First off… My railroad, about 35 years old, is seasonal and tis’ the season. It’s HO and its main line sits on a 4’ x 6’ board. 3 tracks on one end, 2 tracks on the other, and appropriate switching in the middle. Tracks go as close to the edge as possible – do your own match for curve radii. A yard that sits next to the main line on a 1’ x 8’ board, has 1 track leading in that fans out to 6 long tracks and several short tracks up above the fanout. There’s not much space without track. In recent years, two of the 6 tracks have been extended 2 feet onto a separate wooden bridge. The yard has 14 switches and 22 independently powered track blocks. I have enough equipment to fill the yard…
While I’ve had a couple of x-6-x steam locos for years, I’ve always wanted to try something bigger. Over the past year or so I bought a Bachman 4-8-4 on eBay. As I’m always looking for the deal on eBay, I always get what I pay for. The loco ran, but very poorly – not at all well enough to admit to the fleet. I found all of the linkage on it a bit intimidating, so I put it aside. I then picked up a bowser 4-8-2 kit on ebay. It was mostly complete, but the few pieces it was missing were easily found online from Bowser. I took my time with it and it turned out great. A bit noisy, perhaps, but a good runner.
Having gotten considerable experience with the Bowser, I went back to the Bachman. Actually, took apart the linkage, cleaned everything, lubed it, and reassembled. I came across a couple of cracked axles which I thoroughly cleaned and glued – they seem to be holding up. It really runs well, now. Almost better than the Bowser…
OK, the lesson… It’s clear, I really have no business running locos this big on this railroad. While the Bachman runs well, it does poorly on the main line. Runs great between the curves, but then slows considerably at the peak of any curve. Presumably because the 8 drive wheels are binding against the rails. Interestingly, the Bowser runs great all around the main line. Interesting difference between the two… All 8 of the drive wheels on the Bachman are flanged. However, on the Bowser only the leading and trailing drive wheel pairs are flanged. The 4 drive wheels in the middle have no flange and therefore allow the loco to sort of straddle the curve. Again, these curves are clearly too tight for these locos, but I’m running the Bowser. Not sure what’s going to happen to the Bachman, but it looks good sitting in the yard for now…
Happy Holidays to All!!
Curt
Someday you'll have a bigger layout and will get full enjoyment out of those locomotives, and use them for the sort of service for which the prototypes were designed.
Or at least you can hope for that. There is no harm in thinking ahead, and indeed the supply of Bowser Mountains is not going to last forever.
Most modelers with layouts on the small side and with curve radius on the tight side know the feeling, and it takes a certain monk-like discipline to avoid buying too big.
In one or another of his books the late John Armstrong made the point about small layouts, that we are model railroaders and thus keep building models well after the available space for them on the layout has been filled up. Just stopping the building would take so much intestinal fortitude that it is out of the quesion for most of us.
The well known phrase "my eyes were bigger than my stomach" needs a model railroad equivalent!
Dave Nelson
Curtis DeHavenI took my time with it and it turned out great. A bit noisy, perhaps, but a good runner. Having gotten considerable experience with the Bowser, I went back to the Bachman.
Excellent!
The experience you got from bulding that Bowser kit to success will benefit you forever. I have tremendous confidence when servicing my brass locomotives, all from an original experience with an old Tyco kit.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I am hesitant to say something that might be looked at as an affront by people who have a lot of Bachmann locomotives, and who like what they have. But, this is my experience, admittedly very meagre and of short duration:
I have had exactly two Bachmann steamers so far, now going on 15 years in the hobby. The first was a Spectrum Class J 4-8-4. It's pilot was the only one in a stable of about 14 different steamers that I had at the time that snagged on the rails. It actually filed grooves. It ran poorly with a pronounced hitch in its giddyup. I would let it run for long periods, forward and in reverse. It never improved, and I disposed of it.
On Sheldon's say-so, I purchased the heavy mountain 4-8-2, also a Spectrum. It runs well, no problems, although it's pilot is also mounted a bit too low. My main concern is that it takes an unusually high setting in V-Start (CV2). I have to set it at 46, although I have learned that the setting is too high once the drivetrain has been used for a few minutes...which is typical for our models.
I write this missive because it seems to me, and some of my impression is retained via reading posts about Bachmann steamers over the years, they take a LOT OF run-in. Or maybe it could more accurately be stated that they do considerably better after several hours of running.
So, be patient with your Bachmann steam. It may look like it is a problem child, but it is as likely that it simply needs to 'ride up with wear.'
Let's just say that Bachmann offers much better products under the Spectrum line. As for the Bowser, my 4-8-4 basically has the same mechanism as yours and it's one of my favorites. It runs on my 22" curves and has great pulling abilities. Sure, it's not as nice as other locos, but it sure is hard to beat from an operations perspective. A bit of weathering helps though. And I had blast adding details to make it look a little bit closer to the CN prototype. Of course, it's a lot more comfortable running on the 26" curves at our club. I have a few locos that I just run at the club...
4-8-4 bowser 0113 on Flickr
Simon
dknelson The well known phrase "my eyes were bigger than my stomach" needs a model railroad equivalent! Dave Nelson
Well, sometimes my engines are bigger than my turntable!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
snjroy4-8-4 bowser 0113 on Flickr Simon
Nice job on the Bowser, Simon. I've built a few Bowser kits and really enjoyed them.
OP, the Bachmann 4-8-4s are old designs from the Plus line, I believe. Someone gave me an old 4-8-4 with cracked gears. As cracked gears are common, there are a few sellers on Shapeways that 3D print replacements. I replaced mine, and it works, though I have no idea how well they will hold up.
The best approach is to find one of the long-discontinued Bowser replacement mechanisms for Bachmann 4-8-4s:
https://www.bowser-trains.com/discontinued/hodiscontinuedlocomechanism.html
You can try eBay or some auction sites for one. Good luck--I've never won one. Sometimes you'll see a Bachmann on eBay, and from the pics you can tell it's been rebuilt with a Bowser mechanism, if you want to swap it out.
Gary
I too have Bachmann's with the cracked axle problem. 3d printing replacements worked, but only marginal. Being that you have other more operational locos, plus the fact the Bachmann isnt your best runner, its not a problem to use this one loco as a learner to take apart.
Once you get inside the first time you realize there isnt much to them. This will also give you the experience you will need one holiday season in the future when/if something breaks down lets say. Pun intended, as a hobbyist, your on the right track!
Learning the insight of the flange/no flange trick is experience you can use in your future EBay forees. While i cant really recommend Bachmann, I can say with out a doubt if you would like an 8 coupled drivered loco, I highly recommend Rivarossi locomotives (pre red box era).
Their drivelines are simple, well designed, and rock solid. While all drivers have flanges, they have enough side to side play to run on the tightest HO curves without binding. Albeit with considerable overhang. They are good pullers, run well with little maintenance at all, and can be found reasonably priced and common on EBay.
If you like the Bowser, I suspect a Rivarossi Hudson or Berkshire type would be well recieved.
Happy Holidays
PMR
selectorIt may look like it is a problem child, but it is as likely that it simply needs to 'ride up with wear.'
Thank-you, Mr. Grace.
Bachmann has been around a long time. They first did little more than toys and then came out with their Spectrum line. Even here their first model was a disaster but they fixed that and changed the bpackaging so that the two would distance themselves. They have had a few bad runners in their time but they work on them and I can say that their latest DCC and sound value run well, though sometimes they take a run in period or need a wire tuck in steam.