Hey all, I'm thinking about making some narrow gauge engines of my own! I've designed my own Proteus/Sir Handel in 3D on my computer, and I'm thinking about using it to make an 009 Proteus. Should I get a bachmann Skarloey/Rheneas first to see if the size is for me, or should I dive in? If it's the latter, what chassis do you all recommend? (N-Drive, Bachmann Skarloey, etc.) Thank you all!

magiclamp

The Bachmann Skarloey chassis should just be fine.

Hello all once again! Can anyone provide me with a head on view (preferably taken from far away zoomed in to counteract perspective) of the Bachmann Rheneas? I'm currently scaling some 3D prints and I want to get it just right. Sadly I don't have my own rheneas but that will come in time.

Figured I would post recent updates on my OO9 layout, a lot has changed:


I was able to add some more scenery like trees and bushes in addition to a lake which was by far the most tedious project on the layout by far.  Nonetheless I'm really happy with the result.

Quote from: Chaz on January 22, 2023, 02:33:33 AMFigured I would post recent updates on my OO9 layout, a lot has changed:


I was able to add some more scenery like trees and bushes in addition to a lake which was by far the most tedious project on the layout by far.  Nonetheless I'm really happy with the result.

Chaz, this is incredible! Fantastic work man!

Looking great, Chaz! The scenery really makes a difference, and I especially like how the lake turned out.

Figure I might as well give a small update as well. Built and finished Peter Sam last year using the Fourdees Era 2 Talyllyn Tattoo shell running on the Peter Sam chassis, with ongoing plans developing a hackworth eccentric kit to complement it .

Well this is certainly an overdue post on my end, apologies guys.  Work's been busy and it takes a while to do these posts.  But out of everything we have been waiting for, it seems the narrow gauge brake vans the longest.  Longer than Oliver, Rusty, and even the highly anticipated Daisy and Peter Sam models that finally got released last year.  Question is, was the wait worth it despite these being rolling stock?  Let's take a look:


Brake vans have been a popular request for the narrow gauge range for a very, very long time.  Everyone and their mother have been asking for brake vans the moment Skarloey was first announced in 2015, but it made sense to wait on introducing these until after they added the more iconic slate wagons and coaches first.  I can safely say that these, while they took a long time, don't disappoint in the slightest.


The livery application on both brake vans is absolutely beautiful, and I love the attention to detail on including guard compartments on both sides of the van which was exclusive to the television series and not the real Talyllyn guard vans.  The wood and chassis detail looks excellent as well and I love the metal wheels that allow for smooth performance at the end of the train. 


There's also some fair weight to them too, not too heavy or too light, so they can move along corners and switches on layouts with no derailments or any issues while navigating at the back of your narrow gauge trains. 


I also want to talk about the box vans, these are basically the exact same tooling as the brake vans minus the guard compartments.  You could argue this may be a cheap move but I personally think it's incredibly smart as the show had done the exact same thing with their box and brake van molds as well.


But more importantly, these replaced the original Peco recolored vans that were introduced back in 2015.  Not only is this much more accurate to what's on the show, but also a lot cheaper too.  A HUGE improvement over the predecessors, and it's nice seeing Bachmann make the appropriate revisions to previously announced products or announcing new products in their place altogether like the upcoming HO human figure packs.  I hope to see more new additions replace some of the less than average additions Bachmann have included as well, mainly the Peco open wagon recolor from 2015 and especially the N scale tankers.  If we're lucky, maybe even a face upgrade for Paxton since the large scale model was such a huge improvement.  Point is, improvements like these are always welcome and after seeing what Bachmann has done with the NG box vans, I hope to see more improvements in the future.


Overall, aesthetically the narrow gauge brake vans and new box vans are stunning models and don't disappoint.  Thomas fans and OO9 modelers alike will definitely appreciate having these in their collections.  I hope to see a light brown recolor of the brake van in the future as this was present in both the model and CGI seasons.


When running these models on my OO9 layout, they look fantastic, specifically with the matching passenger cars.  As I said earlier these hardly have any issue being transported on any railroad with either Peco OO9 track or Bachmann N scale track.  The box vans also look really nice for goods trains as well too.  They add some nice diversity, especially when most of the OO9 freight stock that are currently, or coming into the range are all different types of wagons.   


My final thoughts are this, the Bachmann narrow gauge box vans and brake vans deliver in all areas that fans would expect from the narrow gauge range.  If you haven't picked these up yet, you will definitely want to pick them up sooner rather than later as these are selling like hotcakes!  Thanks Bachmann for adding these highly requested items in the range and I hope we can see more updates on Sir Handel and the new wagon announcements soon too!

Another great review, Chaz! Your pictures are great as always, too!

I agree that even though it took a long time for this batch of stock to come out, it was certainly worth the long wait. They look amazing, especially on your setup. The scaling is perfect, the colors pop and blend in nicely with the coaches. I agree that some light brown variants of both need to be announced sooner rather than later so as to give a contrast to the brightly colored versions.

I feel Sir Handel will be another case of "It took a long time, but ws well worth the wait". We'll just have to wait and see...

Good review on the rolling stock. I gotten the brake vans but not the new vans. I thought of no point of getting the new ones except the bracing. Somewhere down the line I might so the railroad can have single and double sheathed box vans.

Does these new vans goes nicely with the Peco vans together? Since I didn't see a photo.

Quote from: Angelob6660 on July 03, 2023, 06:47:02 PMGood review on the rolling stock. I gotten the brake vans but not the new vans. I thought of no point of getting the new ones except the bracing. Somewhere down the line I might so the railroad can have single and double sheathed box vans.

Does these new vans goes nicely with the Peco vans together? Since I didn't see a photo.

I sold my older Peco vans about a year or so ago but I'm sure you may be able to find photos online of the newer vans and compare them with the Peco recolors.  Never hurts to hold onto both anyway if you decided to get the new ones down the road.

Here's some comparison photos of the newer vans compared to the old Peco ones. Sadly only have the newer Red van so far.



As you can see they are shorter in height and length then Peco but they are vastly more detailed complete with the metal wheels compared to the plastic ones which run smoother. I know the shade of blue is different for the blue one but I feel like seeing both side by side the red is a different shade too

Chaz I wasn't planning on selling/trading them for newer model. I just wanted to make sure they weren't out of place.

Mulfred thanks for the comparisons. Differences between the two especially Peco and Bachmann. In which the Bachmann has the buffer beams and electric, air hose connection. Although yes the other van doesn't have them but it be classed as a different type of van or add them later.

Technically not Thomas-related but the Talyllyn models Bachmann announced last summer just had their painted samples posted on their Facebook page and they look great.  The green is a tad brighter than I would have liked to be but I like how the red and black liveries turned out and I love the headlamps placed in front of each engine.  Can't wait to pick up the red one soon!

Where can I buy the couplers that the HOn30 trains use? I am modeling HOn30 models for my home layout and i cannot find where to buy these narrow gauge couplers. I am a entry level collector so I buy all the items bachmann makes for thomas the tank but creating my own items that are more grungy and dirty is exciting so my first model below is the green and cream coaches from the skarloey railway. First 3d print is going now and excited to figure out what wheels to buy and what couplers to use but at the moment I want to use the same couplers as stock bachmann HOn30.

Thanks!