Nice.  It looks good.  I have a friend who uses Testors Gunmetal gray, so I was just curious. 

At the ECLSTS,  I was really impressed with this little engine.  Particularly the LYN and the green painted US version. 

Can anyone confirm, will these will negotiate 2' radius curves?
Also, I see they are DCC ready.  Is it the same plug and play board that Aristo craft puts in their equipment?

I like it!  Great job!  What paint did you use for the boiler?

Thanks!  The 'clink' is what Luke liked!  I'm checking the ballast as I pull up my main railroad for signs of the two piece bell..

My big hauler lost her bell.  I am curious if the Anniversary 4-6-0 bell will fit where the 'standard' 4-6-0 bell goes.  Both are available in the on line store, and I want to know which one I should order.  Personally, I like the look of the Anniversary bell.  Also, it looks like they both have clappers and make a little 'ding' when you ring them.  Can anyone confirm these replacement parts both will ding? 

Thanks,

Mark

Bill,

I held these in my hands at the ECLSTS a month ago.  I have to say that they are impressive little engines.  Now that I am reading about the improvement to the drive train, I am very tempted by these offerings.

If I am reading the product descriptions correctly,  it also appears that the Annie is getting metal gears.  I wonder if that is applied to the standard Big Hauler line, too.  We've been missing robust starter sets at reasonable prices in large scale for about 3 years now.

I've converted my Bachmann stock over to Aristo knuckles.  Pretty easy to do.

The other place for info on your LS 0-4-0 is the aristo site itself: www.aristocraft.com

They have a live steam forum.

I've used stone dust / crusher fines for ballast.  I'd suggest you use the pavers for your switches to keep them very level. 

I recieved a bachmann Plus 4-6-0 a number of years as a birthday present.  It saw some use and eventually, I overloaded it and it stripped a gear.  Since I had a number of other priorities, I didn't bother sending it to Bachmann for repair/replacement.  But I did put it back in the box and put it in to deep storage. 

Fast forward, I have a 3 year old who likes to push my freight cars around the track.  I've gotten him some cheaper G scale train sets that are really not great toys.  I was chatting with a friend about getting him a locomotive at the upcoming ECLSTS.  My buddy suggested that I get him a scratch and dent 0-4-0 and take the motor out.  That's when I remembered the broken Big Hauler.  So, Thursday night,  I opened up the old BH and removed the busted gear.  Put it all back together and viola! Instant push train. 

We spent the whole weekend pushing that old big hauler around the basement.  Hate to say it, but I think the engine ran better and sounded better than it had when it was a motorized unit!! I didn't do any long term damage so with a new gear, this engine could run again.  Thanks, Bachmann!

I know this is kind of an older post, but I can add that Percy's been a good runner here for us.  His top speed is just under warp 9, which is perfect for my 3 year old.  I did run him on my regular outdoor railroad, and while he ran fine, it is a fixed voltage layout (running the aristo revo), so he was absolutely FLYING on 24V DC.  I actually lost the driving rod screw and washer and when I cranked down on it, I snapped the screw head off.  I have since replaced with another screw I found in my workshop. 

Percy will pull quite a bit, even if he's a bit on the light side.  The drive train is pretty simple,  so I don't plan to run him under a heavy load for any long period. 

It's probably just you.   

Personally, I don't think it matters too much. What is important is that the models themselves look really good.  My 3 year old loves Percy and the troublesome trucks that came with that set.  I think a Thomas is in the future and perhaps a James, if they ever show up.

I still like this idea for a roadname.  I've got about $200 worth of reasons.

Bachmann,

I do think that a Strasburg Railroad painted Big Hauler would sell.  The colors would be similar to PRR.  Many folks in large scale travel to York, PA for the train shows there, and many more travel to the TCA museum in Strasburg.  I think it would sell well, but truthfully, almost no model trains seem to sell at the railroad itself.

No one has yet offered a set lettered for this popular line in large scale.  Perhaps the time is right? 

Psst.. Mr. Bachmann, I hate to be a spoilsport, but you've done the following standard gauge paint schemes on your Big Hauler:

AT&SF
Baltimore & Ohio
NYC&HRR
New Jersey Central
Polar Express
Southern
Reading
Pennsylvania
Great Northern
Union Pacific

What's one more?  We'd have to buy one if you made one.  A local hobby shop buys billboards in November and December and the SRR train set mentioned is featured.  My 3 year old recognized it immediately.  AND, the SRR did put standard gauge trucks under their narrow gauge gas electric. 

Another option might be a set for the Lancaster, Oxford and Southern,  the 3' gauge railroad that the Strasburg whistles to at Carpenter's crossing.   Just a thought.  I know bachmann made L,O&S gondolas in the 90s. 

My son has a Percy that runs in the opposite direction of the 'standard' g-scale equipment.  It was really easy to swap the power pick on on percy.  You might want to change your Thomas and Percy that way if you get more motive power, you won't have issues.