0-6-0 / 2-6-2 New Motor?

[spookshow]

I see that y'all are selling this from the parts department -



Is that new (smaller) motor available in actual models now? Retailer-wise, no one seems to know anything about it.

Thanks,
-Mark

[Bucksco]

Yes it is.

[spookshow]

Thanks, Yardmaster. Can you tell me on what date (approximately) the new models became available? My favorite etailer says he would need to know that in order to get me the correct version.

Cheers,
-Mark

[Bucksco]

The first two locomotives to feature this motor are item #51563 Canadian National 2-6-2 and item #50565 CNJ 0-6-0. They are currently shipping to dealers.
Our service department tells me that this chassis can be retrofitted into older locomotive shells without any problems. The motor will be used in other loco types moving forward.

[hoddy4]

What is the advantage of the new motor?

[spookshow]

Well, for starters it doesn't stick out the back of the cab like the old motor did. Major good news there :-)

Cheers,
-Mark

[spookshow]

The first two locomotives to feature this motor are item #51563 Canadian National 2-6-2 and item #50565 CNJ 0-6-0. They are currently shipping to dealers.

Thanks!
-Mark

[hoddy4]

Is it easier to convert to dcc?

[spookshow]

It's hard to tell from that photo where the motor/chassis contacts are, but I'm guessing it isn't going to be any easier than the previous version. I'll know more when I actually get my hands on one.

Cheers,
-Mark

[RGW]

Has there been any changes to the cylinder detail?

[Bucksco]

No.

[brokemoto]

Glad to see this upgrade.  Has B-mann upgraded the tender as well?  Are the stock numbers listed new or old?   I guess that in reality that would not be that important, as if the motor is sticking out of the back of the cab, it is the old one, if not, it is new.  

I would find it difficult to understand the motor upgrade without the tender upgrade, but I could think or some explanation , I suppose.   Again, this is not that big a deal, as the tender upgrade is not that difficult.  For those of you unaware, Spookshow has been good enough to provide the how-to illustration on his website.

If this is the same motor as that on the 44-tonner and some other recent locomotives, it has excellent slow speed control on DC with decoder removed.

[Maletrain]

Still hoping for a Specrtum w/DCC type of upgrade to the switcher.  Upgraded motor and tender are ALMOST there.  Why not just do it, now?

[ryeguyisme]

The upgraded motor is a huge welcome from me, I am glad Bachmann is stepping in this direction

[brokemoto]

I acquired one to-day.   The two different that I saw were actually "2-6-2"s, but, as everyone knows, the B-mann "prairie" is really a USRA 0-6-0 with idler trucks added.

The paint job seems to be a step up.

Sadly, Bachpersonn did not upgrade the tender.  It is the same tender as the old model with the one live truck whose design tends to put drag on the locomotive.   Thus, when I got it home, I swapped out the stock tender for a SPECTRUM slopeback that I had altered in the manner that Spookshow demonstrates on his website.

When I bought the thing and put it onto the test track, it seemed to have a minor hitch in its getalong in forward, but it ran allright in reverse.   I expected that the hitch would come out with some break-in time.
I got it home, did the tender swap and put it onto the track.  I ran it five times around in each direction at about sixty SMPH, which is far too fast for the prototype, but this is run-in.  I then slowed it to about forty SMPH, still, fast for the prototype, but I ran it at that speed anyhow for five more laps in each direction.  At that point, I decided to do a preliminary creep test.   As I had suspected, the hitch in the getalong did come out with break-in.   For something not yet broken-in, this is a good creeper.  I intend to spend a little more time running it in, but my preliminary impressions of it are pretty good.

One thing that I did notice is that mine, at least, was bone dry from the factory.  This is a departure for Bachmann, as the factory in China usually overgreases, but it appears that it did not lubricate at all, this time.  That was no big deal, I added a VERY small dab of LaBelle teflon grease, which seemed to help.

So far, I can recommend this one, but do buy a SPECTRUM tender and do the upgrade.  The slopeback is not correct for the USRA 0-6-0, but B-mann does sell a SPECTRUM USRA switcher tender.  Be sure to check Spookshow's website for instructions on altering the SPECTRUM tender.

EDITORIAL NOTE:  It is running in well.  I have it down to breaking in at fifteen SMPH and it is holding the speed well.  It runs smoothly in both directions.  I did a pulling power test.  It was not my usual loaded MT gondolas test, it was an eleven car hopper train with coal loads.   It was the train that was already on the track, so I used it.  I disconnected the locomotives and caboose, substituted the B-mann 0-6-0 and an MT wood caboose.  The hoppers were MT, Atlas and Bowser.  The Atlas and Bowser had the maufacturer's loads, the MTs had either real coal glued to wood or plaster loads.  The locomotive pulled the entire train and showed no signs of slipping.  The track is mostly level.  The curves are seventeen and nineteen inch, the turnouts are Atlas, Kato and B-mann.  The track is Atlas SNAP-TRAK, B-mann EZ-TRAK and Atlas flex.

The pulling power is a marked improvement.  The last issue, with the split frame and a tender swap would pull eight boxcars of various manufacture and a caboose on the same level track.   This gives credence to a theory advanced by others, and to which I subscribe, that balance has as much to do with pulling power as weighting and traction tyres.   The new motor has altered the balance and weight distribution.

You are almost there with this one, Bachmann.  Upgrade the tender and you have a real winner.

A note on appearance that I discovered rather late:   As I saw that the tender still had the old current collection front truck on it, I did not pay too much attention to it, at first.  I was going to do a swap-out, anyhow, so I did not give it much thought until I put the modified locomotive onto the track.  As the locomotive was running-in, I did look at the tender.  The CN herald on the side of mine is rather well done; an improvement over previous issues.  I did notice that the silver on the reflector plate of the back-up light was applied in a sloppy manner.  It is nothing that a fine tipped paint brush some black paint and a magnifying lamp could not correct (or a Q-tip and some alcohol, sanding stick or some such tool to remedy), but it is there and the QC department might want to take a look at it.  Other than that, the paint and lettering seems to be a marked improvement over previous issues of this one. 

One more thought on the tender.  Due to the direction of forces and the positioning of the drawbar, at times the tender will pick switch points/frogs or derail on mediocre trackwork while the locomotive is running tender-first.   I suspect that a little weight to the tender will correct the tracking problems, likely at the expense of a car or two pulling power, but if this thing will pull nine or ten loaded hoppers and a tender full of tungsten putty, I, at least, will be satisfied.  So, it is off the hardware store to buy some tungsten putty.