What was the Bachmann Plus Series

[duncanrinaldo]

I have seen a few of these at a distance.  What level of quality were these?
Thanks

[SteamGene]

By today's standards, not much.  The last, IIRC, are decent to good. 
Gene

[lanny]

Gene, how would you (or anyone on the forum) rate the Bachmann "Plus" steamers with the current IHC steamers such as the Mikes, Pacifics, etc ... the IHC 'Premiere' line of steam (excluding the newest 2-10-2 which is a real step forward for IHC, in my opinion)?

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Lanny,
I'm in a minority, but I trace today's excellent inexpensive HO steam to the IHC version of the USRA light Mountain as shopped by the C&O.  This came out about 1990. 
I think the Plus line was very minus until the very end.  I do have two USRA 0-6-0s which are very nice.
Gene

[MrMunchkin]

afraid I have to go along with Gene, the IHC mountain is an excellent locomotive although it is only prototypical for the C&O version,  the Mogol was a good unit also, my friend bought his 5 year old son an IHC Pacific years ago (at my suggestion) and that thing took a lickin and just kept on tickin. I have both a Mountain and a Mogol from back when they first came out and they still work as well as the day I took them  out of the box(s). I have two 2-10-2s and I expect the same from them. In  all the time I've owned these I've never had a bit of problem with derailing, stalling in turnouts or getting them going after long periods of inactivity,  I can leave one of these running and go downstairs and they're still running when I go back  up to the attic (however once I forgot all night and was greeted by a derailed car that made a bit of a problem when the loco came around and ran into it but it wasn't the loco's fault, or the passenger cars either, it was mine). As good as the new Spectrum 2-10-2 is, it still is a very finnicky locomotive by coparrison, as are the B.L.I.s that I have.I often wonder why the rest of my steam ppower can't perform as well as the I.H.C.s which are, after all, much cheaper. This is just my opinion. P.M.

[wjstix]

Back in the 70's-80's all Bachmann stuff was basically toy-train quality. Their Spectrum line started in about 1988; the BL-2, GP-30 and Pennsy K4 were much better detailed and better running engines than their earlier products.

Bachmann Plus was originally meant to be somewhere in the middle - not quite as good as Spectrum, but better than the low-grade stuff.

[r.cprmier]

Your name is interesting.  Consider:  "THE CISCO KID" (O. Henry)  Starring Duncan Rinaldo and Leo Carrillo as Pauncho (Francisco, by the way).   What has always made me laugh is that everyone thinks the handsome and talented Rinaldo was Mexican.  He was not.  I believe Romanian.  It was a great show and wonderful storyline-in a way, similar to "Death Valley days".  BTW; the "Old ranger" was never a Texas Ranger-or any other kind for that matter; however, the storylines of both shows were pretty clean, and  always had a great message to them.  Too bad for this generation; their loss, I guess.

Rich

PS:  a movie worth watching:  "Villa Rides" (Brynner, Mitchum, Bronson, and a cast of thou-well, hundereds).

[RAM]

wjstix
I don't think Bachmann ever made a BL-2

[MrMunchkin]

Maybe he ment the P2K Bl2, which was the first (I think) quality loco from LL
                                                                                 P.M.

[Jim Banner]

How would you rate a 2007 Cadillac compared to a 1947 Cadillac?  Not really a fair comparison, is it.  It would be much fairer to compare a 1947 Cadillac to a 1947 Chev or a 1947 Ford or maybe a 1943 Cadillac.  Progress happens.  The Bachmann Plus was good to excellent for its day.  Take, for example, the Bachmann Plus 2-8-0.  It ran much smoother and quieter than the older Bachmann 2-8-0 with the pancake (sidewinder) motor, even though the body was no better.  And they were reliable, more reliable than most of their contemporaries.  But was it as good as the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0?  No.  Would you expect it to be?  I would not.

The original question was "What was the Bachmann Plus Series."  In answer, I would say they were a series of locomotives that featured improved drive trains in acceptable bodies from existing moulds.  The improvements included can motors, flywheels, and good quality worm and pinion gearing.

[r.cprmier]

Jim;
I seem to remember seeing a 2-8-0 Bachmann with what appeared to be a Wotten firebox.  What was interesting was they appeared to use this same body on their 2-8-2.  What can you tell me?   It seems that it would make a great starting point for anyone modelling CNJ consolidations or mikes.

Rich

[SteamGene]

Rich,
Pardon me for jumping in, but the older 2-8-0 with the Wooten was an earlier Bachmann.  It was a model of the largest Consolidation ever - an Erie, IIRC.  They lettered it for many roads and then added a trailing truck to make it a 2-8-2.  The B&O version had a long Vanderbilt oil tender.   Mine had pancake motors, I'm sure.  I'm not sure they were offered in the Plus status. 
Gene

[Amtrak_Titan]

 The Bachmann Plus series was made by bachmann during the 1990s.

[jayl1]

The 2-8-0 mentioned earlier was a Reading RR prototype - an I-10.  These eventually became some of the Reading T-1's - #2100-2129 - 4-8-4's of which 4 survive today.  I believe there was a "white box" version and possibly a plus version in  a much larger, fancier  box.  The same body was used for some 2-8-2's.  Unfortunately the mold was destroyed/damaged.  There is a Bowser/English kit to repalce the Bachmann mechanism for the advanced modeler.