Bachmann 3 bay hoppers

[DaveB2]

Hi all

One of those questions you think you should and probably do know what the answer is so feel a bit dim for asking..

I have a few of the Bachmann 3 bay hoppers, 2 of them are the brown “Southern” flavour and carry a prominent number 390235 on their flanks. I’d sort of assumed that number should be unique to each car so I should think about changing them – would I be right or does the number have a different significance?



If I do change them I was thinking of being lazy and trying initially to alter the existing digits so, for instance, 3 becomes an 8 or 9 or a 9 becomes a 3. Even if that worked though it’d be a bit obvious what I’d done so sooner or later I’d need new numbers. There are some online ways of working out what a font by answering questions about how specific characters are formed but the pool of characters used is a bit limited I’m not sure how well they’d work, does anybody know what font it is, as that may decide how, or indeed if, I renumber them?

Dave

 

[The Devonian]

The large number is the car number and as such would be different on each car. The black (East Broad Top) ones do have different numbers, I have five and only one was a duplicate number.

If you have some white acrylic paint (believing the Bachmann car to have white decals) and an old fountain pen, or steel nibbed pen, try alerting one of the digits. My option would be convert the second three into an eight which would give 390285.

I find a pen nib far more controllable and accurate than a thin brush.

 

[DaveB2]

Thanks I thought it should be a unique number but felt a bit "speshul" having to ask for confirmation.
Lucky man, I have two and want a couple more and I've only seen 390325, not to say there aren't others out there.

I certainly do have white acrylic I'd need to take a closer look but I bet it's tampo rather than transfers. Like the idea of the old fountain pen but it reminds me I've a couple of old bow pens I might show the light of day again.

The other "trick" I'd fancied was that as each of the letters and numbers appears on a single panel I might have a couple that have needed repair which explains why they are currently sporting new and so cleaner, shiny panels where I've needed to change numbers.

Just been on the Identifont website and they've identified it as a font called "Eurostile". It may or may not be but at least it gives me some possible number styles to try.

 

[The Devonian]

You have a few options it seems. The 'new paint' on a panel seems fine. I suggested the 3 into an 8 as it seems the more easily achieved choice.

I assume you have the 1:22.5 version rather than the more expensive 1:20.3 Spectrum models. The 1:22.5 is what I bought some years ago from Andrew (Garden Rail Centres).

I managed to get, at the Exeter Show a few years ago, some spare coal loads. These I have repainted into 'ballast' loads: they fit very well into Aristo-Craft 1:29 gondolas. Currently my five hoppers. of this type, run without loads, well, cars returned empty to the mines after all.

I feel the cheaper Bachmann coal hoppers do not look out of place with 1:29 stock but their tank cars, boxcars, reefers/billboards do not really fit well.

 

[DaveB2]

Options are always a good thing - just as long as it's not so many I can't make a choice of where to start :-\

The 3 into an 8 is my favoured idea too, hopefully great minds and all that stuff. Yes it's the cheaper non-Spectrum version I have and funnily enough I was aiming to sometimes put them behind an Aristo 1/29th loco too.

Nice idea on the ballast loads, even if I couldn't get spare loads I guess a piece of hardboard / cardboard with something like Vermiculite stuck on would let me ring the changes.

 

[The Devonian]

I am sure some form of lightweight base and something simulating the ballast/coal would work fine. Other folks may give their comments about vermiculite but I have never used it.
The appearance of coal varies, as does the types, as you will know. Some eastern USA types of coal is shiny but most these days is not, as so much comes from Wyoming and is 'dusty' being destined for export and power plants. There are some interesting 'coal' websites which detail history, train facilities and structures.
Seeing you have a ten wheeler - and also mention 1:29 - can give you different eras of coal movement. I am not sure all 1:29 locos look good with these Bachmann cars but RS3's certainly do. Most of my stock is freight: I find it far more interesting, visually and operationally, than passenger cars. I do have a passenger train run, I guess, as a special.

One thing I did not mention in the earlier post about the ballast load is that ballast rarely fills hoppers or gondolas due to its weight. So the repainted coal loads just sit on the gondola floor.

 

[Beddhist]

Can't you just put actual ballast in?

 

[The Devonian]

Naturally you can, but some locos - such as shown in the OP's pic, do not take too kindly to hauling long trains with heavy cars. Keeping the weight down allows for longer trains.

 

[CoggesRailway]

I am all for heavy stock for running quality in the outdoors, but a rake of these would weigh a huge amount. I think each one would be over a KG if you filled them with gravel/ballast.

 

[Tim Brien]

These cars are based on a narrow gauge East Broad Top prototype. They do make excellent two-bay hoppers with just a little surgery.