Model Railroading > Intermountain Cab Forward Problems

I recently picked up one of the Intermountain AC12 Cab Forwards with sound. This thing is junk. I'm wondering if I got a lemon or if there are others with the same problems. It is slower than a snail and the drivers have come off the axles and out of quarter. I called Intermountain and it sounds like there are others with this problem. I'm just curious how many. They wanted me to send it in for repairs but I don't trust them. I repaired the front drivers and it ran for five minutes and the rear drivers spun loose. Even if this issue is fixed there is still the slow speed problem. I tried tweaking CV's but it seems like there is no fixing the top speed issue.

They are basically a display model, they have a bunch of operational problems, the issues you mentioned are well known.........Joe

Those are junk. One member sent his back 3 times! They returned the first engine and basically a paper weight. The second engine troubles and never got it right. The other member same thing.

Here is the review:

http://www.santasusannadepot.org/reviews/INTM_CF_E.html

Santi

I too purchased an Intermountain cab forward. Very disappointing. It is basically a very expensive display piece. While it looks great, it runs very poorly. I have had trouble with derailments. However, a bigger problem is the front drivers binding up to the point they will not turn. Fix that, it runs a few yards and binds again.

Sound and detail are good.

I haven't been able to run mine enough without the finding problem to determine if it can pull a train.

I surely would not recommend this product or anything that is the companion Blue Line products. I bought an SD 9 - junk too.

SPB

Not sure why you don't trust InterMountain. I'd send it back for repairs if they offered. With luck some of these problems will be corrected in the next run.

> I surely would not recommend this product or
> anything that is the companion Blue Line products.
> I bought an SD 9 - junk too.
>
> SPB

Blue Line is NOT affiliated with Intermountain.

Blue Line is a product line of Broadway Limited (BLI).

That's a very challenging project for any company to take on, curious that it's a Colorado Company about to lose their shirt building a California icon.
Any remedies?

TCnR Wrote:
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> Any remedies?

Sure, buy the latest Rivarossi run, they might not be as detailed, but
you can't fault their running qualities with the new can motors and RP-25 flanges.
Believe it will be in a red box with the model designation being 5430 or 5426

Check it out here if you have adobe
www.walthers.com/page/ir31.pdf

Finderskeepers Wrote:
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> Sure, buy the latest Rivarossi run, they might not
> be as detailed, but
> you can't fault their running qualities with the
> new can motors and RP-25 flanges.

Has anybody actually seen a can-motor/RP-25 version perform yet, or will the forthcoming run of them be the first to be so equipped? If we IM malley owners get really desperate for durability, we might actually consider putting Rivarossi running gear underneath that lovely boiler --though that's probably MUCH easier said than done.

WB

Never seen a Rivarossi drive that was worth ...much.

> -----
> > Sure, buy the latest Rivarossi run, they might
> not
> > be as detailed, but
> > you can't fault their running qualities with
> the
> > new can motors and RP-25 flanges.
>
> Has anybody actually seen a can-motor/RP-25
> version perform yet, or will the forthcoming run
> of them be the first to be so equipped? If we IM
> malley owners get really desperate for durability,
> we might actually consider putting Rivarossi
> running gear underneath that lovely boiler
> --though that's probably MUCH easier said than
> done.
>
> WB

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Never seen a Rivarossi drive that was worth
> ...much.

Well, I've got the Rivarossi Big Boy and it runs quite well and is quiet. It will also manuever a No. 4 turunout yard ladder without any hesitation in speed etc.

And, it will pull the barn off (but it has traciton tires).

A friend has a about a 3% grade on a 180 degree curve trestle and we added cars until the power pack blew. About 30 cars!

But right now I need new traction tires and can't get them!

At one time Marklin made replacement traction tires in several sizes. You may want to look at a shop that sells Marklin stuff, they may have the traction tires. You should be able to find something close enough to fit the cab forward.

>Any remedies?<
To fix the front drivers I got the wheels back in gauge and quartered. I then used a tiny drop of AC on the inside of the wheel where the axle goes into the wheel. Be very careful with the brearing, DO NOT GLUE IT IN PLACE!!! I let that dry over night and filed the glue so the bearing had free movement then lubed it. That seems to have fixed the front. I now need to do the rear. It ran fine for about five minutes and the rear drivers spun loose. Once the rear is fixed I'll put it on the programming track again to see if I can fix the speed. That seems to be more of a low gear issue though? If I find a fix for that I'll post it here.

yes, I have one of these can motord engines, that is why I recommended it, it really is a good runner, and I have lots of brass and plastic to compare it to. Mine has the little stars in the center of the drive wheels, and small flanges.