Older Bachmann 2-8-2's

[rockymidlandrr]

I have been watching and wanting for a good while the older 2-8-2's Mikado that bachmann used to produce, and I seem to notice that when they are put up for sale online that they go fast.  The roadnames I have have seen on them have been UP and B&O.  Does anyone know the specs on these locos, drive mechanism, or a way to find a review of them?  Thanks.

[ABC]

The older 2-8-2's are horribly inaccurate and not very good runners which is often the case for many Bachmann "White Box" Items as seen here:

[Nigel]

Hi Rocky;

I am guessing that you mean this one:
http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/bachmannhoscalelocomotives/id56.html

ABC is partially correct - they are not good runners.  They are actually a fairly accurate model of a Reading I10 2-8-0 (and very similar to L&HR's 90 class).

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/bachmannhoscalelocomotives/id49.html

The 2-8-2, just had the trailing truck crammed in there.

Also see:
http://lhr.railfan.net/roster.htm

http://www.eddystonelocomotives.com/overhauls.htm
as noted in the above link, Bowser offered a conversion chassis, and may have some left in stock.
http://bowser-trains.com/hoemrrs/mechanisms/351%20old.pdf

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/article.php?article=2605

[ryeguyisme]

i have two versions of the consolidations, one has a complete metal frame pancake motor and the other has a metal frame with a white detachable motor(box-like but not a can motor and deffinitely not pancake) I have to say although after a while the motor gets noisy and screamy on the white motor ones, when ran-in correctly and given constant maintenance I have had one with a weighted tender pull 56 cars on level track, the other version(pancake) i have two copies of and I'm waiting to test those and see how they perform

[rockymidlandrr]

Hey now, easy what you say about those white box steam locomotives, I have four of them from the 0-6-0 to the 2-6-2.  Now they may have noisy motors, but when you add electrical pickups on the tender, add a decoder, new leadlight, and front coupler, those things will run good.  They add a good mix to the heavy mountain and Berk and a host of others. 

Now as for the Locomotive at hand, yall hit the nail on the head with it.  On my layout, its doesnt have to be totally, rivet counting accurate, I just have to like it.  For the people who see my layout, they still think trains our powered by steam.  But could I do the same trick that I have done with the 0-6-0 generic locomotives to the 2-8-2/2-8-0?

[ABC]

ABC is partially correct - they are not good runners.  They are actually a fairly accurate model of a Reading I10 2-8-0 (and very similar to L&HR's 90 class).

They have the incorrect tenders, if you want go do some research... you'll find that the tender is actually based off of a Southern Pacific design for some of their larger locos like 4-8-2s and 4-10-2s. But, you did note one thing, that they sure did cram in that trailing truck.

Hey now, easy what you say about those white box steam locomotives, I have four of them from the 0-6-0 to the 2-6-2.  Now they may have noisy motors, but when you add electrical pickups on the tender, add a decoder, new leadlight, and front coupler, those things will run good.  They add a good mix to the heavy mountain and Berk and a host of others. 

Hey Rocky, let me ask you this...How much does it cost to add all these things? It costs $30 for a good decoder and $20 for a bare bones decoder. So is it around $40 for the upgrade? Do you replace the motors too?
I have always found the Pre-2000's Bachmann standard line locos to be noisy runners, often times either with two speeds stall and 240 scale mph or three speeds stall, 240 scale mph, and a speed somewhere in-between that you can't control that varies even when you didn't touch the rheostat on the control. Why is it that these are the same locos that I always have break on me right off the bat. Now their standard line locos are a lot better runners and more reliable and accurate. And their Spectrum locos were always good.

[rockymidlandrr]

ABC is partially correct - they are not good runners.  They are actually a fairly accurate model of a Reading I10 2-8-0 (and very similar to L&HR's 90 class).

They have the incorrect tenders, if you want go do some research... you'll find that the tender is actually based off of a Southern Pacific design for some of their larger locos like 4-8-2s and 4-10-2s. But, you did note one thing, that they sure did cram in that trailing truck.

Hey now, easy what you say about those white box steam locomotives, I have four of them from the 0-6-0 to the 2-6-2.  Now they may have noisy motors, but when you add electrical pickups on the tender, add a decoder, new leadlight, and front coupler, those things will run good.  They add a good mix to the heavy mountain and Berk and a host of others. 

Hey Rocky, let me ask you this...How much does it cost to add all these things? It costs $30 for a good decoder and $20 for a bare bones decoder. So is it around $40 for the upgrade? Do you replace the motors too?
I have always found the Pre-2000's Bachmann standard line locos to be noisy runners, often times either with two speeds stall and 240 scale mph or three speeds stall, 240 scale mph, and a speed somewhere in-between that you can't control that varies even when you didn't touch the rheostat on the control. Why is it that these are the same locos that I always have break on me right off the bat. Now their standard line locos are a lot better runners and more reliable and accurate. And their Spectrum locos were always good.

I will not deny that the tender looks out of place on it as well as the trailing truck.  It is a  interesting "what if" combination though.

Now as for costs, I have been able to keep them down on these little projects (college life), but I'll tell ya.  About $17-20 dollars for a NCE decoder (buying them in 4 packs is cheaper than one at a time), lets say about $5 for the wheelsets, and the rest is time involved.  I keep the origional motor, install the wheelsets, the pickup wipers and wire are salvaged from another project. Yea, they do seem to take off, but once you get some wear on them as I have seen they teld to "loosen" up.  So thats about $25 a engine. 

[ABC]

Okay, so you buy an old standard line 2-8-2 for about $50. If you add the extra $25, you are looking at a grand total of $75. For around $75 you can get a more prototypical better running locomotive that already has tender pick-up and DCC. So you get a better running loco for the same price without having to do any work.
Here's a link to the Spectrum 2-8-2 from the Favorite Spot (a factory authorized dealer):
http://cgi.ebay.com/BACHMANN-SPECTRUM-HO-2-8-2-MIKADO-LOCO-TRAIN-83211_W0QQitemZ370331826899QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item56397f3ad3

[rockymidlandrr]

O, I see your point.  I do.  There is fun in taking a older locomotive, repowering it, detailing, painting, it and such to fit a our likes and dislikes too.  But now we are beating a dead horse.  The Spectrum 2-8-2 is not based on a American prototype at all though, its Chinese.

[ryeguyisme]

yes the spectrum 2-8-2 is a modern(very modern might I add the last ones were built in the 1980's) chinese SY prototype. I wouldn't pay more than $15 for the 2-8-2 or trhe consolidation, but I'd still buy a few.

I have about a half dozen now that I can use to run, or for parts for the running locomotives

[Jim Banner]

The original Bachmann 2-8-2 was a 2-8-0 with pancake motor and an added trailing truck.  I have never seen a quiet one.  The Bachmann Plus 2-8-0 used the same body with an upgraded mechanism - large worm gear/flywheel, can motor, sprung axles, but no tender pickup.  When properly maintained, they ran quietly and smoothly throughout their speed range.  The Plus version had the mount on the body for a trailing truck but was never sold with one.  Adding a trailing truck from an old pancake motor 2-8-2 was a 2 minute screw driver job.  The Spectrum 2-8-0 (recently downgraded to Standard) is a different locomotive altogether, both body and mechanism.  And it does not have a mount for a trailing truck.

Jim