Bachmann 20 Ft. Freight Car Scale Size

[RkyGriz]

Hi. I just received 4 new Bachmann cars that I bought on Ebay last week. The only cost $112.00 after tax and shipping costs.
They included the updated D&RG "Rico" Observation Car,and the rare #220 coach.

Both feature track powered lighting,and metal hand rails.
The other 2 cars are a C&S 20 ft. Gondola, and an unlettered 20 ft. box car. Both of these cars feature body mounted knuckle couplers, and 24.5mm metal wheels.
Both of the freight cars (as are the passenger cars) are beautiful, and unrun.
I bought the set of four solely for the rare #220 coach.

I haven't seen a #220 coach on Ebay in quite awhile, and they usually go for more than I'm willing to pay for a single car.
The last one that I saw went for over $80.00.

The aggregate price per each works out to $28.10 per car!

Not too bad,eh?
So,obviously, the 2 freight cars are way smaller than the majority of my other rolling freight stock,which is Aristocraft,Bachmann,Lionel,and a single USA Trains Outside Braced Box car (V&T).

I'm thinking about offering the two freight cars ,and possibly the updated Rico Observation car on Ebay,but I'm uncertain of what scale the freight cars are cast in.
I was just wondering if anybody knows and would be kind enough to answer the question.
Thanks!

 

[trammayo]

I don't think that freight stock (with bogie trucks and small diameter wheels) would have been supplied like you decribe. Have you tried to see if the coupling heights match to other "conventional" stock? The box car doesn't look like a Bachmann type to me - probably someone has either altered the stock of another manufacturer or I need to add to my learning curve

 

[Gavin Sowry]

That stuff is fair dinkum, Mick. Seen it in the flesh. Let's just say, it is different.

 

[RkyGriz]

Those actually came from Bachmann just the way I described them. They also have metal door guides (box car only),metal grab irons, and metal stirrups on each corner.
I believe that they were made for the Bachmann Spectrum line of G Scale trains.
My best guess is that they are 1:20.3 (to match their 4-4-0 Centennial and their 2-6-0 Mogul),but I'm not 100% certain on that, hence the question.

 

[Wobbleboxer]

Have the boxes got stock numbers on the ends and have you Googled them?

 

[Rhinochugger]

I don't think that freight stock (with bogie trucks and small diameter wheels) would have been supplied like you decribe. Have you tried to see if the coupling heights match to other "conventional" stock? The box car doesn't look like a Bachmann type to me - probably someone has either altered the stock of another manufacturer or I need to add to my learning curve

Those actually came from Bachmann just the way I described them. They also have metal door guides (box car only),metal grab irons, and metal stirrups on each corner.
I believe that they were made for the Bachmann Spectrum line of G Scale trains.
My best guess is that they are 1:20.3 (to match their 4-4-0 Centennial and their 2-6-0 Mogul),but I'm not 100% certain on that, hence the question.

Yup, the 20 footers were made with the smaller 24.5mm wheels and body mounted couplers - they are smashing little models and were always specified as 1:20.3.

I had always assumed that they were based on 2ft gauge wagons, with the gauge beefed up to run with other 1:22.5 mm models

 

[trammayo]

RkyGriz -Those actually came from Bachmann just the way I described them. They also have metal door guides (box car only),metal grab irons, and metal stirrups on each corner.
I believe that they were made for the Bachmann Spectrum line of G Scale trains.
My best guess is that they are 1:20.3 (to match their 4-4-0 Centennial and their 2-6-0 Mogul),but I'm not 100% certain on that, hence the question.

Gavin - That stuff is fair dinkum, Mick. Seen it in the flesh. Let's just say, it is different.

Rhino - Yup, the 20 footers were made with the smaller 24.5mm wheels and body mounted couplers - they are smashing little models and were always specified as 1:20.3. I had always assumed that they were based on 2ft gauge wagons, with the gauge beefed up to run with other 1:22.5 mm models.

Well, I've learned something new again! I've just given myself a rap over the knuckles. So are they pretty rare. because I haven't seen those two items before. I'll have to get out more!

