Thanks Stan,

Thanks for that input on the new PNP 4-6-0.  I will go ahead and change it today. The problem I now will have is finding a way to visually identify it if there is no tender present.  I know you are most likely to get one soon if not already, if you can set a new one next to a version six Annie and note any visual differences I would be most grateful.   

Note to other forum members:  If you can do a side by side check for visual differences, and let me know any, that would be great.

Bill

Thanks Jay, Email me with your email and we can communicate off the forum!! thanks Bill

Well Joe,
I never seem to last in one place!  I did 33 years (12 overseas)with the Army and moved on average about every 3 & 1/2 years.  After I retired I helped my Dad on the family farm for 19 years (longest I lived in the same home). When he went to the Big Rock Candy Mountain, I sold the farm to satisfy beneficiaries and moved to Colorado six years ago near to my wife's family. Now that they have either passed on or moved away, we will  be moving to Belton, Texas to help in my kids business interests and be near our grand-kids.  My kids are making a major expansion of their businesses and I am a major consultant and involved with all the leases, and construction activities. Will be 81 years old next month, but will start a new RR in the new home. I have  lost track of how many model RR's I have built and torn down.  I had at least a shelf RR, no matter where I was.  The only time I did not have a model RR was in Vietnam, but while there was responsible for the rebuilding of the Vietnamese National Railways from the port of Qui Nhon to the town of Phu Cat where a huge airbase was being built. It was great playing with a real railroad. It has been an interesting life, and I am proud of our 4 kids, who in spite of all the moves lead successful lives with respect and tolerance for other folks being a high priority.  None of the above would have been possible without my wife Sharron, the most amazing woman in the world. I have been very fortunate in my life, learning at an early age to do my best to help others. As a leader in the military I always took good care of my soldiers and their families, an they always took good care of me. So there you have it my life story in one paragraph .  I am doing my best to stay active and involved in life!

All the best,

Bill

HI All,

Looking at the latest photos of the new PNP 4-6-0, it seems Bachmann has dumped a dilemma on me as far as chassis identification goes.  Looking at the photos I am thinking of calling it the "PNP Annie" but what I am desperate for are specific VISIBLE differences on the loco itself.  For example the catalog says it has a "finescale backhead" but what I need to know is this; Is there any actual difference in backheads  on this new PNP Annie and the original Annie we know and love?? Are  there other things that are different just looking at the loco that define it as a PNP Annie?  

As many of you know what I strive for in chassis Identification is how can the reader tell the difference if all they had was the locomotive itself without the tender.

I will be making a major move to a new state and my layout has been torn down and all my rolling stock has gone into storage, so it is going to be up to forum members to help me out with the new chassis definition.  My usual procedure is to place both locomotives side by side, using using painted unlettered locomotives and trying to see what is different about them.  I will not be able to do this in the foreseeable future so any help you can give will be much appreciated.

Loco Bill

Guys Thanks for posting Teds pictures, I am involved in too many non-train things right now and my computer is acting up since the last update.

In My Chassis identification I will call it Version six, since the chassis is exactly like the existing version six.  To differientat between the Pnp model I will call it Version six A  with the tender load and trucks as the identifying items

Anybody else having problems with the links??   They show up on my phone and on my laptop OK.

I am looking for a single nickname for all the new loco's as a group, so more like Anniversary 4-6-0 and Big Hauler 4-6-0, but something that reflects the new loco.  I am not in love with any of the ideas specifically, so suggestions are welcome.

Loco Bill

Thanks Ted, I have blown that photo up (NO. 1) but the resolution is poor.   If you have a chance at the convention to get a good sharp photo just like photo No. 1 in the instructions I would appreciate it.

All the best and have fun there.   Bill

Thanks Ted, much appreciated!

Wish I could be there to see them!  I am desperate to get a picture of the bottom cover of the loco.  Bach-man can you get me one!!(send me the whole loco I will take the picture myself)

Bill

Greg, All

Am out of town, will look at the entire situation when I return May 10th.   I do not add new chassis ID until I get my hands on one. Version 7 will be added soon.  Might be a 6A tho and not a 7.  Still needs study. 

Am focused on critical non train issues right now.

Bill

Modified on June 10th 2021     Hi All Members,

4-6-0 CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION:
   
Modified on June 10th 2021 Hi All Members,
Thanks to Adam, Teddy and RailMan63 a new chassis 5A and 5Bversion were identified. We owe them three cheers.  Reports also indicate that the new 5B  chassis may be available in the Bachmann parts store We will report more as new info becomes available.  Thanks to Stan Ames for his info on the chassis differences.  As a result we will call the new PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0 chassis Version 7
 
Big Hauler/Anniversary/PNP Big Hauler Chassis Version Identification by Bill Canelos  Copyright 1995-2021 by Bill Canelos All rights reserved.               
Version 1  1988-1990  Battery Powered R/C Units                             
Version 2  1990-1994  Smooth Bottom Cover  You can turn drivers by hand and motor will turn.                           
Version 3  1994-1998  Smooth Bottom Cover You cannot turn the drivers by hand.                             
Version 4  1998-1999  Large wide hump dead center between the rear drivers on bottom cover.                             
Version 5  2000-Pres  3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. Has plastic gears and metal siderods.  The original Annie Chassis.


