0-6-0 / 2-6-2 New Motor?

[James in FL]

Not sure if Bachmann might have modified the frame with this "new" motor version.

I swapped out the stock tender for a SPECTRUM slopeback that I had altered in the manner that Spookshow demonstrates on his website.

Can you see what has changed on the new lokie chassis that required surgery to adapt the Spectrum slope back tender?

The slope back Spectrum tender does not require grinding nor flipping the draw bar over on the previous version 0-6-0. It requires no modification at all (rear coupler excluded), however, I did add ⅛ oz. lead and installed a 2004 coupler.

[Maletrain]

Was at my LHS today and there was a stack of Bachmann 0-6-0 switchers, new in their boxes.  Both the old and new models. (New were going for just $5 more than the old version.)  The two obvious markers for the new model were (1) the motor is flush with the back of the cab except for the thickness of a small black plastic ring on the back of the motor, and (2) it comes equipped with magnetic couplers.  (Always wondered why a SWITCHER came with dummy couplers!)

[spookshow]

These models have undergone quite a variety of changes over the past couple-three years. To wit -

- The couplers were upgraded to EZ-Mates

- The shell detailing was considerably improved

- The motor was upgraded (and the shell was upgraded yet again)

And that's just recently! Based on my research, there have been numerous upgrades and improvements to these models over the years (dating all the way back to the 1980's).

Not trying to be snarky here, but Mr Yardmaster, why is it that Bachmann is so coy when it comes to revealing improvements? If you're going to expend the effort to improve your models, I would think that trumpeting said changes would be, um, advantageous? 

Cheers,
-Mark

[brokemoto]

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.

[spookshow]

One oddity I've noticed with these split-frame 0-6-0's and 2-6-2's are the wheelwipers on the rear driverset. Since track current flows from the axles directly into the chassis, said wipers would seem (to me anyway) to be completely redundant. Anyone have theories as to what purpose they might serve?

Thanks,
-Mark

[James in FL]

The motors on the 0-6-0 and 2-6-2 are insulated from the frames with a piece of plastic. The wipers coming from the rear driver wheels touch directly to the brush caps.
I do not own the new smaller motor version and don't know if this holds true on that version.
Redundant... maybe... if there were other direct contact to the motor brushes via the frame halves, but as you already know, there is not.
I'm not sure there is anything redundant about power pick-up on n scale steam, it seems the more redundancy,  the better they run without stalling.
A good example, adding a Spectrum tender to said models. Its absolute redundancy, but how sweet they run when converted.
There is much inconsistency in adequate power pick-up when the drivers alone are the only source of pick-up, sometimes lead and trailing trucks still don't offer flawless pick-up and are not enough.
I wish the Spectrum tenders would replace the standard ones on all Bachmann lokies.
They are also easily adapted to other manufacturers' equipment and make an equal marked improvement.
I'm still buying slope back, short, and medium for less than $10 on eBay, the long is getting harder to find at those prices and the Vandy will cost you easy twice or three times that if you can find them.
I just finished adding Spectrum tenders to both my 0-6-0 and 2-6-2 (slope back and short).
Next up is adding either a long or a Vandy to the 4-8-4, either that or modifying the regular 16 wheeler to all wheels live.
A project long overdue.
I have not ruled out the unit from Richmond Controls and have not researched the prototypes enough to figure out a course of action at this time.
I have 11 GP9's that I need to paint and decal ahead of this project on the priority list.

[brokemoto]

A good example, adding a Spectrum tender to said models. Its absolute redundancy, but how sweet they run when converted.

I wish the Spectrum tenders would replace the standard ones on all Bachmann lokies.

If there is any "redundancy" in adding the SPECTRUM tender to a B-mann steam locomotive, it would be the additional electrical contact that it provides.  When considering any N scale locomotive, particullarly an N scale steam locomotive, you can never have "too much" electrical contact.

