I wish that B-mann would do its Climax in N.

I would not mind seeing the Russian decapod that it cancelled because it stated that it could not find a motor that would fit.  Now that there is a motor for the ten-wheeler, mogul and switcher that will fit, why does Bachpersonn not do the Russian decapod?

WKW never did the Erie after it bought LL?  I know that WKW did the C-liners, but never the Eries?  Maybe I should list mine somewhere, if they go for that good a price.

I am aware that many have stated that no surgery was required to the slopeback, only to the USRA switcher tender.  Despite that, I found that the penultimate version performed better when I inverted the drawbar made a similar modification to the slopeback.  For this reason, I made the same modification to a couple of the slopebacks.  I did this with the intention of purchasing more of these and swapping out the old tender.  I never did purchase any more of the penultimate version.  Thus, when I took home the newest version, I had a tender ready for it.  So far, it seems that I did well in not purchasing the penultimate upgrade, as the most recent upgrade is even better.

The newest version is still running-in.  It performs better as time goes on.  I should be placing it into service shortly.  That will be the ultimate test.

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.

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.

There seems to be some problem with the decoders in these things.   I have only two with the factory "smart" decoders, but both of them have fried on DC after brief use.  I am not a DCC user.  Fortunately, it is not difficult to remove the decoders and wire around where they were. 

You can keep the existing trucks.  Simply purchase the MT 1133 coupler kits.  If you plan to operate on really sharp curves, purchase 1134s, as they are merely 1133s with longer shanks.   Purchase the MT  coupler tweezers, as well.   It is not difficult to do the change.

1133 and 1134 are almost universal for older B-mann.

As others have stated, the B-mann power has "smart" decoders; the locomotives will run on either DCC or DC.   You would need to check the directions, or with the manufacturer on other power that has a factory decoder.

Yes, almost anything in N scale will  operate on Atlas code eighty track, be it sectional, turnouts or flex.   In fact, if the equipment does derail, run roughly or balk, it could be attributable to trackwork, curves or turnouts' being too sharp for the equipment or flaws in the equipment (deformed wheels, out of gauge wheels, archaic manufacturing methods, contacts out of place or dirty, improper assembly).

MT makes trucks with couplers mounted that will fit easily onto almost any Atlas rolling stock.  There are several varieties ranging from Civil War era to the most  modern roller bearing trucks.   On some of the most recent Atlas products, you are better off trimming the tongue from the  factory trucks and leaving them while body mounting the MT couplers.  There are tapped holes in the undercarriage for you to drill out and screw in the couplers.  Check MT's website, but most of the Atlas cars take 1023.

For older B-mann rolling stock (and, indeed, power) 1133 is almost universal.  If you have really sharp curves, use 1134, as that is simply a longer shank version of 1133.  For newer B-mann equipment, you will need to check MT's website.

When you state "standard 24", I am assuming that you refer to the diameter of the oval.   As a rule, one refers to the radius of a curve, rather than the diameter.  One determines the radius by measuring along/around an imaginary line down the middle of the track piece.

B-mann usually puts its 11,25 inch radius E-ZTRAK in its sets.  That is the sharpest radius curve that B-mann has in production.  If you look elsewhere on this website, you will see what curvatures that B-mann sells.  Off the top of my head, I know that B-mann sells seventeen and fourteen inch radius track.  There may be others, but I can not recall them right now.

If you must have track-cum-roadbed, Kato does sell UNITRAK in curvatures sharper than 11,25 inches.  The old standard nine and three quarter track will go inside the 11,25 inch loop.  Due to overhang, however, you may have clearance problems if you try to operate two trains at once.  Kato does sell track with curves that are sharper.  Do keep in mind that the sharper the curves, the more limit on what you can run on them.  If you go, say, to an eight inch radius curve, you should not have any clearance problems, but you would have difficulty operating anything other than small power and rolling stock.  Larger power and rolling stock is more likely to climb sharp curves, derail or stall due to broken electrical contact.

If you do not need to use track-cum-roadbed, you can buy cork and either flex or sectional track.  Various manufacturers offer those.  B-mann at one time did offer sectional track in nine and three quarter radius (without the roadbed, mind you) but I understand that all of that is now out of production.  You will find it out there, still, though, either at shows or in some stores as NOS.

If you plan to use turnouts to make crossovers between loops, be aware that the E-ZTRACK and UNITRAK are not compatible.  They use different rail joiners and their construction is such that the pieces do not mate well.  If you want to use those two on the same layout, you must use a transition piece of sectional or a cut off section of flex.  It takes a bit of work.  I have done it, and, done it successfully, but, if I had it to do again, I would find another way.

For the purposes of model construction, a geared steam locomotive is essentially a steam locomotive shell on a diesel chassis.  There is the matter of the drive rods, but other than that, the model construction should not be difficult.

One of my Atlas shays does have the drive rod problem.  That part of the mechanism did have problems. 

