which is best bachmann's 2-10-0 or 4-6-0?

[Anonymous]

can anyone tell me their opinion of bachmann's 2-10-0 and 4-6-0? what one do you think is best and which would operate best on model railroad layout with curves of 18". also i see that on the 2-10-0 there is open space between the the boiler and drivers wheels. is that common on a steam locomotive or is it something to do with it being a model locomotive?

[nfmisso]

They are both excellent models.

The space on the 2-10-0 is entirely correct, there are several of these locomotives left, the one in Union, Illinois operates; there is one at the National museum in St Louis, another in "Missle Park" in Altus, Oklahoma, and a couple more that I do not recall.

It comes down to which fits the scheme of your railroad better.

[joseph2]

Hi Lou.On real steam locomotives there is a space between boiler and drivers.I wonder what type of coupler is on the pilot and how hard it would be to install a Kadee coupler.In real life the 4-6-0 was used by more roads thenthe 2-10-0.I have a hunch the 4-6-0 will take sharper curves then the 2-10-0,but the 2-10-0 will have more tractive force.

[NevinW]

I have both models. Both are excellent. The 2-10-0 is a slightly better running engine than the 4-6-0. I like the lights better too. The 4-6-0 is a classic model used by a large number of railroads before WWI. Both are small. - Nevin

[Anonymous]

I too have both models. Both have excellent detail and run extremely well. I have operated both models on 18 inch radius curves with no problems. Which one you should select should be determined by which one you like best, and/or which one fits your railroad's senerio the best.

4-6-0s were very common. Almost all railroads owned them. They were used in both passenger and freight service. In later years they were mostly found on branch lines. 2-10-0s were mostly freight engines, although I'm sure they occasionally hauled a passenger train. They were not as common as the 4-6-0s. The Bachmann model is of the Russian Decapod -- locomotives built for the Russian railways, but were never shipped due to the Russian Revolution (in 1917?). As a result, the locomotives were regauged to 56 1/2 inch gauge (Track gauge in Russia is/was wider then), Americanized in appearance, and resold to US railroads. 2-10-0s were used a lot on branch lines, where the 10 driving wheels provided a lighter axle loading for the light duty track (locomotive weight was spread out over a larger area as a result of having more wheels).

The open space between the boiler and the frame is a feature of all prototype steam locomotives. Bachmann is using this as a selling point because on many model locomotives you can see the motor and gearing, or a large weight in this space. This is a compromise due to large motors in a small, scale model and is not very realistic in appearance, but necessary to have an operating model. Bachmann's models, having nothing this open space, make them much more realistic in appearance.

Both models come with Bachmann's easymate couplers on both the tender and the locomotive pilot. Replacing with true Kadee couplers shouldn't be too hard. MR evaluated both of these locomotives within the past few years, you might want to find and read their writeup. I don't know what issues they were in, but you can search the magazine index for it.

Hope this helps,

Dale B.