A cheaper locomotive does NOT equal Bachmann. If you want cheap buy Buddy L. Bachmann has some of the best locomotives out on the market. As a not, the cheaper price a locomotive the worse it is. So as review: Bachmann is NOT cheap, as they offer great locomotives that will give you years of enjoyment.
I use Aristo and LGB turn outs and works just fine with a Bman with the set.
Do check to see if they, all, even the rolling stock has metal wheels! If plastic, change. Plastic wheels make a goo film on the rails.
William
And pick up the little sack of 50 extra screws for a couple bucks. Just to guarantee you won't drop any in unfindable places.
Put something a little sticky on the end of the little driver to hold the screw while you reach it to the hole. I use a school type glue-stick. Vaselene works. When you round the end of the driver, slice off a 16th inch or so with a dremel. Go to the hardware store and pick up a 2mm (or was that 1.5mm?) allen wrench. It's not as handy as the driver, but reaches some places where the driver won't.
It comes with the screws embedded in wax underneath one of the ties; you have to dig them out and dewax them. not a difficult task. I found a bit of pressure and the wax usually cracked away, if not a quick scrape with the tip of my pen knife did the job. Others go to the trouble of immersing them in boiling water, or other methods of dewaxing.
If you buy by the box, it will come with a little blue driver, and you will accumulate a multitude of them.
Those #$%^&^%$^ little screws can be a PITA, and indoubitably you will lose some, a bag of 50 extras is not all that expensive and can save time cause you could then pick screws out of ties, use bought screws, and dewax at your leasure.
I have heard a suggestion of getting a 2mm ball hex driver for the screws to make the job a bit easier.
I used some of the granddaughters Elmers Glue Stick (which is a partly solidified white glue) on the tip of the driver to hold the screws while getting them started into the holes. There are other things some folks use, but that one worked well for me and after 5 years I haven't used 1/3 of that 79 cent glue stick.
I hear that they are now shipping the track without the joiners on, and if so that is good as often you would find where in beating and banging around in the shipping and the UPS guy dropping it on the end of the box, breaking & bending the joiners and sometimes shearing the heads off the screws. That & cutting sections are a good reason to buy some kind of clamps anyhow because trying to drill and tap for those screws would be unreasonable unless you own a machine shop!
I found an abrasive metal cutting wheel in my radial arm saw a really good way to cut the SS track, better than hacksawing! I'd imagine you could also use one in a skillsaw if you had to!
By the way, it would become helpful if you were to redo your profile so we have a rough idea of where you are as inevitably you will ask a question that weather and climate will become a factor in the answer! Even if it's just a city, State, or Nation; give us some idea!
Tony, under each Aristocraft track section, there are screws held there in wax, to use in rail joining (just like the prototype railroads do.)
Regards, Danny Sheehan in Oz.
I have another question yet. Does the aristocraft track come with enough screws to connect the track or do i need to get more screws?
Tony
Our club went from hillman to Split Jaw on our modular layout simply because the split jaw is, well, SPLIT! It makes it much more convenient to line up the modules. As for permanent/semi-permanent, either is fine with me. Once they go on, they're usually there for a long time. BTW, I use Aristo's screw on except for when I'm mating them to pieces of LGB track, then I use the first clamp that comes out of the pile, be it Hillman or Split Jaw. I sometimes have a mix, Hillman on one side, Split jaw on the other.
As for the original question, we have several club members who use Bachmann's and they run quite nicely on the clubs LGB track, which for all intents and purposes is the same as Aristo.
Mark
" to each his own, said the farmer -- -- ------!" It sounds like a plan to me! The most important part is to get something running and go from there.
I'll second the motion on opinions because unlike the writer, I prefer the Split Jaws over the ones he mentioned. I guess it's all according to whose ox is getting gored.
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
Unlike the previous poster, I use the Aristoctaft screw type rail joiner almost exclusively on all my rail, and after five years I have had no problems. On switches I use the Hillman Railclamps, which is far superior to the Split Jaw product. This allows easy removal for maintainance of pointwork.
And I had no need to type this in big print, to make my point, opinions are just that, to each their own.
And for the original poster, well over half my locomotives and cars are Bachmann, and they do run perfectly on Aristocraft and LGB tracks. Another thing, when you begin to purchase other manufacturers rolling stock, the Bachmann Knuckle Coupler will retrofit every other manufacturers equipment as if it was designed that way.
The best decision you can make is the throw the Bachmann track as far as you can and run the other way.
I have run every builders Large scale on my aristo track for many years.
A very big suggestion. Buy Slip Jaw rail connectors. After you use the first one you will never stop. Throw the aristo connectors right after you throw the bachmann track.
Thank you very much thats what I needed to know.
Tony,
yes, your Bachmann engines and rolling stock will run very nicely on Aristocraft stainless track! all "G gauge" ("Large Scale" is a better term to use) run on 45mm track, so the maker of the track is irrelevant..
Aristocraft, USA Trains and LGB track can be used outdoors.
(and some other makers)
but Bachmann track can *not* be used outdoors..it will rust.
So yes, Bachmann locos will run fine on Aristo track..and going with stainless is a great idea!
Scot
Alright, I am new at this and would like to ask if the bachmann starter sets work on aristocraft stainless steel track. I plan on starting out with a cheaper locomotive and once we complete the railway start to move up to usa and aristocraft motive power and rolling stock. We are planning to use aristocraft ss track so thats why I was asking if bachmann starter sets work on it. I am planning on getting the MRC AG990 controller right away because we are planning on having around 300 to 400 feet of track if not more. Tell me if bachmann will work on aristocraft track and tell me what you think of my plan.
Thanks a lot.
Tony(newbee)
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