# Need some tip/help



## Sbear0 (10 mo ago)

I have too have been away from model railroading.. I was at work show/ swap, bought a used Bachmann 484 steam engine, it said it needed work!! Placed it on my for now temporary test work track, it runs ok with no load!! curious if it may need some gears or motor what is a good place to look for any parts available and still reasonable price! 
Thanks Scott


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## Roy Merritt (10 mo ago)

Hi Sbear0, welcome back to to model railroading. Since it runs, I wouldn't do anything to it other than clean the wheels and make sure the pickups are all working. If it makes some grinding noises, doesn't run smoothly, etc., then you might want to open it up and clean the moving parts as best you can and then lube them. You may be able to find instructions on Bachmann's website or get some pointers here or on YouTube. I wouldn't worry about replacing motor or gears unless you are having major issues and troubleshooting leads you to believe those are the culprit. 

The best rule of thumb I think I've heard about locomotive maintenance came from a Peco employee that worked on the display layout at Peco's corporate HQ. When asked how often they do maintenance on their locomotives hi said, "when they break." This came from Charlie Bishop who has a YouTube channel called Chadwick Model Railway. One of the few that I follow.


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