Large Scale Central

Old Bachmann Porter pickups

Problem Solving
#1

I recently acquired an early Bachmann 0-4-0 porter. It has the side electrical pick up feet/pads/skids like an LGB porter does. I haven’t gotten a chance to run it yet but I’m feeling dubious about its performance just physically inspecting it. The one power pickup spring is so weak it pushes up and does not always descend and the other pickup pushes down so hard it WON"T always retract up in to the chassis.

I checked George Schreyer’s site but “no joy” does anyone know of any one or any web sites that discuss tweaking early Bachmann Porters. ?

Thanks,

Scott

#2

I have three 1:22.5 Bachmann Porters of various vintages. I have never seen nor heard of a Bachmann loco having skates. Are you sure it is Bachmann?

#3

The real early 0-4-0 side tank Porters had them. I just took mine off.

#4

Thanks Ken. I resized a close up photo of the engine’s pickups sitting on top of the original big hauler box for Joe to see but it won’t upload to freight shed today for some reason and I’ve no more time to fool with it.

The engine has a sticker on the bottom “3/93” and a note on the box says it was purchased in Nov. '94.

I could see the wheels had pickups as well as the skids. I applied power to all wheels and the skids and they all pick up and run the motor. I would like to try and get them floating better on the track for running across switches, etc. I’ll take it apart later and see what the one pickup may be hanging up on and maybe I can find some stronger springs to install as well.

S

#5

Scott,

I must admit that I must be wrong. Like I said this is the first time I ever heard of a B’mann loco with skates, but obviously it must be so.

Scott,

The unofficial Bachmann historian Bill Canelos published a history of the Bachmann Porters a few years ago. He makes no mention of sliders or skates. Nor do they appear in the photo of the first offering. I will attach his article here. I also posed this question on the Bachmann Large Scale forum.

#6

No worries Joe. Some of the really early Bmann locos were pretty ‘toy-like’. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips to improve performance of those early pickups.

#7

Scott,

I just got this reply to the question about skates I asked on the Bachmann Large Scale forum.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,30150.0.html

#8

It appears that there were at least 2 made that had the skates. Mine and Scott’s.

Here’s a picture of the slot it rode in before I removed them.

Bottom view:

And the reason I removed them was they were getting hung up on certain switches so I added a trailing truck and a fuel bunker to it and wired the trailing truck with wheel pick ups.

Since this one has never been converted to RC and batteries, it just sits on the shelf and collects dust and cobwebs…:wink:

#9

That’s interesting. He’s wrong though. My Bachmann Porter in its original Big Hauler box from 1993 has skates exactly as Ken Brunt said his does. Please. Let’s not argue over this.

#10

To fix your problem Scott, you could probably add heavier springs to them. Maybe some springs from a KD coupler.

#11

What’s to argue. Facts are stubborn things.

#12

I resized my closeup photo of the Porter and tried again to upload it to my freight shed but after I enter it in the box and press upload it just goes to a page that says “Page Not Found”.

#13

http://s1065.photobucket.com/user/flatrat1962/media/bachmann%20porter/bachmann%20porter%20pickup_zpscywwzg73.jpg.html

Maybe this will work.

#14

Scott, post that same URL in the box with the mountain in it. It should show up then.

#15

I’m tellin’…Scott broke the freight shed

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

BTW…the Bachmann motor block I used for Bobby the boxcab had skates on it as well.

#16

I was able to upload two pictures of the Bachmann porter and the original box it came in but only on my profile. If anyone really cares to see a Bachmann porter with its original sliding pickups they can click on my avatar to go to my profile photo albums. Gotta get back to work now.

S

#17

Here it is by golly! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#18

Scott W. said:

That’s interesting. He’s wrong though. My Bachmann Porter in its original Big Hauler box from 1993 has skates exactly as Ken Brunt said his does. Please. Let’s not argue over this.

Scott,

No argument. I’m convinced. I posted your Porter photo here and on the Bachmann forum for their edification. Thanks for taking the time to clear this up. I’m anxious to see how they explain it over in Bachmann land! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#19

Steve Featherkile said:

What’s to argue. Facts are stubborn things.

Steve,

These skated Porters are like the “missing link”. I’m all excited! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#20

Yeah, they look like knuckle draggers. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)