Large Scale Central

Bachmann Mogul Bash - Opinions?

Modeling
#1

Hi all I haven’t been around much of late due to my work taking me overseas for a bit, but have had some time back in the workshop and am attacking the latest offering from Evil Bay, a Bachmann old time mogul. It is such a pretty engine, but very small and I wanted something a little more modernised, such as what the NCNG did to their 4-4-0s and moguls. I’ve started on a couple of changes, but was hoping you nice folk would give me your opinions on a couple of things. Firstly, here is how it is progressing.

I was originally going to make a new steel cab for it, but I had a leftover Delton C16 cab and surprisingly it fitted very well after opening up the boiler slot in the cab front. Initially it looked a little tall, but took a bit over 1/4" off the bottom and it looks OK in proportion I think, but would like to hear what you think. Also, it is just a tad short, so am not sure whether I should make it slightly longer, though that would take a bit of work. Secondly is the tender. Also from my old Delton C16 I have the tender body available, so thought I would just have a look and see how that fits, and sure enough, it is very close. But I’m not sure whether to ditch the original body and go with the new one. Here is what it looks like with the delton tender.

I know its a bit hard to see with all the crap on my modelling bench (but hey, I know its all there…), but happy to hear what people reckon (and no, I’m not going back to the original guise!). Cheers Tony

#2

I think the proportions of the bottom picture look pretty good. What scale rolling stock do you plan on running it with? The Delton tender will look tiny in 1:20.3, but should fit right in in 1:22 or 1:24.

#3

The Delton tender is actually a bit larger than the stock tender, which is pretty small as tenders go. (Approximately a 1200-gallon capacity tender). It doesn’t look half bad behind the 2-6-0, really, but personally, I’d be tempted to add a bit of width to the tender. You can do that easily enough by cutting the tender down the middle and just adding some more material to the center (or getting a second tender and joining them). For the loco, I think a steel cab would be more apropos. Nothing a bit of embossed styrene over the Delton cab can’t replicate, but you also might want to look at a Big Hauler cab. It’s also a pretty good fit. Replacing the fluted domes with round domes would also give it a more modern look.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/TRR2/TRR231.jpg)

Okay, I know I also modernized the boiler on this one, but it gives you some food for thought… Later, K

#4

Thanks Jon and Kevin

It’s certainly a small loco given how well the 1:24 cab and tender fit, but it does fit well with my 1:22.5 rollingstock. I do like the proportions of the loco with the delton cab and tender, but hear what you say Kevin. I really should do a steel cab as I have another couple to do for the c16 and c21 bashes that are in the pipeline. I even bought a nwsl embosser after seeing Bruce Chandler’s wonderful work on the ebt mike. Still, I would lime to keep the “done on the cheap” look of the NCNG locos, so will probably stick with the old time domes. BTW Kevin, your mogul was the inspiration for this project, you do some amazing work!

Cheers
Tony

#5

Hmm . . . here’s a way of looking at it . . . steam locos were kind of evolutionary beasts - this could be one captured during the years between “factory standard” and where Kevin’s is.
I like it.

#6

Hi all Sorry I have been quiet of late. My work saw me on several overseas trips last year plus I am working on a OO scale UK based layout in my garage, so haven’t had to much time for outdoor pursuits. Still, I have been pottering on the mogul from time to time. Taking Kevin’s advice, and following Bruce’s lead, I built a new steel cab with the NWSL embosser proving to be a god send. Some shots of the cab under construction:

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1230/img5779800.jpg)

and

(http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/8797/img5781800.jpg)

The mighty embosser

(http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/7010/img5782800.jpg)

and the results from it

(http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/2308/img5783800.jpg)

I also widened the Delton tender as suggested, so this is what it looked like on the layout prior to final detailing and painting.

(http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/263/img5794800.jpg)

Over the last week I spent a few nights finishing it off and on Saturday it went through the paint shop and received some light weathering. Following from what Kevin has previously posted online and in print, I used some satin paint in a shade called night shadow, not pure black, but very close to it. Here are the end results.

(http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5069/img0166800.jpg)

(http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2752/img0167800.jpg)

(http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/6323/img0169800.jpg)

I’m very happy with the way its turned out and it runs perfectly with the RCS Pro series R/C and sub C NiMHs. Happy to hear comments, criticisms etc. CheersTony

#7

Very sharp.
I like it.
Even though the round domes would be more modern, I like the fluted domes and kept them as well when I replaced the wood cab on my Annie.
Ralph

#8

Tony,
excellent model. While there may have been no exact prototype for a ‘modernised’ Mogul, many have been petitioning Bachmann to release a modernised generic Mogul, based on their excellent Spectrum model. Alas, all we got were a couple of very expensive repaints.

