Large Scale Central

Bachman 4-6-0s

Modeling
#1

I have three 4-6-0s and started putting one together to put back in service.

They have come from swap meets and yard sales over the past 10 years. All of them run (for now) and I’m putting a Virginia & Truckee together to run on the club layout. It lost a couple parts to a dust devil two years ago but I can get those from the other two.

It won’t be getting Barry’s transplant but I figure it will run for awhile since all three drive trains are working and as one dies I’ll just put the next one in.

I have two questions. One concerns age. All three are not exactly the same. Two have two side windows in the cab and an engineer. The third, I discovered today, has three windows and no engineer. Is that an early version?

Are there any simple updates that can be done to make it look more “at home” pn the layout? I’ve just never really liked the look.

#2

I believe the two-window cab is a “wooden version” and the 3-window is “steel”. I do not believe they are necessarily different ages.

#3
Doug Arnold said:
... Are there any simple updates that can be done to make it look more "at home" pn the layout? I've just never really liked the look.
I'm with you here...I know they are loved by many but the proportions always looked "off" to me. I have spent considerable time trying to "improve" the looks of my Annie. Two total re-paints, new cab/ballon stack, scale diecast tender trucks, real wood load, body mounted coupler...And I have finally come to the conclusion I just don't like it. :)

To each their own eh? I am thinking of using it as the base for a complete bash, just don’t know what yet.

#4

Doug go to the Bachmann forum and ask this question. A fellow named Loco Bill will chime in with your answers.

#5

Doug,
Mark is correct. Two window is the “wood” cab and usually came with the fluted domes.
Three window is the “steel” cab and usually came with the rounded domes.

What don’t you like about the “look” ? Hard to suggest any changes without knowing.
Ralph

#6

If you have ever been to the Tweetsie Railroad in N C , and seen old number 12 come around the curve to the station , you will crack your face in a giant smile , and you will know where Bachmann found their locomotive to build , number 12 was a ET&WNC rr locomotive , and even Finescale Railroader has written that Bachmann did a fine job of produceing it , I agree .

#7

I agree too, Dennis.
And I had a big grin on my face at Tweetsie too :wink:
Ralph

#8

Can someone post a picture of #12? Maybe I’d feel better if I saw a picture of it! The one I found on the website doesn’t show much!

Who built that engine?

#9

I’m pretty sure Ralph has a couple. He’ll be glad to post them when he gets a chance.

The number plate on my Big Hauler says Baldwin built it, but I don’t know how true that is…:wink:

#10

Thanks Ken. Actually it will probably be after he dries out! I just saw a couple notes on Facebook. We’d be happy to get some!

#11

It is indeed a Baldwin…

http://highcountryhost.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/tweetsie-railroad.jpg/

#12

I agree with the folks who feel it looks fine; I don’t get what the problems are with its looks. I especially like the B&O configuration and paint job with the spokes lined in white, don’t own one of these tho’…

I thought the two-window cab was meant to resemble a narrow gauge loco, and the three-window version was meant to look like a standard gauge job.

My understanding is that Bachmann never came out and actually declared what scale it was supposed to be. So here we have the theory that one set of dies and a few switches in details like stacks and domes and cabsides - and I guess tenders or tender details as well - pretty much resulted in both: narrow and standard-gauge locos, but of course in two different resulting scales, whatever these scales might work out to. The narrow gauge version, would be a considerably larger scale than the standard gauge one. And the cab windows would probably be significantly bigger as well, I guess…(?)

On my pike, the Old Late and Slow, we usually go with the old timey look, so my two ten-wheelers have the balloon stacks and the two-window cabs, but I only run them with B’Mann passenger gear. They look ENORMOUS to my eyes next to Bachmann freightcars.

I expect my olde worlde locos to be fairly small, so I usually run Kalamazoo or Delton or Hartland 4-4-0’s etc., and small switchers, and that’s what I’ve become used to looking at. I have no plans to make the shift to 1:20, BTW - too heavily invested in the smaller stuff, and my backyard is quite small too.

My two B’manns have become very pretty, and very large-seeming, shelf queens…

#13
John Le Forestier said:
...They look ENORMOUS to my eyes next to Bachmann freightcars...
I think it looks far too big pulling the passenger cars it usually came with too. All subjective though eh? The Bachmann passenger cars are nearly identical in size to the LGB car, and we know the LGB car is significantly compressed.

This may be the reason I do not like the engine, in my eyes it looks positively ridiculous pulling the “Big Hauler” stock it came with. I think it actually looks pretty good pulling AMS coaches or any 1:20.3 freight. I’ll see if I can’t post some pics…

#14

The pilot truck is the problem: it’s WAY too long, so the Annie can negotiate R1 curves. And then to compensate for the long pilot truck they lengthened the firebox. At least that’s my opinion. I downscaled my annie to make it look more standard gage: IMHO shortening the pilot truck and firebox made the biggest difference. In the pic below the cab/lowered domes make it look standard gage, but the shortened pilot and smokebox to my eyes fix the overall look.

(http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/annie/progress21a.jpg)

I think the boiler taper is too extreme as well, but that’s less of an issue. I still think the Annie is the best buy in large scale, especially since they upgraded the drive and pilot truck mount

#15
Mark V said:
I think it actually looks pretty good pulling AMS coaches or any 1:20.3 freight. I'll see if I can't post some pics...
Yup. Kinda' makes you wonder if they didn't have 1:20 in mind all along, doesn't it?

Nowadays they seem to be liquidating all their 1:22 stock as fast as they can, and 1:20 hereby anointed to become the new normal. To those entering the hobby now, welcome and I’m happy for you (except for the prices!)

As for me, well, I think back to the 1:24 days, guys, when you knew where you stood, sort of, an dthat was on 42" gauge track, for better or worse… I could live with it. And I liked those days just fine, thank you.

What a silly old fart I must seem…

#16

John, I have not bought into the 1/20 thing, I had too much 1/22.5 and 1/24 stuff to make the switch and couldn’t afford it if I wanted too, I’m only too happy to pick up close outs on the older Bachmann stock and Aristo Classics. Shortening the pilot truck and pilot makes a big difference as shown in this before and after shot

(http://www.raccooncrkrwy.com/pilotB-A.jpg)

It will still negotiate a 4 1/2’ radius curve and with the changes looks a lot more like the prototype.

(http://www.raccooncrkrwy.com/etwnc11x.jpg)

#17

I agree that shortening the pilot does make a big difference. I see some saw work in my near future!

#18

I’ve always liked this picture of #12. Found on the web somewhere years ago…

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jrad/_forumfiles/Tweetsie800.JPG)

#19

That picture just confirms how much better it looks if the 4-6-0 gets a shortened pilot.

#20

One of the easiest ways to improve the bug mauler’s appearance is to shorten the overhang on the pilot, then take at least 1/2" off smokebox extension. That Master Mechanic front end is just too long to look right… even if it is prototypical.