The Bachmann On30 trolley (Christmas or otherwise) is a straight DC (not DCC) unit, with no fancy electronics in it.  It should operate fine with any ordinary DC controller such as the standard Bachmann one that comes in train sets. It is just the same as any other DC locomotive.

The auto reverse function is in the trolley barn, not the trolley itself,  in the auto reversing sets (or the controller in the 44547 auto reversing track set) and requires the specially wired reversing track to operate.  Any DC locomotive will reverse automatically on the reversing track set up, the Bach Man used it in his On30 exhibition layout to reverse the Davenport locomotive shunting a mine.

Hamish

I am pleased that  Bachmann has decided to  expand the EZ street range with the introduction of the automobiles, however I would like to see more track items, in particular turnouts.

I also saw with interest the introduction of O gauge EZ track (not Street), again without turnouts at this stage. Will more pieces, including turnouts, be added in the future?

Will EZ Street track and EZ O gauge track be compatible? From the sample shown on Jack Lynch's video  it doesn't look as though the O gauge EZ track would join with EZ Street track, perhaps adapter track could be made available?

Finally, has Bachmann considered making the  single truck Birney in O gauge? It would be wonderful with EZ street track.

Hamish

Good news. My questions for  Bachmann,  are replacement universal couplings (the joint that connects the drive shaft to the trucks) available for the Climax? It is this,rather than the gears  that have failed on my Climax. Will these replacement gears be  shipped free to Australia?

Hamish

As I understand it 7/8 scale is 1:13.7 running on 45mm gauge track I.e. Large Scale. It represents 2 foot
gauge. The proposal is to use O scale track to represent 18 inch gauge track, presumably in a dual gauge layout.

Williams by Bachmann is 3 rail, as 7/8 scale would normally be 2 rail I would assume that you would want 2 rail for  your project so as to look right with the 45 mm track. If so Williams by Bachmann has no suitable  chassis.

Perhaps try posting your query on a 2 rail O scale forum, such as the OGR forum, they have a 2  rail board.

Good luck

Hamish

Link as posted in my reply above only shows photo, this (the page before) gives a little information.

http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images_Sp-Sz.htm

Hamish

See  http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/a_w_stevens_lbr_1-sn1007.jpg

Hamish

As I understand it Bachmann changed their sound policy a couple of years ago. Spectrum locos introduced after the change  come DCC equipped, with an optional sound card. Prior to that separate sound and non-sound versions were made. (Separate versions are still being introduced for some cheaper non-spectrum models, but not to date in ON30) Locos introduced before the change, including the 2-6-6-2, still follow the old policy, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to change unless an upgraded version was introduced. Bachmann batch produces, and the 2-6-6-2s currently being distributed may have been made before the change in policy.The catalogues show models as available until the warehouse stock drops below a certain level.

Hamish

Sorry, I should have given the url for Grove Farm http://grovefarm.org/

Looking it up is confusing as there are many Grove Farms, most nothing to do with trains!

Hamish

Hawaii is an excellent setting for an On30 line.  Hawaii had a large n.umber of narrow gauge lines, mainly sugar, but fruit (pineapples) and timber as well. Some had a common carrier service. As well as3 foot gauge there were  some 30 inch gauge lines.  Locomotives included Baldwin 0-6-2 and 2-6-2 tank locomotives. Some are preserved. If you want an example, look up Grove Farm.

A Hawaiian tank locomotive would be a good choice for Bachmann to make as an On30. Model. Also a sugar cane car. How about it, Bachmann?

