What scale is it?

[rhutchjr]

I have a Bachman 2-4-2 engine and wood car. I bought it approx. 9-10 years ago. It is red (some black) Union Pacific, # 19. I don't have a box. It seems smaller than 1/20 scale. I have not found anything onsite about it? Can anyone tell me the scale?? I would attach a picture but I don't know how, sorry.

[Shoo LIne]

I think they were 1:29 scale back then.
From my old notes of 1988/1989 your engine was probably part of The Prairie Flyer set #90014 which had engine #19 in it. Somewhere along the line I think the engine was also called Columbia by type or name.
I'm sure someone will come on later today with more positive info.

There was a small 2-4-2 mining engine that came out about 5-6 years ago which I heard was a better running engine but are off the market now.

Gary

[the Bach-man]

Dear R,
The 2-4-2 is a model of a very small Hawaiian loco. It's probably 1:22.5.
I've seen the prototype, and it's really tiny.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[Loco Bill]

It was in set 90014, which first came out in 1989 and was in the catalog til 1992. The locomotive was also sold seperately as 91101, at it was in the catalog til 1993.

Although it is a small loco, IMHO it does look OK with the 1:22.5 cars. Considering when thy came out they had good detail and if not overloaded and were well maintained they were fair runners.  It is definitely necessary to keep the wheels clean on these.   Mine still runs good but does have a tendency to stall on wide switches with  long frogs.   

Shoo, There was no 2-4-2 G Scale loco put out in the last five years, you may be thinking of the 2-6-0 Industrial loco which was also a very smaill loco.

Enjoy your trains

[Kevin Strong]

The "Industrial" 2-6-0 is essentially the old 2-4-2 put on a new chassis. While the 2-4-2 is really tiny, taking the same cab, boiler, and tender and labeling it 1:20 makes for an even tinier loco. I'd call it 1:20 only in the same breath as Bachmann's "Big Hauler" line of "1:20" equipment--the really tiny stuff that is likewise purely freelance. I would most decidedly not put it in the same category as any of the "Spectrum" 1:20 stuff. That's not to take away from the locomotive by any means. It's got nice proportions, and there were 2-6-0s that are "in the ballpark" in terms of size, but if I were firing it, I'd be wearing a hard hat for hitting my head on the cab roof all the time.

Later,

K