Great news Bach-dude!!

Are there any good pictures you can post showing the loco in great detail??

Your friend, Loco Bill

Hi,

There is a smoke unit, and the switch for it is behind the smokebox door.  If it gets left on without smoke fluid it burns out.  See the instructions here:

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,18832.0.html

Have fun with it.

Loco Bill

Shame on me for missing that!!!   Thanks Bach-man

Agree with Ted, how about doing them in maroon!

Hi Mark,

Unfortunately his job took him to a different area, and we had to tear it down.  the tunnel between the rafters made a perfect storage area for long trains.  We are working on a new railroad at his new place, but just got started last summer so there is a long way to go.  His full length CZ was beautiful to behold on that layout.  He even bought a extra dome from USAT and cut the top out of the observation car and bashed it in to get a proper CZ dome observation.  I am still working on my basement layout, track is all in and scenic s going in as well.  I can switch from stream era (all bachmann) and 1955 to 1960 for my diesel era stuff(mostly USAT locos) GP 9, GP30 and Funits, and Aristo PA, U25, and RS3's.  He and I both love long Loco consists, even with my steam locos I run triple headed  or double headed with a pusher.  Trains have kept my son and I close from toddler to adult.  We try to interest young folks, many of whom are mostly diesel freaks!  Maybe they will buy some -9's and keep Bachmann in business.  My son and I had fun with a long diesel consist with a midtrain helper, he would control the head end and I would be controlling the mid train unit.  Somewhere have a video of that, but can't seem to find it. 

Will look forward to seeing your -9 and SD 45 pulling 40 or more cars!

Cheers & beers,

Bill

The E8's were real beauties. My son had the full consist of the California Zephyr and all three sets of power CB&Q, DRGW and WP. 

Here is a short video starting with the E8's and power changes as the CZ heads west.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTlg_HMmZWA&list=FLidEyiTc-oAEaOTRlxPTr_Q&index=8

Not the greatest resolution, but we had a lot of fun with it.


Bill

Hi all,

the GP-40 would be great, but the one I would really like to see is the SD-45.  I do both steam and diesel  era and would buy 2 -9's and two Sd-45's. My son would buy 2 -9's.  

$300 for a 4bay covered hopper, is another mind blower, considering that I bought my USAT GP-9's for about $180 each, now I can no longer afford the hoppers or the GP-9's anymore!!  Even older Bachmann  sets are going for high prices as well, especially the ones after 2000 when metal wheels became standard on freight cars and the Version 5 chassis also became standard.  Speaking of wheelsets, $32 for 4 axles on the low end Used, and on up to $46.  

Loco Bill

Ted,

I too have tickets and hope to meet up with you there.  If you are stopping in Denver, I will try to get you a back scenes tour of the Colorado RR Museum, no guarantees tho.  Send any other related emails to my email account or by private message!!

Best, Bill

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the correction allowed me to bring up a pic of the SPC Annie.  Back in 2000 when the Annies first came out, I believe the Bach-man did the painting on the sample models which were then sent to the factory for production.  I know he used rattle can Krylon colors in many cases, but that was 20 years ago so hard to say if he even remembers what he used on the SPC Annie. Even at that I would wonder if Krylon even still makes a close maroon now days.

The only recommendation I can make is to try to find a Krylon color that looks close and paint the color on a white card, and also on gray surface.  Then check how close it is to your loco.  Here is a link to the Krylon colors available in the red family of colors:

https://www.krylon.com/color-center/colors/red/
some of those shades look promising.  If a color is very close you can then paint the entire cab side. If it is too light spray a grey or other darker primer then spray again.  Same goes for too dark, use white primer, or any other light primer or other light color and spray over that with the maroon.  I have made this work sometimes needing much patience.  If very close, stand back from it and see how it look from 10 feet away.  If it hard to tell you are probably good to go.

Back when I was doing some custom painting I ended up using Acrylic paints, that you brush on.  I got a high quality "Color Wheel"  Then used a color from the wheel against the acrylic paint available in stores.  If the paint available was close I would use gray, black, cream and white as necessary to to either lighten or darken the color to match.

Good luck to you with your project!

Loco Bill

Thanks Joe,

Appreciate the correction!

Bill

Mark,

Couldn't agree more on the Pittman motors. Definitely high quality!  I had them in many of my HO locomotives, and they seemed to be bulletproof. I know I abused them from time to time with shorts and such but none ever burned up or failed in any way.

No question at all about the Rio Grande versions all being Teddy's!!!  Maybe even the Rio Grande 20 if Bachmann ever puts out that version in the future. LOL

Bill

HO Farmer,

There is no power from the loco to the tender, so I don't think it is a polarity problem.  All the power comes from the 9Volt battery in the tender itself.  The red button on the back of the loco must be down and stay down.  The wires from the loco to the tender are simply the chuff  Be sure the plug between the loco and tender Has "sound" printed on it usually in red.  Be sure the correct plug is used.  Also I am wondering if the chassis you bought is the Annie chassis or the Big Hauler chassis?? 

You probably did all of the above, so check out this link:

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,30394.msg224039.html#msg224039

Scroll down to the middle of the page and find the sound trouble shooting guide.  Since the sound works fine with the old chassis the problem is most likely the chuff sensor or a problem with the red switch.  Expose the chuff sensor, be sure the two copper arms are in contact with the drum.  If they are and you have a voltmeter, set it to the continuity  mark which is the Omega symbol on the dial.  If the copper arms are not touching one of the silver bars on the sensor drum, you will get a zero reading.  If the copper arms are touching one of the silver bars on the drum, then the reading should be one.  This would indicate all is good with the chuff sensor.  If still no sound the only other thing I can think of is the red switch is not making good contact in the down(on position)

Hope some of this will help, if not get back to us, and we will keep trying.

Loco Bill

HI Bach-man,   

It would truly be an honor and I know Ted would feel the same way,  Thanks for keeping a lighthearted approach to having fun, does me  a lot of good these days!!

Bill

Danimal,

Well I can't really help with that, but perhaps one of our electronics knowledgeable members will chime in with a proper answer.

Bill

Hi Danimal,

Cant remember but there is a resistor in the circuits to both the front and back headlights, so any comparable size warm white Led should work fine.

Loco Bill