Bachmann 2-8-0

[jakuma]

I'm confused about the colour of the counterweights on the 2-8-0.
I bought two, both black.  What colour should I paint the counterweights?

[Woody Elmore]

You can't go wrong with black on a steam engine.

[ebtbob]

Seriously,   any color you want unless you are concerned about what others may think.   Black,  as was stated,  is the safe bet.

Bob

[japasha]

All the outside frame 2-8-0s and 2-8-2s I have pictures of were painted black. Reportedly, some of the K-28s used in passenger service just had the main counterweight pained aluminum. Never seen a picture. Not all 2-8-0s had counterweights as shown in the D&RGW c-21 and C-25 classes show. Outside counterweights were used when the drivers were not counterweighted. So much for rivet counting today. Paint them any color your heart desires. That's the fun of model railroading.

[Hunt]

jakuma,
Possibly the following Bachmann 2-8-0 product picture is the cause of your confusion regarding the counterweight color. 




If so…  paint them black!

[ksivils]

I have seen photos of narrow gauge OF locomotives with their outside counterweights painted red.

I suggest doing a search for the 30 inch line in Brazil and Cuban steam locomotives.  These were often painted in colorful schemes.

I personally like the idea of read counterweights.

[ollie]

Steamer tend to get "dirty", or as we say weathered pretty fast. So I guess within time they would be covered wirh oil, dust road grime. So I guess this is why black was the most obvious and most common color, it did not show off the dirt right away. As most of people have stated here, black is allways right on a steam engine.



#28 on Rio Fanguso & Western

[ebtbob]

Good Morning,
 
       One note here,  about outside counterweights.   They were used because the drive wheels were inside the frame and the drive rods,  etc were outside the frame,  so the counter weights was the connection between the wheels and the rods.

Bob

[japasha]

To EBTBob,

Crank pins were used on many pre 1905 outside frame locomotives. Thesse included D&RGW classes C-21 and C-25, Many export locomotives were also configured this way including Ohau Railway 4-6-0s and smaller 2-8-0s. Outside counterweights meant that the drivers were not counterweighted like the inside frame locomotives.

It was found that the outside counterweights had better reciprocating dynamics because of the drive rod thrust.

[ebtbob]

Correction noted,  thankyou Sir.....

[Bojangle]

I have been admiring the Bachmann 2-8-0 outside frame. I have withheld my questions until I saw this thread.

The description says "spoked, solid, or outside bearing lead trucks per prototype".  I  have never seen one except in the catalog.   Either the Colorado Mining Co, or the unlettered (will make Rio Grande) will work for my purpose. 

Please explain "outside bearing trucks".  Is the flange actually on the outside of the rails?.  Yeah, I know it's a dumb question, but I'm not sure I even understand what an outside frame is.  I just like the looks and want one. Bachmann has many of the freight cars to fit my region and era.  I have many early pictures of this loco, I am in the heart of narrow gauge history.  Also, any problems running this on 18"?, my 22" is just in the planning stage

Thanks
Bo

[Tim]

Bo

The outside bearing truck refers to the axle bearing, outside the wheel
or inside the wheel.

Tim Anders
Souderton, PA

[Bojangle]

Tim:
Thanks, I was thinking of "bearing" as  load bearing,  you answer makes sense. Now I just have to decide which one I want.  I saw a picture of one, Rio Grande Southern, with red and white trim and polished wheels,  so I'm leaning toward the unlettered one. Nice that they include 2 styles of stacks, as I have seen both types in pictures.
I read someplace the purpose of the "onion" stack, but I lost the article.
Bo

[ollie]

Speaking of stacks, when I got mine, my intention was to replace it with the regular one and keep it as a coal burner. As I am of finnish orgin and have a few books of finnish steam, at one angle it looked pretty close to finnish to me so I kept it and made it a wood burner. 
Many of the early finnish steam were imported from USA and they even had typical Wild West looking Americans, with baloon stacks and cow catchers (4-4-0) on their broad gauge (1525mm), which is same as the russian gauge. The last US steamers in Finland were 2-10-0.s that looks a lot like modified Russian Decapods and were built in late 1940.s, but that is another story. Don't want to hijack this thread too much....

To make things interesting unlike Sweden which had various narrow gauge lines in various gauges, Finland had a only a few and some of them had 750 mm gauge which turns out very close to 30 inch gauge.
Finns unlike swedes kept on wood burners after WWII when imported coal became available. The ordered second engine the Little River painted one will also be a wood burner too. The plan is for both and planned third con to replace the lettering with my own road name, but keeping the org. road number.  As the planned road will be a log hauling common carrier, the Onion stacked wood burners makes a whole lot of sence. Though I will model "Somewhere in Northern America", I still will be able to keep a little touch with my native country....   

In many ways I am greatful that Bachmann decided on 0n30, and a rather generic 2-8-0, it will make it easier to freelance something and yet make it credible as I would not have to discuise its orgin, like if I was having a C16. The B-mann 2-8-0 is I guess one of the best buys in model railroad market. It got the looks and detail, runs well and you are able to customize it a lot right out of the box. And those counter weights are noticeable and the outside frame and the counterweights makes it really fun to watch in action, one day with a consist of bulk head flats (B-Mann!! hint, hint hint....) and few loads of general freight.

Having fun!!!!/Ollie

[Bojangle]

I can feel my wallet groaning, gotta have one of those.
Bo