GE 45 Tonner

[ZukeyinMO]

Hey Bachman!

I wanted to offer congradulations on your new 45 tonner. Mine arrived today and it is a fantastic-looking and smooth, quiet running loco. The box showed it to be Bethlehem Steel #22, but happily it lacked any number. I numbered it #34, a better fit for my roster anyway.

This isn't a criticism, just curiousity. Next to my Spectrum GE 44-tonner, it looks a little puny. Might it be a 30 or 35 ton loco? Perhaps the 44 tonner is oversized, or just bigger in volume but lesser in weight.

Thanks for a great model!

[the Bach-man]

Dear Zukey,
Thanks!
Glad you like it!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[ebtbob]

Good Evening All,

       Let me add my congrats and thanks for a nice small diesel engine.   I am very pleased with its pulling power and smooth operation.
        OH OH........here comes that terrible "B" word......but,   one of my two 45 tonners developed a rather annoying problem today after about three hours of total operation.   One of the truck sets no longer pivots.
         I have had the offending truck off and cannot figure what has happened.   Since this happened at the shop where it was purchased,  I have left it for the repair man to take a look.
        Aside for this one problem all else is a hugh positive for me with this engine.

Bob

[kevin2083]

I think the reason the 45 tonner looks smaller than the 44 tonner is that the hoods on the 44T are wider than what they should be prototipicially.

Here's a real 44T: (great picture BTW)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=241525&nseq=3

an end view of the Bachmann N scale model:
http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/image/100441203

and an end view of the Bachmann HO scale model:
http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/pics/GE44BO.JPG

I can understand the N scale model- there needs to be room for a motor in the tiny thing

[lirrman]

I just recently purchased the yellow undec  44 tonner.  Plans were to use it to shunt passenger cars back & forth in the terminal.  Usually one or two passenger cars.  Unfortunetly it won't even pull TWO! (Spectrum HW original Pennsy with lighted interiors).  Maybe I can add a little weight.  I'm not as impressed as you are with the pulling power - or lack of it - of this unit.
LIRRMAN

[Matt Bumgarner]

Got my black undecorated 45-tonner on Wednesday and fired it up today. I was more than a little impressed with the detail. OUTSTANDING job Bachmann!!  After cleaning my track, the engine ran on DC just fine, pulling 5 weighted 40' cars with no problems.

And don't let the similarity of weights regarding the 44 and 45-tonners shape your view of side-by-side size comparisons.

The 45-ton GE engine was originally designed for slow speed switching operations and was equipped as such. The bulk of the engine's weight was mere ballast, and power was provided by two Cummins 150 engines with two traction motors. The strength of the locomotive was rated at 350 horsepower. The gear box was designed with an extremely low 19:1 gear ratio and even while running light the locomotive could barely achieve a speed approaching 20 miles-per-hour.

The 44-tonner was also built by General Electric. Despite the similarity in name to the 45-tonner, the two types of locomotives were vastly different. The 44-tonner had specifically been designed for branch line operations where traffic density was fairly light over long distances. The design was a lightened 65-ton unit that was made to fit a loophole in a railroad union agreement of the 1930's which allowed engines under 45 tons to be operated without a fireman.

As such, the product was a perfect match for branch and short line operations. The locomotive boasted a fair amount of tractive effort, an ability to accelerate, and the ability to operate with a load at a respectable speed. Compared to a 45-tonner, it was actually a larger locomotive and built with very little ballast. It was equipped with two Caterpillar D-17000 engines rated at 180 horsepower each. The engine also had four traction motors and more importantly, the gearing was adjusted to an 11:1 ratio. The end result was a locomotive that had similar power to a 45-tonner but it had a top speed of 35 miles per hour. 

Check out www.thejunebugline.com and click on the roster page for a railroad that used a 45-tonner originally, and still uses a 44-tonner to this day.

Matt Bumgarner

[Yampa Bob]

It is not typical that a Bachmann switcher can only pull 2 or even just 5 cars.  I have several GE 70 ton that will pull 10 easy rolling cars with no wheel slip.  I have the 44 ton on order, and I expect it will do the same.

[Matt Bumgarner]

I didn't mean to imply that mine pulled *only* 5 cars- that's all I tested it with at the time since that's the max it will be pulling  on my shortline model. It pulled those cars with ease and I am sure it will do more.

My grade on the model is 10 out of 10 !!

Thanks,

Matt

[Yampa Bob]

My error in reading your post. I was referring mostly to the comment about the 44 ton not being able to pull 2 cars.

As you noted, the important thing is that the loco serves your intended purpose.  Beyond that it really doesn't matter if it will pull more cars, but it's also nice to have some "reserve" power if needed.

[lirrman]

Reply to Yampa Bob:
When you get your 44 tonner let me know how it pulls.  I don't think pulling two Spectrum Pennsy HW's is asking too much.
LIRRMAN

[Yampa Bob]

Lirrman,

Caboose Hobbies finally got their second stock of 44 tonners. When I receive mine will do a drawbar pull test and post the results.  It may take a week as I'm working up an order for other items.

[pdlethbridge]

I noticed that all bachmann engines start moaning and groaning if they get near their max pulling power. A sign of a hard working engine. I have a spectrum 2-8-0 pulling 14 boxcars and a caboose and  doing laps around the layout you can hear it working. Im sure it could take a few more cars but why risk the chance of breaking a fine engine. Model trains have their limits and I don't think they should be pushed. A more reasonable train would be half that load, thereby doubling the life of the loco. Pulling power of any locomotive will be tested by any track irregularities, curves, switches, and grades.

[Yampa Bob]

Lirrman,

Received the 44 Ton today, it ran very smoothly on DCC. I ran it about 20 laps for a quick break in, it was whisper quiet even at crawl speed.

Here's the test results, hope you're sitting down. I used 3 different gauges, all correlated exactly.

Weight---  5 ounces, same as my unweighted 70 tonner.
Drawbar force--- 1.75 ounces...equates to 18 easy rolling cars.

Since it's not fully broken in, I only hooked up 10 cars.  Accelerated quickly, ran 10 laps for speed test.  Average top speed 70 mph.

Once broken in, I am confident it will pull 20 cars with ease.

Your Pennsys need some serious tuning.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,7063.0.html