I write this with the GREATEST RESPECT.  I love history, and like to find out how things came to be.  Loco Bill says he's the Unnofficial Historian of Bachmann Large Scale Products, and that he has been in Model Railroading for 63 years.  Has " G " Scale, and Bachmann been around that long ??   How did Bachmann come to be Was Bachmann one man Bill, when you started off, did you start off in "G" scale or graduate bigger from another size I started off as a kid with " S " Scale, when I had kids went to H.O. and now I want to get into outside garden rail roading so I went to " G ", and am loving it so far..    My Father got me interested in Trains, ( Pennsylvania Rail Road ), and my Grand-Father got me interested in Electric Powered Trains.  My Father died in 2008 at the age of 87 years old.  He told me when he was 6 or 7 years old, his Father bought him an electric train that was so large that he could ride in the tender behind the Locomotive..  Have you ever seen or heard of an electric train that large, and if so, who made it.. Bill, Thank You for your knowledge, and for putting up with people like me with dum questions..  I feel if a person knows the history of what he's getting into, it makes for a better experience..  Whistlestop   

Took the train from around the Christmas Tree, (I'm now in the Dog House with my Wife for doing that), and bought 14 sections of additional straight track, and made a larger ovel on the Rec Room floor of the basement. Now I can open up the engine, and it smokes a lot better. The Bachmann Pioneer Heavy Hauler is a GREAT train, and we're having fun with it. I'm going to dig out the old HO train for around the tree, to keep the Wife Happy...  Whistlestop24

Honeybunny, A correction. My set came with 4 straights and 8 curves.. I told you 2 curves before.. Sorry about that..   Whistlestop24

Honeybunny, I had the same problem when I got my "G" scale Bachmann Pioneer Heavy Hauler.  The set came with only 2 straight track and 8 curve track. I first put it around the christmas tree, and with that short of track,  you can't really get the train up to speed. So, yesterday, I went to a local hobby shop and bought 14 sections of straight track.  I took the train from around the Christmas Tree, and put it down on the floor of the Rec Room in the basement. I now have a large ovel, and can bring the train up to number 7 to 7 1/2  on the speed dial. Before I could only take it to 5 or 5 1/2. I have 2 straights between the 1st and 2nd curve, 7 sections down the back straight, 2 straights between the 3rd and 4th curve, and another 7 straight sections down the front. Now that I'm able to bring the engine up to a constant higher speed, the engine smokes a lot better.  I'm under the understanding that these engines won't produce heavy smoke puffing out like the old American Flyers with Choo-Choos did.. But it is a nice steady smoke..   Whistlestop24

 Well, the engine smoked for about an hour. Little wispy smoke, nothing pushing out the stack, like some of the vidios on You-Tube..   I'd hate to send the engine back.  Is their some one in the York, Pennsylvania area that could look at my engine for me???

    Great Tip Bach Man !!!!      I got smoke now !!!   That must have been the problem...     Thanks for your help !!!

Dear Bach Man, How many switches are supposed to be in the smoke box???  My Engine has one, with a blank hole at the top of that switch, where it looks like another switch should go..  The bottom switch is an off and on switch for the smoke..

Went to the Aristocraft web site.  For what I want to do, I 'll probably be spending about $2000.00 in track alone. And thats not including switches. What holds up the best, stainless or brass track   And when you have a long run lay out, how many electrical contacts, from transformer to track, do you need    Is their any books I could get for ideas and how to information    Bach Man, I'm a Fire Fighter, working a 36 hour shift. ( I wrote to you Sunday Night )  I'll be getting off Tuesday morning. I'll let you know how I make out with the pencel in the smoke stack tip works out for me...  Thanks for all the information everyone has givin me...

Yes, followed all the directions. I have the switch turned on, and put 10 drops of fluid down the stack..

Thanks for this message board..  One can learn a lot from those who have already built they're lay outs..  Is their such a thing, in "G" gauge, as an inside track and an outside track   The Engine, Cars and the electronics, I'll bring in doors after I'm done with them.  But the track, I planned to keep outside all year..  I live in southern  Pennsylvania. Can this be done

Just bought a brand new Bachmann "Heavy Hauler" Pioneer "G" scale train set.  I want to turn it into a Garden Train this spring. For now, its set up under the Christmas Tree.. Its running "GREAT", and I'm well pleased with it.  I was very impressed with the written directions, and the " C.D. ". What a cool idea !!!  I did everything that the directions said to do, but the smoker won't work.  The C.D. says the more you run the train the better it will run. Do you think I haven't run it long enough   I bet I haven't run it an hour yet..  Other than no smoke, it runs "GREAT" !!!