Okay, I got 2 sets of ABBA sharks made by ER models who are no more but as I understand it Bachmann did the actual manufacturing of these engines. The first ABBA set I bought are okay. Not the best engines I have and certainly not in the same category as my LifeLike FA/B 1's but not the worst engines I ever bought either. They are serviceable for my intended uses. The second set I got on a sale from Micro Mark and these are decidely some real sick puppies. My question is what recourse do I have. Does Bachmann repair these things or am I a victim of "buyer beware"? Also the wheelbase on these is 28' 2". The closest wheelbase that I can find for other locomotives is a 27' 2" wheelbase for a FA1 or a 29' 2" wheelbase for a FA2. One foot either way. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Could you specify "really sick"? I remember that someone in a German forum was also very unhappy with his sharks, but I never found out what was exactly the problem. He almost flamed me when I wrote that mine were okay . I have several sharks in PRR single stripe and five stripe, all but one in E-R packaging (the single was a cheap buy on ebay.de), and they all run quite well. Real noisy due to the low gearing but nothing else to complain of. So I wonder what your engines might have. I remember vaguely that someone wrote about the proper drive for JnJ (??) shark shells, but forgot all details about it. Maybe a search (here or on Google) might help.
Well, two of the ABBA units do not run at all. I worked on these all last weekend and still no go. The other two have a huge speed miss match and emit the worst noise, far in excess of the other ABBA set which when run on filtered DC make no noise what so ever unless the speed is cranked up and then a gear whine is heard. The noise from the two units that do run is not a gear whine. As for the JNJ shells these were for the old plastic frame LifeLike FA2's and required modification of the two lead weights. LifeLike did do a run of newer split frame FA2's but I think the modifications needed to fit the shell to the chassis is more complicated.
The Sharks do have an improved mechanism from the normal Bachmann F units. You may try calling Bachmann if you need replacement motors & etc. They may need cleaning from over oiling. Mine were OK.
I have a NYC ABBA lightning stripe set that I really like, as well as a D&H AA set. These engines require more work out of the box than any other diesels I've bought! However, once running well, they're a delight. I found that the biggest problem was that once the wheels were put into guage (all the wheels were way too tight) the brake mouldings on the side frames rub on the wheels. With two of them it was really severe. This required filing this area until there was no contact. Once done, the running speeds evened out and the draw bar pull increased significantly. Installing MT couplers is also an adventure! There are some threads here that I found very helpful. By comparison the FA and IM F unit installs are a breeze. However, once all of that was done, I've got six very nice running engines that pull great. My D&H AA's have no problem pulling 20 cars (and look gorgeous!), and the NYC ABBA setup will pull all the loaded 33' hoppers I own (35). With a little fiddling (o.k., a LOT of fiddling These are great looking and very nice running engines. They are also the noisiest engines I own, but their "growl" at low speed is kind of cool and I tell my visitors it's because of the turbochargers. Bob
The ER Shark mechanism is far superior to that of the Bachmann F-7. It even has flywheels that have been balanced. The only feature I dislike on the Sharks is the pickup between truck and frame. It doesn't work well and is prone to maladjustment, dirt, and breakage.
Inkaneer - The "Shark" units have gone through many hands. They have been marketed by Model Power, ER and Bachmann. The newest version is the Bachmann with DCC installed. I own two D&H A units and a NYC A-B set, all with DCC. I also have an earlier ER PRR A unit without DCC. The ER unit runs fine.The Bachmanns with DCC are excellent. They are quiet, powerfull and best of all inexpensive! I have compared the D&H's to a pair of custom painted brass units a guy in my railroad club has and they are quieter just as powerfull and the detail is almost as good. I would recommend these to anyone.