     For minimal tooling costs,  a 'new' release could have hit the market.  Possibly,  some of their existing tooling from other releases, could have been utilised at minimal upfront cost.  A 'transition' loco like the Mogul,  while actually 1/20.3 scale is a good market item as 1/22.5 and possibly 1/24 scale devotees could adapt to it.  Try running a 1/20.3 scale K-27 or even a Connie with 1/22.5 scale rolling stock.  Not everyone is going to make the switchover to 1/20.3 scale.
#9

Wow tony, that came out great !

#10

Beautiful job!
I might have to do something with my Bach mogul.

#11
Tim Brien said:
Tony, excellent model. While there may have been no exact prototype for a 'modernised' Mogul, many have been petitioning Bachmann to release a modernised generic Mogul, based on their excellent Spectrum model. Alas, all we got were a couple of very expensive repaints. 
     For minimal tooling costs,  a 'new' release could have hit the market.  Possibly,  some of their existing tooling from other releases, could have been utilised at minimal upfront cost.  A 'transition' loco like the Mogul,  while actually 1/20.3 scale is a good market item as 1/22.5 and possibly 1/24 scale devotees could adapt to it.  Try running a 1/20.3 scale K-27 or even a Connie with 1/22.5 scale rolling stock.  Not everyone is going to make the switchover to 1/20.3 scale.</blockquote>

You’re right there Tim. While I have a lot of 1:20.3 rolling stock I do not like how it looks being pulled behind my Bachmann 4-4-0 or Mogul…Scale or not. I do however love to pull my LGB wood-side box cares behind the 1:20.3 Bachmann American/Mogul. I also think the 4-4-0 is perfect for pulling Bachmann coaches as the Annie appears to big for the job!

Seems like a good oportunity for some cross-scale sales!

#12

Thanks all

It is a small loco for 1:20.3 scale, so really looks the part in front of the 1:22.5 Bachmann equipment and you are right Mark, it looks tops on the front of the Bachmann varnish.

I used photos of Nevada County Narrow Gauge No. 5 (a 2-6-0) and No.7 (a 4-4-0) as the basis for the bash. So while not one exact prototype, it has the look and feel (I hope!) of the NCNG fixer upper modernised loco.

Cheers
Tony

#13

Very nice! How’d you do the down-turned ends on the roof? They look great. I’m at that stage on a steel cab I’m doing on a 2-8-0, and I’ve got some ideas based on past locos, but I’m still not 100% sold they’re the best way forward.

Later,

K

#14
Kevin Strong said:
Very nice! How'd you do the down-turned ends on the roof? They look great. I'm at that stage on a steel cab I'm doing on a 2-8-0, and I've got some ideas based on past locos, but I'm still not 100% sold they're the best way forward.

Later,

K


Thanks Kevin

You provided a lot of the inspiration with your locos, I wish I could weather as good as you, but more practice needed.

The roof is a double layer 40 thou bottom layer with a 20 thou top layer which has the rivets in. The 40 thou was formed over a pipe and wood former to the roof profile by submerging in boiling water first, taping down the soft plastic and letting set. It took a couple of goes to get the right shape, and I make it bigger first then trim down otherwise you don’t get a good rolled edge. Mine is still not perfect, but it was ok after sanding and painting.

Cheers
Tony

#15

Hi Tony:

Excellent work. The later era round domes are actually higher pressure steam domes as the boiler pressure was later increased as boiler construction technology improved. The sand dome of course was designed with the same style as the steam dome.

Mark, you are correct this 1:20.3 loco looks perfect with the 1:24 and 1:22.5 rolling stock, although viewing historic photographs shows that the 1:22.5 Bachmann J&S coaches are actually too small for this loco. But hey, without the historic photographs before us everything appears correct. The 4-4-0 version of this loco is what I use with my 1:24 rolling stock and looks just fine, to me, sitting next to my 1:24 C-16 loco.

I guess Lee Riley thinks of these things in order to bring a loco to a broad a customer base as possible.
Really neat as to how the Delton C-16 1:24 cab and tender shell fit in so nice with the 1:20.3 loco.

Norman

#16

That came out great. Nice job.

#17

Nice job Tony! It looks Great!!

#18

Hi all

Thanks for all the comments. I’ve done up a video of the loco in action and the new high line which I will post in the General Discussion section.

Cheers
Tony

#19

Looks great!