Bachmann Steam

[rogertra]

As this is Bachmann site I thought I'd post some images of what I've done to Bachmann Locos.





Here we have GER No. 163.  A Spectrum 2-10-0 that has been un-Russianed.  New stack, steam dome, sand box, air tank on pilot deck and kitbashed tender.  I've done this to three of my 2-10-0s with one more to go.

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GER No. 355.  A Spectrum 2-8-0.  This was a simple kitbash of the tender to reduce its length.  I kitbashed two tenders to this design. No. 355 also has the GER standard air tank on the pilot deck.

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GER No. 371.  Another Spectrum 2-8-0 this time with the tender from a P2K 0-6-0 switcher.  I thought this tender behind an 0-6-0 was too large for a yard engine so I transferred to No. 371, where it looks much better.  This was a minor kitbash mainly to accommodate the Bachmann circuit board and a new drawbar.

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This is really a tender kitbash.  The tender started out as a Bachmann Hicken oil tender.  Sadly, Bachmann no longer sells tender separately. The Hicken tender has been shortened by one water tank ring, had the front end modified for use behind a vestibule cab and converted to coal.   The engine is a President's Choice/IHC 2-10-2 that was part of a promotion by a Canadian supermarket chain.  I bought three, gave away the cars and track and just kept the engines.

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Finally, my current project,  Canadianising a Spectrum Heavy Mountain 4-8-2.  Running board skirts and vestibule cab a la CPR.  Kitbashed Hicken tender.  Still to be added are the air tank on the pilot deck, decaling, numbers, road name and striping on the running board skirts. I have another two, I think, Heavy Mountains that will also undergo this surgery when more Hicken Tenders can be found.

Cheers

Roger T.  

[DAVE2744]

Yes Rodger, the engines look great!  I really liked your scenery and backdrop work.  Very realistic looking. Dave

[jonathan]

Great tender work!  Really changes the locomotives' personality.  I bow in your general direction.

Regards,

Jonathan

[electrical whiz kid]

RT;
Echoing Jonathan's words!
Out of curiosity, Roger; why does the "Russian" look so low?  I like the look; or is it just an illusion because of the air tank?  Whichever, it is one heck of a good job.  I have two and have wanted to "de-Russian-ize" mine as well.
In general, I liked the feeling that your layout inspires.  I get similar feelings from the Essex depot at the Connecticut Valley railroad.   Copycat that I am, I am going to strive for a similar ambience on the "Reidville" section of my layout.
Rich C.

[rogertra]

RT;
Echoing Jonathan's words!
Out of curiosity, Roger; why does the "Russian" look so low?  I like the look; or is it just an illusion because of the air tank?  Whichever, it is one heck of a good job.  I have two and have wanted to "de-Russian-ize" mine as well.
In general, I liked the feeling that your layout inspires.  I get similar feelings from the Essex depot at the Connecticut Valley railroad.   Copycat that I am, I am going to strive for a similar ambience on the "Reidville" section of my layout.
Rich C.

First, thanks for the compliment.

I think the Russian looks low simply because I changed the high Russian sandbox, steam dome and stack for shorter versions.  I also think that building up the tender adds to the lower look.

Sadly, this loco is temporarily out of service as the gears no longer engage.  This is an ongoing issue with the early models of the 2-10-0.  The fix is to dismantle the engine and carefully file down part of the metal chassis, around the smokebox saddle IIRC  but I'll Google before I do any major work.  It was poor casting and quality control that is the root cause of the problem.  Right now she's sitting on one of the roundhouse field tracks awaiting attention.

The 2-10-0s were a rather hit and miss engine when it came to running quality.  Of the four I have, two were and still are great, this one that's giving problems with gears not engaging and another I bought last year that is a just a terrible runner.

Cheers

Roger T.

[electrical whiz kid]

Roger;
What, if when you dismantle the engines, you install a brass (bronze?) gear?  I had done this on a Roundhouse 2-8-0 with some pretty good results.  As you probably know, NWSL carries a pretty good assortment of gears.  I would do that again if (when?) this problem arises.  Not until it happens though, as I am not THE best machinist in the world.  As Archie Bunker once said; "Let fightin' dogs lie".
Oh, on that photo of the "Santa Fe' loco; what are the two buildings to the right rear start out as?

Rich C.

[rogertra]

Roger;
What, if when you dismantle the engines, you install a brass (bronze?) gear?  I had done this on a Roundhouse 2-8-0 with some pretty good results.  As you probably know, NWSL carries a pretty good assortment of gears.  I would do that again if (when?) this problem arises.  Not until it happens though, as I am not THE best machinist in the world.  As Archie Bunker once said; "Let fightin' dogs lie".
Oh, on that photo of the "Santa Fe' loco; what are the two buildings to the right rear start out as?

Rich C.

Rich.

Thanks for the tip about using a brass gear, I'll look into that.

The buildings top the left of 2-10-2 No. 783 are the double stacked walls of a bakery kit, IIRC, behind the cab and the double stacked wall of a roundhouse kit about the tender.  The side walls could be from anything or I could have made them from a styrene brick sheet.  They were built so long ago I forget the manufacturers.   The ventilators on the wall under the arched windows are dynamic brake blisters from some Alcos I was kitbashing.  The GER doesn't use dynamic brakes being a mainly flat railway.  The only steep grade are east of Farnham, on the main line and Magog.  Similar to the CPR's main line, which is what my GER is based on.

My plan is that steam powered trains will add helpers in my Farnham Yard for eastward trains and remove helpers from westward trains.  The east and westbound staging yards will be stacked reverse loops in a"crawl space" behind a wall but with fairly easy access for construction and maintenance.  More than you wanted to know.   

Cheers

Roger T.