WBB RTR Sets

[Bill Mutch]

On one of the other forums they are talking about Williams Ready To Run set that are coming out. Is this true? The other question is about the transformer. A Atlas 80 watt. I have thought that you needed 90 watts for Williams engines. Anyway I think that starter sets would be great for Williams by Bachmann! Something that I think Jerry missed out on.

[DominicMazoch]

I think 80 on a modern transformer would work, because they tend not to drop power as, say, the old 1033/44's did.  I do run a loop with a MTH 75 W unit, and it seems to be ok.

[OGReditor]

Yes, it's true!  The new Williams by Bachmann sets (Santa Fe and Pennsy passenger sets headed by Alco diesels) are expected to be available in time for Christmas.

The sets are equipped with Atlas roadbed track and Atlas 80-watt transformer.  An 80-watt transformer is more than adequate for handling any starter set, and then some.  The Atlas transformer is, by the way, a very decent one.

A more detailed announcement, and a Williams by Bachmann ad for these sets, is in our December issue of "O Gauge Railroading" magazine, available now.

[3rail]

The 90 watt requirement is in the instruction sheets because older transformers were 40 watt, 90 watt, 110 watt and up.  The 90 watt was the smallest that could reliably run the dual motored locos.  This 80 watt transformer is very robust and the wattage output was tested under load.  We powered our display layout at  the TCA York meet  and IHobby expo with these transformers. They performed flawlessly running 8 hours plus each day!  It is much heavier than a 1033 transformer which is labeled as 90 watt.

Regards,

3rail

[Casey_Jones]

"They performed flawlessly running 8 hours plus each day!"

No surprise. 

[phillyreading]

I have seen the Ready To Run sets advertised in Classic Toy Train magazine,
in the future I may be temped to buy the Pennsy passenger set. My question is this; are the FA diesels the same size as what Williams made approximately five(maybe longer) years ago? I have a set(A B A) of Pennsy F-7 diesels that are the same size as the F-7 diesels used in the Santa Fe 'El Capitan' set, the B units  have a sound system in them from QSI that has a station leaving announcement and has a bell and horn feature as well.

Lee F.

[the Bach-man]

Dear Lee,
The FAs are the size of the tinplate (Lionel) FAs, not the new scale length locos.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[phillyreading]

 I appreciate the reply but it still leaves wondering if the new Pennsylvania passenger car sets are the same size as the older Williams F-7 diesel engines. Comparing them to Lionel tinplate doesn't help me!
Maybe what you mean is that they are not the same size and would not look good together?

Lee F.

[the Bach-man]

Dear Lee,
The scale length FAs are about the same length F-3s and F-7s. The Semi scale ones are about 3/4 the length.
The FAs in the sets are the short ones.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[3rail]

Lee,

These units are 11" long and 3 1/2" high.  Here are the specs of the separate sale locos
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=2703

Regards,
3rail

[phillyreading]

3Rail & Bach-Mann,
Thank you for the help!
The F-7 units I have are most likely scale, I want to add some passenger cars to them. The road numbers for the Pennsy set are 9754, 9750 on the two A units, B unit un-numberred. The length is 12 inches or 13 inches with couplers on the A units(each one) and the B unit is 12 inches long, all units are about 2 and a half inches wide and 3 and nine sixteenths inches high. Only one A unit is powered, the A unit just has a light bulb in it.

Lee F.

[DominicMazoch]

These passenger cars are like the old Lionel 2400 O-27 cars.  The FA's are like the yellow UP FA's big L made in 1950.  WBB's have can motors, and electronic E-units and horns, but the comparison is in the ballpark.

[MB425]

So it is now a little over a month before Christmas. Will the sets be in before then? I am really thinking about picking up a PRR set from Marty at Ma & Pa Junction if they will be here in time. The last thing I need is more track and transformer but I can always find a way to put the transformer to use and also use the track on some display shelves. Maybe some day we'll see sets like this without track and transformer....

[Mike_AA9ZY]

I am also thinking about one of these sets, but none of the mail order folks that I deal with seem to have these yet.