The problems that my other two are showing is constant stalling.  This should not be a problem given modern standards for model diesel power chassis construction.  The power chassis for a geared steam locomotive is essntially a model diesel chassis.  The current collection in the Atlas shay trucks is archaic:  wipers up against the backs of the wheels.  Modern construction methods provide far more reliable current collection.

B-mann did Climaxes of Heislers (I forget which) in HO.   No one has done those in N. The Atlas Shays were a major disappointment.  None of mine run well.

Quote from: ACY on June 06, 2015, 12:51:32 PM
I thought maybe you were infact referring to the Kato or Con-Cor model but didn't want to bring them up since this is a Bachmann forum.

B-mann is tolerant of discussing other manufacturers' products here-to a point.   It is not as tolerant as Atlas used to be on its forum, where Atlas considered it acceptable to start and keep up topics on this or that product of another manufacturer.  On a recent topic, in which there were more than a few mentions of products of other manufacturers, the Moderators did post a subtle hint that some of us were pushing the limit.  While it did not prove ultimately to be a topic killer, there were only a few more posts to that topic.  This is not a complaint, mind you, it is an observation.  Even I understand that this is B-mann's Forum, thus, it can make and enforce any rules that it wants to.

At any rate, on to the topic at hand.

I can not quite tell from the photograph, as I do not own the recent edition of the B-mann 4-8-4, but it does appear that Spookshow has posted a photograph of a recent edition B-mann 4-8-4 lettered for SP.  The 4404 number is in the SP's GS-series.   The only version of the B-mann 4-8-4 that I own is the older version with the half wheels live tender.  It is not the best runner.   As I do not run much large steam anymore, I have not bought any of the later versions of this one.  Those who have bought it have stated that it is much better than the previous versions.   As Spookshow tells us, to learn more, check out his website.  It is an invaluable source of information on N scale equipment.

The only similarities between the ATSF and an SP GS series are the wheel arrangement and the prototype's burning oil.  The drivers may be similar in size, but I am not sure.  While I do know my SP steam, my knowledge of ATSF steam is severely limited.

I did not know that B-mann sold its 4-8-4 in SP.  The B-mann 4-8-4 is based on a ATSF prototype.   Con-Cor sold an SP 4-8-4.  It was a GS-4 shell on a GN S-2 chassis.  The Daylight version was pretty good.  C-C also sold it in black, but the lettering font is incorrect.  The C-C 4-8-4 is a mediocre runner.  For a list price of three hundred bananas, you expect better than mediocre. 

Kato sells a GS-4 in Daylight.  I forget if they issued it in black.  By all reports, the Kato is a pretty good runner, but there have been reports of problems.

The old B-mann Standard Line 2-8-0, that was based on a Reading Company I-9 or I-10, I forget which, now.   It came with an Elesco feedwater heater.  I have done a test fit of the shell onto the SPECTRUM power chassis.   It looks like it will go, but it will require some work.

You can not separate the track from the roadbed on the EZTRAK without damaging one, the other, or both.

As far as I am aware, the only track that B-mann sells these days is the EZTRAK.   If you go to shows you will see some vendors' selling older B-mann sectional track without the roadbed, but that stuff is long out of production.   You might even see some NOS at some hobby stores, as well.   Some might even sell it online or on sites such as FeePay, Etsy and others.

There are others who sell track-cum-roadbed, as Spookshow has indicated:  Atlas and Kato.   I think that TOMIX sells it, as well, but I am not sure.  The B-mann, Atlas and Kato are not compatible with one another.  While both the B-mann and Kato use code eighty rail, the joining systems are different.   The Atlas uses code sixty-five rail.

There are more than a few out there who sell just the track.   You can anchor track directly to the base, if you must, but there are advantages to using roadbed.  I am aware of cork and a foam type roadbed, but there may be others out there.  To use the cork and sectional or flex track, first you lay the roadbed, which you can glue or nail down, then lay the track, which also you can glue or nail down.  At some point, you also add ballast.   You can add ballast to the track-cum-roadbed, as well.  In fact, dirtying up the track-cum-roadbed and adding ballast makes it look less like a model railroad and more realistic. 

Advantage number one of roadbed is that it looks more realistic.  If you look at the prototype main lines and even many of the branch lines, you will see that the tracks sit on something that looks like built-up earth with sloping sides and rocks everywhere.  The earth  is the roadbed, the rocks are the ballast that keeps the track in place as the trains run over it.  You might not see so much roadbed on very lightly trafficked branch lines, short lines, trolley lines or logging/industrial railroads, but even most of those do some sort of grading for the roadbed.

Advantage number two is that the roadbed absorbs much of the noise and vibrations that come from our model trains.

As B-mann is moving to factory decoders in everything, I would expect that if not in this issue, there will be in the future, at least an  upgrade of the tender to both poles live.   I do not have any of the newer issues, but the word on the street is that the latest issues are an improvement over past issues of this one.  If this thing continues to sell, I would espect that B-mann would bring it into line with its other products.

I do not run much large steam anymore, but if B-mann upgraded this, I would expect that its USRA 0-6-0 would receive an upgrade as well, to allow it to function well with a factory decoder.