Version 5A 2000-present?    3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. Has plastic gears and plastic siderods.


Version 5B  2012 -pres 3/8th inch wide Hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. Has plastic gears & siderods.

Version 6  2011-Pres  New Chassis for Annie only, has metal gears and new front truck.  It is identifiable only by the new front truck which is a floating swing style front truck rather than the old style which rides in a slot on the chassis.    Note Anniversary 4-6-0's have only Version 5 or 6 Chassis   

Version 7 2021-        PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0 --3/8th inch wide Hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. metal gears & side rods. The chassis has an all new Pittman motor, gear box and chuff sensor, and is visually identifiable as follows: All have the three window cab, metal Walschearts Valve gear, front rust color coupler, the firebox door on the backhead opens, and the loco has two sets of multi wire plugs between the loco and tender.  These allow identification of the loco even when separated from the tender. The tender it is identifiable by the new coal load and new trucks.  Has latest PNP socket  and a speaker in the tender.  Per Bachmann This is NOT identified as an ANNIE but as a new product in the Big Haulers line, so PNP 4-6-0 or PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0.

Note that the new 5A, 5B and 7 chassis ID is a work in progress and subject to change as new info becomes available.

                 
Note that the dates overlap and as of June 10th, 2021 have not been fixed more precisely, but all new sets introduced in 1999 with the VHS instructions have the version 5 chassis locomotive. As of this update the only known Big Hauler set Loco that is version 5B is North Pole & Southern #12 in set #90037 in the latest run only.                 
                             
All Big Hauler 4-6-0's manufactured after 2000 have the version 5 chassis, all new sets after 2000 have it as well.     

HI All,

The only 2 "NEW" sets I can find since 2011 are Night Before Christmas SET 90037 With Loco NP&S #12 and Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Set # 90083  With RB&BandB Loco #12.

90037 is not really new having been around for many many years, but we have discovered that the latest Run in 2011 or 2012 has the Version 5 chassis with plastic gears, plastic drive rods and the new style swing style front truck. In my version info I am going to call it Version 5A.

90083 is truly new and came out in 2112 and was the first year Bachmann obtained a license to use the RB&BandB name.  I suspect it might have the front swing style truck as well.  What is needed is confirmation!

If any of you bought the Ringling Bros Circus set in recent years, could you please check to see what style front truck it has.  slot or Swing.  If you bought one recently it is still possible that it was a dealers old stock.  I checked EBAY briefly, but no RB&BandB there.

Note: If you want a swing truck loco in a set, you must verify with the seller it is 90037 AND see a pic of the front truck. 

The link below is the NEW May 24 2021 Chassis Identification list:

CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION: as of April 24th 2021
   
Big Hauler 4-6-0 Chassis Version Identification  by Bill Canelos  Copyright 1995-2021 by Bill Canelos All rights reserved.               
Version 1  1988-1990  Battery Powered R/C Units                              
Version 2  1990-1994  Smooth Bottom Cover  You can turn drivers by hand and motor will turn.                           
Version 3  1994-1998  Smooth Bottom Cover You cannot turn the drivers by hand.                              
Version 4  1998-1999  Large wide hump dead center between the rear drivers on bottom cover.                              
Version 5  2000-Pres  3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. has plastic gears & siderods.
Version 5A  2012 -pres 3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. has plastic gears & siderods.
Version 6  2011-Pres  New Chassis for Annie only, has metal gears and new front truck.  It is identifiable only by the new front truck which is a floating truck rather than the old style which rides in a slot on the chassis.    Note Anniversary 4-6-0's have only Version 5A or 6 Chassis.               
                           

Note that the dates overlap and as of Sep 1, 2019 have not been fixed more precisely, but all new sets introduced in 1999 with the VHS instructions have the version 5 chassis locomotive. As of this update the only know Big Hauler set Loco that is version 5A is North Pole & Southern #12 in set #90037 in the latest run.                        
                              
All Big Hauler 4-6-0's manufactured after 2000 have the version 5 chassis, all new sets after 2000 have it as well.   

Railman63,

Thanks for you post!!  The mystery deepens.  Hard to tell what you are getting. Good thing you made the call.  Service has repeatedly told me that the Version Six chassis with the metal gears is not available!!

Bill

Adam, I will need a lot of help from the forum to figure out what is what with the sets.  More later when I get a chance.