Bachmann Jackson Sharp passenger cars

[Mr_Ash]

Ray if all your interested in is batery lighted cars just get a few 9V battery packs from Radio Shack or whatever, remove the track power pickups from the trucks and wire a battery box in so it uses the track power on/off switch

[JD Miller]

Ray,

You can just about forget ordering parts from Bachmann.  Bachmann carries no replacement parts for any of their locomotives or rolling stock.  No parts=no catalog.

On occassion you can obtain a part from Bachmann.  When successful the part will come off of a used piece of equipment that has been returned for repair and the item replaced with a new like type item.  Bachmann will salvage a useable part from these returned items and that's what you'll get as a replacement.

 

[Mr_Ash]

Swapped the car botoms (after painting the red one black, yes im lazy...) so the yellow car could have the battery pack (didnt feel like ripping it out and reinstalling it plus the newer yellow coach didnt have the contact mounts on the base like the red one) also swapped the clerestory windows between cars (OMG what a PITA!) and added a railing next to the baggage doors on the yellow car

Red car is left with no power right now but thats okay by me ill wire in a battery box sooner or later when im able to pick a few up from radio shack or whatever, I kinda like the clerestory windows on it now, they looked more red/orange than pink when I removed them and on the red car from a few feet away they blend right in and you hardly even notice them 

sorry for the craptastical picture quality I used my cellphone

[Ray Dunakin]

How do you order parts from Bachmann? Do they have a catalog? An online ordering page?

BTW, for what it's worth I too prefer battery power for the lights. I hate it when the lights dim and go out whenever the train slows or stops.

[JD Miller]

The clerestory windows in the center section of the combine were filled in with styrene. I wanted a smooth finish at each window opening.

I've never had any succees with trying to paint stripes on a wood sided car. The combination of the wood grain that is in the plastic, plus the space between each board makes it just about impossible to get a tight seal using automotive masking tape.  No matter how much time I take working the tape down tight there will always be paint bleeding under the tape.  This happens even when using an air brush.

Possible someone has had success in using masking tape on wood sided cars.  If so maybe they will share their technique.

I'd be more inclined to try automotive stripping tape or maybe black decal paper cut to width to make the stripe.  With a decal it could be made to hug the wood grain and settle down into the spaces between the boards. Solveset (sp?) would help snuggle the decal stripe into any depressions.

Possibly the manufacturers use pad printing or tempra method to stripe a car. Whatever method they use it works. I just can't replicate what they do.

 

 

 

[Mr_Ash]

Very nice looking combine

What did you do for the closed sections or did you just paint the windows same color as the roof?

Also...

I would like to add a 2nd black line to my yellow coaches (bachmann D&RGW coach pic above) to make them look more like the one's below, what would be the best way to do this? Just tape it off and paint or what? Was also thinking about possably using automotive pinstriping

2nd pic is Accucraft 1/20 scale coach

[JD Miller]

I use Testors All Purpose Spray Enamel Transparent Green 1256 to change the pink color clerestory windows on the Bachmann J&S coaches. A couple of light coats of the Transparent Green applied to both sides of the window strips will do the job.

I have 21 J&S coaches.  Most were assembled from the kits that were available from Bachmann.  All coaches use bright white LEDs for lighting.  Two LEDs with a resistor wired in series will light a coach.  With the LEDs lights will burn for upwards of 40 hours powered by the 9 volt battery.  On the coaches with those "bogus" track pickups, they were removed and lighting converted to 9 volt battery and the LEDs.

Three coaches were bashed to increase their length. Pictured above is the extended length combination car. A coach and observation car each had a section of three windows added to increase their length.

 

[Mr_Ash]

I like the battery power better, between the lights drawing power from the track the setup bachmann has to pull power on the cars its basicly dragging coaches with there brakes partly on 

My engine seemed to have an easier time pulling 5 freight cars and 2 coaches w/o track power than it did pulling just 2 coaches with track power, lubing up the contacts helps alot FYI just a drop where it touches the wheel then spin it around a few times both ways.

[Great Western]

Hi Mr. Ash,

    My initial purchases of stock were Bachmann.  An "Annie" plus two coaches and a combine in the gold(yellow) D&RGW livery.   They have the "orangey" toplights, silver roofs and track pick ups.  I recently bought three more (as above 2+1) second hand at a great price i.e. the three for price of one new one.  They have green top lights, battery powered lighting and the roofs have been painted black.  Initially I thought I should standardize them all, colour as the new ones but all battery as the 2nd hand. ones.

   But I decided to leave things as they stood.  It seemed to me to be more flexible that way.  The only alteration I have made is to rename the 2nd.hand cars to that of my railroad.  This was done using Microsoft Word on my pc.  The new name is fixed and sealed with clear varnish.  As they don't stay out in the sun very much fading should take a while to happen, but hey, I have "saved" the design so can soon print new ones. 

[Rastun]

Can I ask you about the main line trains do they run to time or as we have been hearing late by 2 -8 hrs. reason for asking is we hope to be over you side of the pond next june  Traveling from NY to san francisco by train

 

Wow! NY to San Francisco. That's going to be a long trip. If my wife's experience with Amtrak a couple years ago is any clue. Expect long delays and trains that may or maynot be on time. 

