Bachmann Locos - 4-6-0 & 2-8-0

Emilys dad

Emilys dad

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Hi all.

During last "summer", I received permission from She-who-thinks-she-must-be-obeyed for a garden railway. So after watching evilBay and here, I've picked up a Bachmann set (big hauler 4-6-0 plus a few wagons), some Bachmann coaches, and then a Bachmann Annie 4-6-0. I've just had a think, and thought, if I use the Bachmann Annie on the passenger, I'll use something else on the freight wagons.

I was thinking about a Bachmann 2-8-0 for the freight train, but the scale is slightly different [1:20.3/1:24], does it make much difference, or would I be better off looking for something else?

Thanks

Phil
 
To a purist 'rivet counter' then yes, it would make a difference..
If you are happy with both, then 'Rule 8'.. Your railway, and you run what you like!

Do you know enough about American loco's to know when they are 'wrong', or are you going for what you can live with running together?
 
The 2-8-0 is wide - known affectionately as 'fat Connie' it is a superb loco - don't be put off by the balderdash of splitting gears - minoriyt of cases. Some early models also had a propensity for the motion screws to come undone - simply undo them and use loctite; safe as houses.

It does not look overly out of scale against 1:22.5 freight or passenger stock, mainly because when you look at photos of some of the larger D&RGW locos, you can see that they are taller than the rolling stock.

There is real danger lurking here. I bought a Bachmann Connie, and it set me on the tortuous path of 1:20.3. It's all in the width. As soon as you see a genuine 1:20.3 loco, or item of rolling stock, the overhang shouts 'narrow gauge'. Annie, and the 1:22.5 stock could, to all intents and purposes, be standard gauge when running on 45 mm track.

Some people do the 'tadpole' trick - have a couple of 1:20.3 items of stock behind the loco, then follow it up with some 1:22.5 stock.

I'll see if I can find some piccies :D:D:D
 
The 'Connie' is a good loco but one which I never got on with, not because of mechanical problems, just that it didn't look right to me (it does look right to a lot of folk so it is just probably me!)
There are some other goodly 1:20.3 scale Bachmann locos out there that do come up on 'fleabay' from time to time......
The geared ones (Shay, Climax and also Heisler) and then the newish C19 (a real cracker and spot on prototypically).

The Bachmann Annie is actually supposed to be 1:22.5 scale as is their narrow gauge passenger and freight rolling stock, so a narrow gauge 1:20.3 loco don't look too bad at all, hauling a string of 1:22.5 cars.
 
beavercreek said:
I never got on with, not because of mechanical problems, just that it didn't look right to me (it does look right to a lot of folk so it is just probably me!)
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Click to expand...

Yes, I think the headlamp in the middle of the smoke box door is one of its least appealing features. Bachmann usually have some sort of prototype in mind, so it's not entirely cooked up - I said COOKED :cool::cool:

Anyway, as promised, some piccies.

In the first one, all of the rolling stock is 1:22.5, while both locos are 1;20.3 - the mining mogul is a tiddler (a close prototype non-runner can be seen at Skagway on WP&YR)

The second shot is a tadpole formation. The first two wagons being from Accucraft's AMS range.

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PICT0002.JPG
 
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