 

[Rhinochugger]

RkyGriz -Those actually came from Bachmann just the way I described them. They also have metal door guides (box car only),metal grab irons, and metal stirrups on each corner.
I believe that they were made for the Bachmann Spectrum line of G Scale trains.
My best guess is that they are 1:20.3 (to match their 4-4-0 Centennial and their 2-6-0 Mogul),but I'm not 100% certain on that, hence the question.

Gavin - That stuff is fair dinkum, Mick. Seen it in the flesh. Let's just say, it is different.

Rhino - Yup, the 20 footers were made with the smaller 24.5mm wheels and body mounted couplers - they are smashing little models and were always specified as 1:20.3. I had always assumed that they were based on 2ft gauge wagons, with the gauge beefed up to run with other 1:22.5 mm models.

Well, I've learned something new again! I've just given myself a rap over the knuckles. So are they pretty rare. because I haven't seen those two items before. I'll have to get out more!

I don't think they've been made for a while.

From memory, there was the low sided gon, the box car, a flat / stake wagon and an ore hopper - with the first three, at least, in a variety of liveries. I still have a low sided gon and a stake wagon and my ore car was dismantled and converted into a work car

 

[Rhinochugger]

My best guess is that they are 1:20.3 (to match their 4-4-0 Centennial and their 2-6-0 Mogul),but I'm not 100% certain on that, hence the question.

I think they were made a long time before the Centennial and large Mogul - equally, from the little research that I have been able to do with the railroad books that I have been able to accumulate, train consists behind those locos would generally have been at least 28ft box cars if not longer.

 

[mickb]

the flat car was still produced recently

 

[Rhinochugger]

the flat car was still produced recently
View attachment 274203

I'd forgotten about that - yes, I think that was a more recent product on the earlier flat car base - but is shows the bogies and couplers well

What is interesting is that these models had metal bits and pieces - you can see the steps here, the shaft for the brake wheel, and the door runners on the box car in post #1

The skeleton log car was a bit different and doesn't match with these cars.

 

[-bbbb]

So,obviously, the 2 freight cars are way smaller than the majority of my other rolling freight stock,which is Aristocraft,Bachmann,Lionel,and a single USA Trains Outside Braced Box car (V&T).

Are you saying that the Bachmann Big Haulers freight cars are a different scale than the Bachmann Big Haulers passenger cars?

I have noticed that a Bachmann Big Haulers caboose (Santa Fe in brown with a black roof) seems slightly smaller than cabooses from LGB (Rio Grande 4065 in red with black walkways on a grey roof) and Playmobil (in red with brown walkways on a grey roof):

I'd like to see a similar comparison with box cars.

 

[Tropic Blunder1]

Theyre more made to match the Porters and the Industrial mogul I believe (which is 1:24th scale incidentally) they've definitely been around for a long time but they dont seem to have been that popular they seem to be fairly rarish a
Theyre very small which makes them perfect in 1:24 they end up being 24 foot long which is more in keeping with the prototype.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Just remembered, these wagons were only ever supplied with metal wheels

 

[Fred2179G]

Are you saying that the Bachmann Big Haulers freight cars are a different scale than the Bachmann Big Haulers passenger cars?

No, but there are 2 different sets of freights. The Spectrum cars are 1:20.3 (except the 20' ones mentioned in this thread, and the Lyn 2-4-2T, and ?,) and the Big Haulers are all 1:22.5. I don't believe Bachmann ever deliberately made any 1:24th items, though it is possible that some look better with other 1:24th stuff.

The "20ft" cars, which Bachmann advertised as 1:20 scale, would be 12" long, and they are shorter than that. General opinion seems to be that they are 1:22.5. It is suggested they are models of a 22' car drawing in Carstens "Slim Gauge Cars".

I see them available on eBay or Facebook fairly regularly. Until recently the trucks, with metal wheels, were $8.40 complete from the Parts dept which is a steal - I got 4. Unfortunately we bought them out.

 

[Dan]

I have 2 of those 'short' 4 axle Bachmann box cars and between the metal wheels and metal grab irons I found them to be a great buy. I use them with Kadee couplers behind my LGB rail truck.