 

Jack 

[altterrain]

Hi ToadFrog&WhiteLightning

For your Goof Yes and No

The roofs coating was I believe painted canvas in that period over here that is what was used on the similar Gilbert old time coaches, they probably where painted silver or may be white (hard to tell from a B&W photo) to reflect the summer heat and make the passengers a little more comfortable??

BUT it did not take very long for the roof to go a darker shade gunge so your coaches have been out earning money for the company not really a big drama

If you like the way they look then they must be 100% right

It all means Everything and Nothing

regards John

John,

You're right about the canvas roofs on some of the old time passenger cars but the silver color was due to the canvas being painted with molten lead (isn't that something!). It provided a weather proof coating before the use of tar and asphalt products.

-Brian

Mr. Ash,

Feel free to work on whatever you want. I usually have project ADD when it comes to this hobby. Sometimes I'm working on a new layout project and then will jump to a building project and then to a kitbash... That's the neat thing about this hobby there are so many aspects to it. Now, I have to get outside and plant these spring bulbs on the layout so its looking good when the club comes over next April (after all they're not going to plant themselves ).

-Brian 

[two tone]

Can I ask you about the main line trains do they run to time or as we have been hearing late by 2 -8 hrs. reason for asking is we hope to be over you side of the pond next june  Traveling from NY to san francisco by train

[two tone]

Re lighting yoy will need to change LEDs as you are only putting 9v in track power is 22vDC  I wouls stay with track power as it looks better at night  9v is quite dim     Hope this helps

[John Busby]

Hi ToadFrog&WhiteLightning

For your Goof Yes and No

The roofs coating was I believe painted canvas in that period over here that is what was used on the similar Gilbert old time coaches, they probably where painted silver or may be white (hard to tell from a B&W photo) to reflect the summer heat and make the passengers a little more comfortable??

BUT it did not take very long for the roof to go a darker shade gunge so your coaches have been out earning money for the company not really a big drama

If you like the way they look then they must be 100% right

It all means Everything and Nothing

regards John

[Anonymous]

Yeah but green would look so much better than lightish red (Its not pink!) on the yellow D&RGW coaches, they just dont look right with the silver roof.... Im tempted to just give them a coat of nightshade (spray on automotive tint)

I might just do that... I know theres a can somewhere in the garage... i think...

I pulled mine out and put long glass in you can get at a mom & pop hardware store, tell them size. Anyways, Michaels has transluntant paint green, blue you name it.

Silver roof? Ok, made me drop a jaw because I thought they was all tar paper "type"!?? Did I goof on mine???? 

Toad

[Anonymous]

1:22.5 LGB and Bachman

But that is my thoughts. LGB $$$$ and Bachmann Cheaper, I run Bachmann.

Toad

[Mr_Ash]

Another question, how do the bachmann coaches compare to the simmiler LGB ones as far as size/scale? 

[Mr_Ash]

Yeah but green would look so much better than lightish red (Its not pink!) on the yellow D&RGW coaches, they just dont look right with the silver roof.... Im tempted to just give them a coat of nightshade (spray on automotive tint)

I might just do that... I know theres a can somewhere in the garage... i think...

[John Busby]

Hi Mr_Ash

I agree with the railings and battery lighting part.

But I would not worry to much about the top light glass colour, it just means the new C.M.E changed the decoration specification and some of the coaches are not due for a general overhaul yet.

On the real railroads you do find minor differences between coaches over time even though they where all built using the same blueprint.

regards John

[Mr_Ash]

Thanks for the info guys!

I really should to get back to planning & laying track insted of obsessing over the minor details im sure only I will notice on my passenger cars lol

Oh well I got a week till my turnouts get here so cant get much done untill then need to keep busy!  

[Anonymous]

Here the railings

http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=538

Call and make sure they will work before buyn them.

Toad in the Swamp

[altterrain]

You should be able to order the metal rainings you need from Bachmann.

If you can't get them from Bachmann you can get them here - http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=121

-Brian 

[rpc7271]

You should be able to order the metal rainings you need from Bachmann.

[dwbeckett]

You can get Translucent paint at most any craft store - Michel's. Can't ansure part two.

[Mr_Ash]

Is that somthing I should look for at my LHS or somthing I would have to order online?

Also anyone know if the coaches that come with the sets still have plastic railings & battery power?

[dwbeckett]

In a word YES. And you can get translucent paint for the celestial windows. BTW

[Mr_Ash]

Couple questions, the older bachmann coaches have plastic railings and battery powered lighting where the new ones have metal railings and go off track power...

I have a few of both types and would like to change them all to Metal railings w/battery powered lights (track power ones cause to much drag and are way to noisy) is this as simple as just switching out the railings (for the older cars) and installing a battery and wiring it to the on/off switch for the new ones?

Also my newer cars have a lightish red colored (Its not pink!) windows in the roof where my older car's have green windows... anywhere I can get more green ones?