Large Scale Central

Questions on the Bachmann 45ton switcher

General Discussion
#1

Since I have not seen one of these in person I would like a little info from those who have. My layout is all 1:22.5 scale (LGB), which makes it just about impossible to run any of the USA Trains engines (1.29) and other engines that are not my scale size, they just don’t look correct for my liking. I pretty much compare other engines to my LGB Alco’s and the #50 switcher which I know are a odd size compared to others. I guess if I was starting all over again I would go with the USA Trains scale of 1.29, but just not going to do that at this point. So this brings me to the question how does the Bachmann 45ton switcher match up to the LGB Alco’s, like White Pass and Rio Grande engines. I’d like a good answer by a modeler who looks and scale and size, not so much if the couplers match up and just running trains for the hobby fun. I did watch a video on YouTube on the 45toner and they personally thought the switcher was over sized for the 1:20.3 scale which will make too large for the LGB scale. Just your thoughts on this would be appreciated, thanks, and yes, size matters. Pics of my new switching layout under construction below.

trainman

#2

John -

The Bachmann 45 Ton loco will dwarf your LGB equipment. It is a 1.20.3 scale model of a standard gauge switcher, re-gauged to 3 foot (45mm track). It looks large even on a 1:20.3 layout which is probably why it didn’t sell very well until pricing dropped to blow them out under $100. I have two of them that I really like, but they push the clearance limits on my indoor layout. I’ll take a picture or two with a ruler so you can get a better idea of size. I’ll post them here later today.

#3

Jon is right on. I left mine 1:20.3 standard gauge. I built a few standard gauge cars to go with them.

Unless you chop them down a bit, they will look out of place at the head end of an 1:22.5 (LGB) train.

I’m working on one now, turning it into 7/8 (2 foot). All it needs is a larger cab to get that done.

#4

Jon Radder said:

John -

The Bachmann 45 Ton loco will dwarf your LGB equipment. It is a 1.20.3 scale model of a standard gauge switcher, re-gauged to 3 foot (45mm track). It looks large even on a 1:20.3 layout which is probably why it didn’t sell very well until pricing dropped to blow them out under $100. I have two of them that I really like, but they push the clearance limits on my indoor layout. I’ll take a picture or two with a ruler so you can get a better idea of size. I’ll post them here later today.

Well pretty much what I thought, I have another #50 switcher and two more LGB Alco’s, but was hopping not to have more engines of the same type. Since LGB only really made two American style diesel engines, yes different paint schemes, but pretty much the same I don’t really have much other to choose from. Two engines on my layout are really enough and they both run RailPro which I’m totally happy with. Checkout my Bachmann Switch Stands witch I talked about in another post, I going the put Ozark Miniatures Lanterns on 5-6 of them and light them with LED’s just to give some a different look, thanks again for you info.

trainman

#5

45 Ton Size pics.

Just under 18" Long to outside of couplers. Just under 7" tall over the rail head. 5.5" wide.

#6

Be advised, the pickup design of the 45 tonner is not dependable, it uses pins that drop with gravity to contact copper strips, and fail frequently. I had to take mine apart and hard wire the contacts for dependable operation. Same system used on Bachman Heisler as well.

Jerry

#7

I have one and agree that it is “huge” in comparison with all of my other Bachmann narrow gauge engines. I rarely run it but I do like its looks and it runs well.

I intend to cut it down in a manner similar to the one done by Kevin Strong. He also has a brief article in the August 2014 GR titled Building Center Cabs.

#8

Jerry has a good point. I planned on writing an article on my method to upgrade the trucks, took all the pictures as I did a set, but never wrote the article. Pictures can be found at http://lsc.cvsry.com/44TonTruck/ or you can download the entire set from http://lsc.cvsry.com/44TonTruck/45TonTruckFix.zip

Sample from the set…

#9

Nice work, Jon, may be neater then mine! I still have to do the front truck on the Heisler, not sure how to get into the guts, the rear was easy due to it being under the tender

Jerry

#10

I have one which I used for a short time during an early period of my layout, when my only steam loco wasn’t working. I’ve been saving it, and someday I intend to kitbash it into a 1/24th scale narrow gauge end-cab loco.

#11

John Lenheiser said:

I did watch a video on YouTube on the 45toner and they personally thought the switcher was over sized for the 1:20.3

trainman

Hmm, just for fun, let’s do some 6am playing with math.
(which is a thing I am normally VERY far from doing)

EDIT; 5am ! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)sometime between yesterday and this morning this thing added an hour to its clock)

Jon measured his at 5.5 inches wide.

Model is 1/20.3 scale

5.5 times 20.3 would equal a real one being — 111.65 inches wide.

or, divided by 12 for how many inches in a foot, 9.6 feet wide, that being 9 feet 7 inches and a fraction.

