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A.C.M.E. in Italy


MichaelE
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I've been needing two driveshafts for an ACME Br.120 locomotive for over a year now. 

 

I've tried contacting ACME directly through email and even translated it to Italian for their benefit but to date I have never received a reply after three attempts at contact.

 

I wrote to MLS in Germany as I do a lot of business with them and their reply was that they can't get spare parts from ACME either and ACME will not respond to email.

 

Has anyone beside me been met with this poor of customer service from ACME?

 

A chap I know in Paris is sending me two from an ACME Br.185 locomotive he is dismantling so for now (if they make it to the States) my problem is solved.  I would be very wary of ever buying an ACME locomotive and I know I will never purchase another.

Edited by MichaelE
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Hi Michael,

That’s a most unfortunate story, I’m sorry for you.

Seeing as ACME are probably made in China, what about components from other manufacturers, might they fit?

Brawa, Piko, Athearn, Atlas - as far as I know most of the assembly’s used in these models are quite compatible.

 I only have one ACME model, a Br.120 too as it happens but it’s inaccessible at the moment so I can’t check, sorry.

Cheers,

John

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I've looked at Athearn, Roco, and Bachmann. Athearn and Roco do not list specifications for their spare parts, only the part number that fits the locomotive for which you need the part. No help there.

 

Bachmann however, does list the length of their driveshafts, but none are close enough to be useable.

 

I'll have to wait until the pair arrives from France. At least they are the correct parts.

 

I was watching a video from a couple of years back on the Nurmberg Toy Fair and a couple of responders had the same experience with ACME as I have had. 

 

What is really strange is that they have many spare parts listed on their web site for a wide variety of their products. Just no way to get them.

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Drive shafts are easy to modify.   Plastic tube with an inside diameter similar to the od of the drive shaft some glue and Bob’s your mother’s aunt!  I’ve used Heljan shafts to replace a broken Roco one.  Post some dimensions or pics if you want some guidance. HTH

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I have also tried to contact ACME via their Italian website with regard to a manufacturing defect and got no response. The model has issues with a defective close coupling and as it carries power between cars I didn't want to mess with it. They should really have a better after sales service. I hope you can modify or fix your model successfully. 

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Sorry to hear that you are having a customer service problem with them too. 

 

The driveshafts arrived from France, and though that fixed that issue, the broken driveshafts were but a symptom of a problem in the truck gearing. This I haven't yet fully diagnosed, but if not for the new driveshafts I would not have known there was another underlying problem that caused the failure to begin with.

 

I hope you are able to somehow get your problem fixed. No more ACME for me.

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