QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy Hi Guys. I've been looking into an HO Bachmann UP FEF-1 4-8-4 steamer. I know some people may grown at the sound of that name, but it's the only plastic FEF-1 out there today and the detail is actually pretty good. So, does anyone have one? How does it perform (running characteristics, pulling, ect.)?
QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C Unless this is a new product with which I am unfamiliar, the Bachmann UP 4-8-4 is a model of the AT&SF 3765 class 4-6-4 painted grey, fitted with a Vanderbilt tender and lettered for UP. It doesn't appear as current production on the Bachmann Website, so it will most likely be an old production locomotive. I purchased one of the AT&SF units maybe 20 years ago. I haven't run it much, but it ran reasonably by the standards of that time for a reasonably low price locomotive. The detail, as an AT&SF unit was reasonable, but not up to the standard of Rivarossi, for example. The Rivarossi FEF-3 is the only plastic UP 4-8-4 I know of, and a recent one of these would be prefereable in most respects to the Bachmann model, since it actually is a model of a UP locomotive. I have one of those in UP grey, and apart from being noisy, and having deeper than normal flanges (corrected on later models) it runs well and is quite powerful while being able to run around very sharp curves with no problems other than looking a bit odd. If there is a more recent Bachmann UP 4-8-4 that isn't just a repaint of the AT&SF locomotive, I'd like to know about it. The main difference between the FEF-1 and FEF-3 was the tender (on two three axle trucks for the "-1", a centipede for the "-3", and the double chimney on the "-3" compared to a single chimney on the "-1". Peter
QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C Unless this is a new product with which I am unfamiliar, the Bachmann UP 4-8-4 is a model of the AT&SF 3765 class 4-6-4 painted grey, fitted with a Vanderbilt tender and lettered for UP. It doesn't appear as current production on the Bachmann Website, so it will most likely be an old production locomotive. I purchased one of the AT&SF units maybe 20 years ago. I haven't run it much, but it ran reasonably by the standards of that time for a reasonably low price locomotive. The detail, as an AT&SF unit was reasonable, but not up to the standard of Rivarossi, for example. The Rivarossi FEF-3 is the only plastic UP 4-8-4 I know of, and a recent one of these would be prefereable in most respects to the Bachmann model, since it actually is a model of a UP locomotive. I have one of those in UP grey, and apart from being noisy, and having deeper than normal flanges (corrected on later models) it runs well and is quite powerful while being able to run around very sharp curves with no problems other than looking a bit odd. If there is a more recent Bachmann UP 4-8-4 that isn't just a repaint of the AT&SF locomotive, I'd like to know about it. The main difference between the FEF-1 and FEF-3 was the tender (on two three axle trucks for the "-1", a centipede for the "-3", and the double chimney on the "-3" compared to a single chimney on the "-1". Peter Oh trust me Peter, I know all about the differences between UP's FEFs. I actually have one of the latest runs of FEF-3s from Rivarossi, #844. Fine looking and running machine. I know that the FEF-1 is actually an ATSF 4-8-4, but, it still comes within the ball park of a stock FEF-1. With a few details added, this locomotive could be brought closer to an actual FEF-1.
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!