I am looking for a single nickname for all the new loco's as a group, so more like Anniversary 4-6-0 and Big Hauler 4-6-0, but something that reflects the new loco.  I am not in love with any of the ideas specifically, so suggestions are welcome.

Loco Bill

Thanks Ted, I have blown that photo up (NO. 1) but the resolution is poor.   If you have a chance at the convention to get a good sharp photo just like photo No. 1 in the instructions I would appreciate it.

All the best and have fun there.   Bill

Thanks Ted, much appreciated!

Wish I could be there to see them!  I am desperate to get a picture of the bottom cover of the loco.  Bach-man can you get me one!!(send me the whole loco I will take the picture myself)

Bill

Greg, All

Am out of town, will look at the entire situation when I return May 10th.   I do not add new chassis ID until I get my hands on one. Version 7 will be added soon.  Might be a 6A tho and not a 7.  Still needs study. 

Am focused on critical non train issues right now.

Bill

Modified on June 10th 2021     Hi All Members,

4-6-0 CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION:
   
Modified on June 10th 2021 Hi All Members,
Thanks to Adam, Teddy and RailMan63 a new chassis 5A and 5Bversion were identified. We owe them three cheers.  Reports also indicate that the new 5B  chassis may be available in the Bachmann parts store We will report more as new info becomes available.  Thanks to Stan Ames for his info on the chassis differences.  As a result we will call the new PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0 chassis Version 7
 
Big Hauler/Anniversary/PNP Big Hauler Chassis Version Identification by Bill Canelos  Copyright 1995-2021 by Bill Canelos All rights reserved.               
Version 1  1988-1990  Battery Powered R/C Units                             
Version 2  1990-1994  Smooth Bottom Cover  You can turn drivers by hand and motor will turn.                           
Version 3  1994-1998  Smooth Bottom Cover You cannot turn the drivers by hand.                             
Version 4  1998-1999  Large wide hump dead center between the rear drivers on bottom cover.                             
Version 5  2000-Pres  3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. Has plastic gears and metal siderods.  The original Annie Chassis.


Version 5A 2000-present?    3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. Has plastic gears and plastic siderods.


Version 5B  2012 -pres 3/8th inch wide Hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. Has plastic gears & siderods.

Version 6  2011-Pres  New Chassis for Annie only, has metal gears and new front truck.  It is identifiable only by the new front truck which is a floating swing style front truck rather than the old style which rides in a slot on the chassis.    Note Anniversary 4-6-0's have only Version 5 or 6 Chassis   

Version 7 2021-        PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0 --3/8th inch wide Hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. metal gears & side rods. The chassis has an all new Pittman motor, gear box and chuff sensor, and is visually identifiable as follows: All have the three window cab, metal Walschearts Valve gear, front rust color coupler, the firebox door on the backhead opens, and the loco has two sets of multi wire plugs between the loco and tender.  These allow identification of the loco even when separated from the tender. The tender it is identifiable by the new coal load and new trucks.  Has latest PNP socket  and a speaker in the tender.  Per Bachmann This is NOT identified as an ANNIE but as a new product in the Big Haulers line, so PNP 4-6-0 or PNP Big Hauler 4-6-0.

Note that the new 5A, 5B and 7 chassis ID is a work in progress and subject to change as new info becomes available.

                 
Note that the dates overlap and as of June 10th, 2021 have not been fixed more precisely, but all new sets introduced in 1999 with the VHS instructions have the version 5 chassis locomotive. As of this update the only known Big Hauler set Loco that is version 5B is North Pole & Southern #12 in set #90037 in the latest run only.                 
                             
All Big Hauler 4-6-0's manufactured after 2000 have the version 5 chassis, all new sets after 2000 have it as well.     

HI All,

The only 2 "NEW" sets I can find since 2011 are Night Before Christmas SET 90037 With Loco NP&S #12 and Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Set # 90083  With RB&BandB Loco #12.

90037 is not really new having been around for many many years, but we have discovered that the latest Run in 2011 or 2012 has the Version 5 chassis with plastic gears, plastic drive rods and the new style swing style front truck. In my version info I am going to call it Version 5A.

90083 is truly new and came out in 2112 and was the first year Bachmann obtained a license to use the RB&BandB name.  I suspect it might have the front swing style truck as well.  What is needed is confirmation!

If any of you bought the Ringling Bros Circus set in recent years, could you please check to see what style front truck it has.  slot or Swing.  If you bought one recently it is still possible that it was a dealers old stock.  I checked EBAY briefly, but no RB&BandB there.

Note: If you want a swing truck loco in a set, you must verify with the seller it is 90037 AND see a pic of the front truck. 

The link below is the NEW May 24 2021 Chassis Identification list:

CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION: as of April 24th 2021
   
Big Hauler 4-6-0 Chassis Version Identification  by Bill Canelos  Copyright 1995-2021 by Bill Canelos All rights reserved.               
Version 1  1988-1990  Battery Powered R/C Units                              
Version 2  1990-1994  Smooth Bottom Cover  You can turn drivers by hand and motor will turn.                           
Version 3  1994-1998  Smooth Bottom Cover You cannot turn the drivers by hand.                              
Version 4  1998-1999  Large wide hump dead center between the rear drivers on bottom cover.                              
Version 5  2000-Pres  3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the old style slotted front truck. has plastic gears & siderods.
Version 5A  2012 -pres 3/8th inch wide hump offset between the rear drivers and a plastic lubrication plug the size of a dime to the rear of the hump and has the New style swing front truck. has plastic gears & siderods.
Version 6  2011-Pres  New Chassis for Annie only, has metal gears and new front truck.  It is identifiable only by the new front truck which is a floating truck rather than the old style which rides in a slot on the chassis.    Note Anniversary 4-6-0's have only Version 5A or 6 Chassis.               
                           

Note that the dates overlap and as of Sep 1, 2019 have not been fixed more precisely, but all new sets introduced in 1999 with the VHS instructions have the version 5 chassis locomotive. As of this update the only know Big Hauler set Loco that is version 5A is North Pole & Southern #12 in set #90037 in the latest run.                        
                              
All Big Hauler 4-6-0's manufactured after 2000 have the version 5 chassis, all new sets after 2000 have it as well.   

