWUc?t=42

Hi Ironduke,

Yes that's the part. Looking at this video the way it is broke it's the top part of the plastic bit leading to the top hole. Very annoying indeed.

Regards,

Brett

[Roger (RJ)]

I would try sticking it back together with a solvent adhesive such as MEK or EMA plastic weld solvent. It may not work but you have nothing to lose by trying. Allow 24 hours for it to set before handling.

[Bufferstop]

I'm not sure any method of gluing it back together will restore the "light pipe" function. There's likely always to be some scatter at the junction. If the two parts can be put together and tightly clamped together putting a layer of two part adhesive around the joint and leaving the pressure on until it's set might work.

[Bigmet]

Never tried this, but my thought would be aircraft modeller's 'canopy glue', because that cures clear, and may well be a compound selected as a good match to the refractive index of the polymers used for model glazing. (Dredging through the memory there, on the subject of optical cements in compound lens assemblies.)

I would suggest a test first on the manufacturer's glazing material, if the functional outcome really matters to 'Myth'. There's usually plenty of it 'redundant' inside the model which might be detached and used to make test pieces.

[Bufferstop]

A few years back there was a flood of what I call "Mare's Tail" lights, the ones where a bundle of cheap optical fibres were stood on end with a colour changing light underneath. I have the fibre bundle from one (somewhere) You could use some strands to bridge the break, or even make a new lighting system. The folks who supply art and design stuff for schools have them if you don't know of one lurking in a cupboard somewhere.

[Ironduke]

cheap optical fibres

Old TOSLINK audio cables are a cheap source of plastic optical fibre, if you have any lying around.

[myth3_16]

Hi All,

Some great ideas here guys. I shall see what I can do to try and fix it. Been thinking of using like small colour changing LEDs instead of the factory ones that it comes with. Would this be an option do you think?

Regards,

Brett

[Ironduke]

Been thinking of using like small colour changing LEDs instead of the factory ones that it comes with. Would this be an option do you think?

If you can find LEDs that will do the job, yeah why not?

But we expect a full photo-journal of the project