When considering N scale steam, it is important to keep in the forefront Miranda's Maxim as explained by ke:  "The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is almost always directly attributable to poor electrical contact".

If you will consider the Kato 2-8-2, the first run did suffer from a poorly designed current collection method on the drivers. Kato re-designed this for subsequent runs.  Further, more than one person has discovered that adding a bit of weight to the tender has cut stalling markedly on this locomotive.

The Model Power 2-6-0 is another one.  The presence of the traction tyre on the locomotive eliminates most of the electrical contact there.  The tender is only half wheels live.  Thus, if you operate that locomotive at anything less than thirty SMPH, it is prone to stalling, even on straight-and-level.  Swap out the stock tender for any SPECTRUM tender, or, the Kato USRA  standard tender, and you eliminate the stalling problem.   I have two that I have so modified.  They will pull fifteen loaded Micro-Trains gondolas and a Micro-Trains wood caboose up a one per cent grade at fifteen SMPH and show no signs of slipping.  I wonder if the prototype would have done that.

The other problem with the B-mann tender that comes with this one is that the design of the one live truck, the front truck, is such that it creates a tremendous amount of drag on the locomotive, as the wheels will not spin freely.  The needlepoint axle pick-up on the SPECTRUM (or Kato) tender eliminates most of this drag.  On the older issue, doing the swap-out doubles the pulling power.   This one will pull more:   eleven loaded hoppers, of various manufacture, and, a MT wood caboose on straight and level or level, broad curves.

[spookshow]

The motors on the 0-6-0 and 2-6-2 are insulated from the frames with a piece of plastic. The wipers coming from the rear driver wheels touch directly to the brush caps. I do not own the new smaller motor version and don't know if this holds true on that version.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to pull the motor and see just what's going on with the chassis contacts. And as you can see, there are contacts on the front face of the motor, each of which touch one of the frame halves directly -



So, maybe I'm missing something, but those old wheelwiper contacts do seem to be redundant if all they're doing is getting current from the rear drivers to the chassis (since current already flows from the rear axle sleeves directly into the chassis).

Cheers,
-Mark

[James in FL]

Thanks for popping that motor out and giving us a look see at it.
Somewhat odd design (contacts placement) compared to the old conventional style.
Only one way to find out if they (wheelback wipers)are adding any pick-up value, and that's to take them off and see.
Are they still held on with a small Phillips head? Or has that changed as well?

[spookshow]

Yes, they're exactly like the old ones - small screws, etc. The only difference now is that they don't do anything other than transfer current from the drivers to the chassis.

Even if redundant, they don't really hurt anything. Although I guess you could say they are the last little bit of distracting ugliness on these models -



If I actually wanted to run one of these on my layout, I'd probably try removing them and see if it made any difference in the performance.

Cheers,
-Mark

[brokemoto]

In an N scale steam locomotive, especially a small N scale steam locomotive, I will take all redundant electrical contact.

I did notice that the wipers on mine are not brass colored, as were the old ones,  rather they are made of a silver-colored metal of some sort.

I did not attempt to run mine with the stock tender, except on the test track at the show where I bought it.  When I got the thing home, I did a swap out for a SPECTRUM tender immediately.   I used a slopeback, even though I have been informed that no USRA 0-6-0, be it original or copy, ever had a slopeback.   As mine is going to run on a non-historic railroad, I can get away with it.   I do plan to buy at leat one more and add a SPECTRUM USRA switcher tender lettered for the Baltimore and Ohio.  It will not look as nice as does skipgear's B&O USRA 0-6-0, but it will look allright for my purposes.

[SandyEggoJake]

Hey Mark, 

If you still have it out, could you provide some dimension of the new motor?  Length of case, as well as length w/ worm, height and width. 

Cheers. 

[spookshow]

Approximately 14 mm long (22 mm with the driveshaft and worm), 10 mm wide, and 12 mm tall.

Cheers,
-Mark