Railman63,

Thanks for you post!!  The mystery deepens.  Hard to tell what you are getting. Good thing you made the call.  Service has repeatedly told me that the Version Six chassis with the metal gears is not available!!

Bill

Adam, I will need a lot of help from the forum to figure out what is what with the sets.  More later when I get a chance.

Very interesting video Teddy,  thanks

I have repeatedly asked Bachmann if and when they were going to add the new truck to sets. Never got an answer.  The version six annie came out in 2011. The video was made in 2012.  It certainly looks like they added it to that set right away.  Makes me wonder what other sets may have it as well.

That also would explain why Adam's set had it as well!

I will try to explore further!

Bill

Hi All, Adam,

My speculation begins:
Bachmann never made a BH (standard line)chassis like the one depicted in Adam's pictures.  Looks to me like a custom job of some sort.  If I used a Barry's Big Trains swing type pilot truck  or bought the new style Bachmann front truck , I would probably eliminate the slot to avoid the new pilot truck catching on the slot. Looking at Adam's bottom pictures you can see the rub marks where the replacement truck rubs on the place where the old slot would have been.    Here is a pic of the Bachmann new pilot truck:

https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_623&products_id=9850

You can still get these from Bachmann and add it to your Big Hauler 4-6-0. Looking at the Bachmann part in the catalog you can see that the brown and yellow wires in the parts photo are exactly the same color as in the picture Adam posted of the truck on his locomotive.


Bachmann 4-6-0's have been a major source for modification changes of parts, experimental chassis.  My own parts drawer is full of BH and Annie parts from junkers and parts loco's I have acquired  since 1989 when the Big Hauler 4-6-0's were first made! Hard to believe that they were first made over 32 years ago when I was a young 49 years old.  Annie's first came out 21 years ago in 2000.   The Bachmann 4-6-0's are the worlds best selling Large scale locomotive.

Do any of you have a photo of a modified(bashed) Bachmann 4-6-0 that you have changed to make it look very different in body style from the original??  Please post a picture of it.


Let the speculation begin

Loco Bill

Adam,

This is is a great post, and perfect form those wanting to position the air tanks further back.  I will add a link in my repair tips to this post as soon as I do the next revision. 

Your effort is very much appreciated, and will be perfect for the forum members.

A big thanks to Mark, Teddy, and Adam for the great input!!!

Bill

Note to Adam:  The Big Hauler Standard 4-6-0's were never made with the new style front truck, only the version six Annie.  I have seen many photos of the BH 4-6-0 with Barry's Big Trains replacement front truck installed on them though. it is just like the version 6 Annie front truck, which Bachmann basically copied from Barry.  If you want to discuss it. Please do a new post.  Thanks  Bill

Thanks Adam for your post, and detailed instructions.  I would like to post them in my Repair tips section with your approval. When you did those Mods to the Air tanks, did you take any photos?  It would be great if you could post photos. If nothing else could you please post a close up side view photo of one your conversions showing how the modification looks?

Your help is most appreciated, and very welcome to those who are not satisfied with the way the tanks look without moving them back!

Bill

Good one Teddy! Thanks for posting it.

Here is another one which explaines some of the issues when the direction switch needs to be added  to the smoke box. It also shows the modifications to the backhead to add a light to the tender.  The author Kevin uses incandescent grain of wheat bulbs and reversing diodes.  I personally would stick with using the LED headlight and if adding an operating light to the dummy light in the tender to use an LED there as well and protecting it with a 1K ohm resistor if the voltage is too high.  I think the voltage to the tender light will not need the resistor since the protection is in the loco wiring but check to be sure.  The new Annie chassis is wired to turn on the rear backup light when the loco power is reversed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVQzlJJkg3Y. 

Anyway a big thanks to Kevin for showing the modification details so well in his video!! It illustrates the modifications mentioned in my Repair Tips post very well.

Forum members should review both videos and will gain a lot of confidence in how to do it. 

Also remember that if you buy a Big Hauler(Standard) chassis, or an Anniversary chassis,  the motor and gearbox is exactly the same in both. The metal valve gear on the Annie is the major advantage of changing as well as the additional detail. 

Thanks Mark,

Great points, you are correct the early BH's did not have a backup light, so no connections for it when adding the Annie chassis.  The Annies have the operating  backup light (except for the woodburners) sothe one doing the chassis change will either have to add the connection, or live with no operating backup light. 

With respect to adding the Big Hauler loco shell to the Annie chassis, did you have to make any alterations to the BH shell?  If so do you recall what you may have done?

It is guys like you who make this forum great, so a great big thanks!!

Bill

Hi all,

I just got another question about replacing the Big Hauler 4-6-0 chassis with an Annie chassis.  I have been told by many that there may be modifications needed on the BH shell to make it work.   I have never done one myself, so have not been able to state specifically what must exactly must be done to make it fit.

If any of you have done this could you report on what had to be modified on the BH shell to make the conversion work., it would be really great if you would.  I would be glad to add it to the Repair Tips  post with a credit to you.

A recent look at available Annie Chassis in the parts store is discouraging ans they seem to be selling out and the price is up to $102.  Forum members thinking about doing this may want to get one while they can.  Prices have gone up on the Big Hauler Standard chassis as well, but for now they seem to be reasonably available

Keep having fun with your trains!

Loco Bill