Hamish

There are three types of diesel locomotives, diesel mechanical, diesel hydraulic and diesel electric. None are really direct drive. Diesel mechanical locomotives usually have a fluid coupling between the diesel engine and a mechanical gear box. The power of a locomotive is generally too much for a mechanical connection to work reliably, although a few were made. Diesel mechanicals are generally confined to small low speed locomotives, e.g. small shunters. Diesel hydraulic locomotives have torque converters (which also use fluid to transmit power) and have automatic gears. (I know this is a gross oversimplification). The advantage of a diesel hydraulic over a diesel electric is mainly lighter weight.  Thus they can have a higher power to weight ration which makes them useful on lightly laid track. Their disadvantages are that they are a little less efficient, and may require greater maintenance. Also they were confined to medium power, unless two engines and thus two transmissions were used. However a hydraulic drive capable for coping with 4000 hp has now been developed . Diesel hydraulics have been quite popular in some European and other countries, in particular for small to medium powered locomotives and railcars. (I live in Australia and we currently have several classes of diesel hydraulic railcar.)

Diesel electrics are probably better suited for american conditions. Track is usually relatively heavy (by world standards) in the USA  multiple locomotives are often used together, this is less common in Europe (length of yards etc).  Thus the higher power to weight ratio of hydraulics is not needed.  Maintenance issues were a problem with the Krauss Maffei locomotives tried in the USA, they were unfamiliar technology. Why use unfamiliar technology when its main advantage is not needed?

Hamish

On30 represents narrow gauge, HO standard gauge. Wheel arrangements that were common on standard gauge were not always common on narrow gauge, AFAIK there were no narrow gauge 2-10-0s in the USA. For many years Bachmann made a 2-8-0 in On30, try EBay. I would not be surprised to see Bachmann  make one again sometime. They have also been made by other makers. 6-6-0s were rare on any gauge, if you meant 0-6-0s AFAIK there was only one class of tender 0-6-0s on US narrow gauge lines, they were not common. Finally, no maker can keep every type of loco available at all times in each scale/gauge combination that they make. Overall I think Bachmann has done a pretty good job with On30.

Hamish

I too noticed the coach/observation car and the deleted items. the coach/observation is I guess a way of keeping a range of items available while limiting the number of individual items that need to be made. I await the details with interest. I was sorry to see that the combine was missing, I expect, and hope, that it will return some day. I was not surprised to see that some of the older locomotives were deleted, they can not keep them all in production and continue to give us new items. Some may return in the future, possibly in a different form (e.g. a different Climax or Shay locomotive). What the return of the boxcars does show is that Bachmann is keeping a good basic range of  items available, even if every item we might want is not available all of the time.

Hamish

An addition - these are in the 2013 catalogue, now available for download from the homepage, (It wasn't when I originally posted, I live in Australia, so it is early evening here. The Bachmann people must be working through the night to update the site, thanks fellas).

Not much else of interest for ON30 fans, of course new announcements are, these days, made at the NMRA convention in summer. That makes the re-appearance of the box cars in the catalogue something of a surprise.

Hamish

An examination of the online catalogue on this site shows two unlettered boxcars, one described as mineral red and one oxide red. They are described as new and are, I presume, the previous standard box cars. No photos are yet shown. They have new product numbers. Similarly there are two  low sided gondolas described as new,  one oxide red and one black.

There was some discussion a little while ago on this board about the apparent demise of these boxcars and what it meant for the future of Bachmann's On30 range. Their return, and with a choice of colour, shows that Bachmann is indeed committed to ON 30.

Thank you Bachmann

Hamish

Quote from: railexpert on January 24, 2013, 04:23:39 AM
Hello,

for this Chinese Baldwin ten wheeler compare the image with the Bachmann 2-4-4-2.

Then take the 2-4-4-2 body and  set under a ten wheel chassis frame.  That's all.

But is a ten wheeler a loco for small radii which one we have on our layouts? See the problems with the Forney.


Railexpert     

The Bachmann HO Russian 2-10-0 on which Ivrr325 is proposing to base his (different) bash will negotiate 18 inch radius curves. So that is not a problem. Ivrrr325's original query was whether a 2-10-0 was prototypically feasible for an On30 locomotive. I think the answer is yes, given that a number of 10 coupled prototypes existed on narrow gauges. I haven't yet found a 2-10-0 (I have found more 750mm gauge 0-10-0s) but who is to say the one wasn't made by someone, somewhere?

Hamish