A museum who have one give their 1942 version as being,

“The locomotive is 28 feet, 4 inches long and weighs 90,000 lbs. It is 9 feet, 6 inches wide, and twelve feet high.”

https://classic.txtransportationmuseum.org/collection-1942-ge-45-ton-switcher.php

Let’s look at the length,

4 inches is 1/3 of a 12 inch foot, so, 28ft 4in can be called 28.33 feet.

28.33 times 12 inches in a foot = call it the real deal is right at 340 inches long.

340 inches divided by 20.3 scale = the model should be around 16 and 3/4 inches long.

Jon measured his model as “Just under 18” Long to outside of couplers."

Let’s look at the height,

Twelve feet high is easy, 12ft times 12 inches per foot = 144 inches high.

144 divided by 20.3 = 7.09 inches

“Jon measured his at " Just under 7” tall over the rail head"

Hmm, I really have to wonder where the YouTube video makers got their idea the model is too big???

#12

Here is a video of mine on my layout. It is a big loco. It will not go through the tunnel portal into my train shed, as it is too wide.

#13

I use my 45 tonner and a caboose to test loading gauge, when I’m modifying the railroad. If it fits, everything else I own will.

#14

LGB Davenport (D&RGW) I thought was a narrow guage engine. Other American diesels are the F7, Alco and Genesis.

#15

Bob McCown said:

I use my 45 tonner and a caboose to test loading gauge, when I’m modifying the railroad. If it fits, everything else I own will.

Yep. A self powered clearance gauge! However, because if it’s short wheelbase it will sneak around close objects on curves that longer loco and/or rolling stock will not. It’s great for height and width though!

#16

Simply pull your longest car with it and everything should check out as a go/ no go, didn’t think that part through when I built my tunnel and double stack containers just barely don’t fit, need to operate on trackbed a bit. So far the RR has been operating on a no double stack policy

#17

I bought one of these because I needed a standard gauge locomotive to use as a test mule for my dual gauge trackage and switches until I finish my standard gauge 0-6-0. I model primarily in 1/24 so 1/20.3 narrow gauge equipment is close to 1/24 standard gauge. I wanted something that would be easy to regauge and this proved to be a good choice. In 1/24 standard gauge is 2 3/8" in round numbers. Here is my dual gauge yard

Regauging the trucks was easy enough, the wheels attach with screws into the end of the axles. I made spacers the right length and retapped the axle holes to 2-56 as I didn’t have any metric screws long enough. The brake gear needed spacers as well.

Since the loco is too modern for my era it is not considered to be on the roster so it won’t get a number or road lettering. Here it is climbing a 3% grade on the standard gauge main en route to the yard.

It was not my intention to modify the locomotive to 1/24 scale but I did lower the cab and hoods by 3/8" as I wanted to make sure it would fit in my staging tunnel

Here is a shot with a 1/24 figure, with the cab and hood lowered he doesn’t look too over whelmed

The hoods were cut down so the access door bottoms were even with the deck, to preserve the cab side access doors I just let the cab sides extend down over the frame.

To get the height down I also milled away some of the truck mounting bosses to lower the frame, I didn’t take any in progress shots. I also did not put the hand railings back on as again this is purely a test instrument.

Here is a photo with it coupled to my transparent 40’ Standard gauge boxcar body sitting next to a 30’ narrow gauge car.

The clear bottom in the car made it real easy to find trouble spots in the track work

I hope this doesn’t give anyone bad ideas (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#18

As it happens, lowered cabs are a thing on GE 45 tonners; these are later models without the side-rod drive;

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/nezp7114.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/slgwDS3.jpg

And at the other end of the spectrum, there are also raised cab 45 tonners,

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-o/onc8ads.jpg

#19

The 45 ton locomotives were in some ways influenced by Union agreements. The siderods indicate that the locomotive had only one traction motor per truck. We have one Real 45 tonner here in Ottawa.

If the locomotive had two motors per truck, it influenced certain union agreements. They also have two rather small prime movers, one under each hood, which can afect any true sound system applied to the model, if anyone cares.

I have two of the models. Kadee offered a rather simple conversion, which is much closer to reality than the choice Gary made…but the one Gary chose does look good.

I have no plans to put mine into service, unless one of the guys around here will convert them for me to self contained R/C Battery…I don’t want sound/noise…!!! They are already lettered for the IPP&W (Modern scheme) and are at this time waiting on number boards, to complete the lettering.

They are interesting locomotives, worth having a representation on my shelf.

Fred Mills

#20

When I started out in 2005 these locos, in the UK. were being sold at bargain prices, I thought a good idea to own one.

However, my dealer, knew that I was new into large scale, put me off from buying one. Knowing that I had some 1,22,5 Big Hauler stock and some 1.29 Aristo he said it was a big loco. He was right, I eventually saw one elsewhere. That dealer wasn,t so honest as he thought it most suitable for my pike. I never bought one and buy anything from him.