# Doodlebug gear damage



## graywolf06 (Aug 14, 2019)

I have a Bachmann Doodlebug with at least one cracked gear. I would like to replace the gears instead of buying completely assembled axles with the gears installed. I see that one wheel on each axle has an isolating plastic bushing installed. The question is which wheel should I remove to change the gear---the one with the bushing or the other?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

First of all, look at your parts availability. No matter what you want to do, if the parts aren't available, you'll have to replace the smallest assembly that does have parts.

Next question is are you saving anything other than a few bucks by pulling a wheel? The tradeoff of time vs money might not be worth it. I'm not familiar with the details of that loco, but since I'd imagine you have to pull the whole wheelset anyway, I'm not sure what you're saving, labor wise. You probably don't want to be yanking on a wheel while the other end of the axle is seated on a bearing surface anyway.

As a practical matter if the insulating segment (what you're calling the bushing) is flush with the axle, then it doesn't matter. If the gear isn't centered, pull the wheel that the gear is closest to. If it is, then whichever wheel comes off more easily.


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## graywolf06 (Aug 14, 2019)

Thanks for your reply CT. The wheels and axle with the gear lift right out of the truck. Since I could see the crack in the gear and it was loose on the axle I made up a simple jig with some screws attached to my wood vise. Then by just backing out the vise the wheel with the plastic insulator bushing just came off. I ordered the replacement gears from NWSL. Prior to removing the wheel and gear I took precise measurements with a Vernier and Mike as to the location of the gear in relationship to the wheels. Now I just have to wait. Thanks again, Paul


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## graywolf06 (Aug 14, 2019)

All is good! The gears came from NWSL in 3 days and I was able to press it on using a vise. The difficult part was trying to get my 77 year old fingers to work with the small stuff. She's up and running without the hop, skip and jump as before.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Awesome! Glad to hear a success story. Doesn't surprise me that NWSL came through, either. They're a great supplier of repair / upgrade parts.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Kudos for doing it the right way and just changing the broke gear!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The HO Bachmann Doodlebug is a fun addition to a layout.
It has a lot of 'charm' and 'character' and is highly
detailed including the interior.

I especially enjoyed mine since it brought memories of
an identical real Doodlebug (we called it the Dinky) that ran
from Chester to Mt. Vernon, Illinois on the then Missouri
Pacific.

Don


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## graywolf06 (Aug 14, 2019)

DonR said:


> The HO Bachmann Doodlebug is a fun addition to a layout.
> It has a lot of 'charm' and 'character' and is highly
> detailed including the interior.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind replies from all of you. As you say the 'BUG' is a real charmer especially the sound of the bell. With the Digitrax SDxn136 decoder I can adjust the bell frequency and the 'BUG' sounds like an old fashion trolley bell if some of you remember that sound. I added interior LED strip lighting and passengers so that adds to the drama also. Thanks for your support it was a fun mod.


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## signature65 (Sep 13, 2021)

Hey guys sorry to revive an old thread. But I had the same cracked gears and now during reassembly I can’t keep the metal axles from contacting the metal power truck block which is shorting it out. Anyone else have a similar issue during reassembly? Thanks.


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