Big hauler 4-6-0 & Annie 4-6-0 Chassis prices have almost doubled

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi Forum folks,

Sorry to let you all know that I just saw that both the Annie and Big Hauler 4-6-0 chassis prices have almost doubled.  It may be a sign that quantities are getting low. 
If another sale with lower prices comes along I would recommend getting a spare or two.  In spite of the higher prices I still recommend chassis replacement over the other options.  I will try to update my repair topic in the next week.

Loco Bill

[Dr Who 12]

 Yes I noticed that but I bought a spare chassis anyway but I'll have to wait till sipping dept can return to get it shipped out. I doubt the price will go down even then because I agree with Bill stock is low.

Later Dr Who

[Loco Bill Canelos]

I agree, prices are not likely to go back down, but if they do I will report it as soon as I find out.

With the uncertaintly of the situation, I feel you have made the right move, kind of like having insurance!!!!

[Mark Oles]

Have they finally worked through all the old version chassis (plastic gears and old pilot attachment design?)  I was thinking the new chassis would be more expensive due to the changes and costs associated.

Last year, I did an upgrade for a friend's big hauler and also fixed my son's big hauler.  As a result, I ended up with three big hauler chassis and a spare tender. These things grow...

[Greg Elmassian]

The latest version chassis is sold in the train sets, but not as a separate part so far, correct me if I am wrong Bill.

It seems strange, since it sure seemed they were making new "older versions", but perhaps it is just emptying stock of all of the next to last version, looks like it should be soon based on how many are out of stock.

Greg

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Greg and all,

It is complicated and confusing at times and I spent over 1000 hours of research trying to get the history and data correct. So here we go:

My chassis Identification list is here, scroll all the way at the bottom: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,30394.msg224039.html#msg224039

The latest Annie version chassis which I call version 6, the one with the metal gears and NEW style pilot truck, has so far never been sold in a train set.  They were only sold separately (Bachmann Product numbers 91601 to 91609)  They came out in 2011 and some were sold out by 2014, and after 2017 none remained in the catalog.  The gear train in the version 6 chassis is the same as in the version 5, the only difference being they are metal, not plastic. There may be a few on dealer shelves, but are essentially sold out.  Here they are in order of Bachmann  Product number as lifted from my database: 

91601   EBT   10   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  East Broad Top            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    
91602   D&RGW   178   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  Denver & Rio Grande Western            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    Bumble bee
91603   RGS   25   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  Rio Grande Southern            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    
91604   SPC   22   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  South Pacific Coast            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    
91605   D&RG   10   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  Denver & Rio Grande  Ver 6            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    wood burner
91606   ET&WNC   11   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie  Denver & Rio Grande Western            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    
91607   none   none   2011   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie painted unlettered Black            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $399.00    
91608   D&RGW   168   2016   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie Bumble Bee            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $489.00    
91609   None   None   2016   ~ Loco   4-6-0 Annie painted unlettered Black            Ver 6 Metal Gears   $489.00    Red & White Trim

SO NOW TO THE TRAINSETS
So having said the above, the Version 5 Annie with the plastic gears and the OLD style pilot truck  were included in some special run trainsets as noted below.
All were made as limited runs, and most for special customers except for the two noted below that were listed in the Bachmann Catalog
The only non-Christmas set with an Annie was the WP&Y  set.  Bachmann made 3 sets with Annies  with the same Product number 90047 I have added the B & C to keep my database straight.

90047   NP&S   Set   2004   ^ Set   Wonderland Flyer   w/ 10th Anniversary 4-6-0    P      X   Sam's Club  W   $139.95    1st Sams set with Annie Loco, has Walsherts Valve Gear         


90041   NP&S   Set   2005   ^ Set   North Star Express     Wood Burner            Sam's Club Set   $139.95    2nd Sams set with Annie Loco, has Stephenson Valve Gear               
            
90047B   NP&S   Set   2006   ^ Set   Wonderland Flyer   w/ 10th Anniversary 4-6-0             Boscov's Set  S   $199.95    Same as 90017 but Loco has Stephenson Valve Gear      

90054   NP&S   Set   2006   ^ Set   Holiday Special (Train & Trolley) Coal Burner   P         Sam's Club Set   $169.86    3rd Sams set with Annie Loco, has Stephenson Valve Gear                  

90047C   NP&S   Set   2007   ^ Set   Wonderland Flyer   w/ 10th Anniversary 4-6-0             Limited Edition S   $350.00    Same as Boscov's set 90017B, but sold by Bachmann as a catalog set            

90059   WP&Y   Set   2007   ^ Set   White Pass & Yukon w/10th Anniversary 4-6-0            Limited Edition S   $425.00    1st non xmas set with annie   this was a cataloged set            

90063   7th AVE Holiday Express special paint    Set   2007   ^ Set   Seventh Avenue Holiday Express            7th Avenue Set   $249.95    Has an Annie Uncatalogued set for Seventh Avenue Catalog store in Monroe, WI  has unique paint job and very rare         

FINAL COMMENTS:
So where does that leave us.   Bachmann made lots of extra version 5 chassis both for the Annies and the Big Hauler version expecting to use them for warranty repair, but they were not needed and were taking up space.  The Version 5 chassis has been and still is for the most part pretty bullet proof when not abused.  That is why they have been selling off the the Version 5 ANNIE and Big Hauler chassis in their web store.  For some reason they did not stock Version 6 chassis for warranty repair.  I was told by a Bachmann repair tech that they have received only a very few of the version 6 chassis for warranty repair.  So if a person purchased one of the Version 6 individual locomotives and sent it in for warranty repair they would get their locomotive back with the version 5 chassis with the OLD style pilot truck and plastic rather than the metal gears.

Greg:Please feel free to use my information on your website, since most of my info is copyrighted I only request that I be given credit.  Let me know if you do.  Thanks

As I said, it is complicated!

Bill

[Greg Elmassian]

Thank you Bill for this and all your hard work here!

So, interesting never in train sets, but that makes sense since most people buying sets would not pay extra for the newer geartrain.

I gather that there was no "plain Big Haulers" made with a Gen/Version 6 gearbox.

Do you think that is correct also?

Greg

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Version 6 Annie was NEVER in a set.  Version 5 Annie was in the sets I  listed above.

Correct that no Big Hauler/Standard Line locos were made with the metal gearbox.

If it ever gets to market we expect to see ,hopefully by fall, a new 4-6-0 with metal gears & redesigned tender, but are not we are told Annies?  time will tell and I will evaluate them when they come out.

[A Trainman]

Bill,
Have you seen this before?

In February of 2019 I purchased, from eBay, a North Pole & Southern Big Hauler #12.
One of the things I've noticed about this loco is the floorboards, like the ones on the Osh Hardware set, have wood grain and rivet details and the front edge of the floorboards, over the air tanks, are in line with the boiler strap separating the smoke box from the boiler. The standard Big Haulers floorboards stop forward of the strap, about 3/8", and don't have the wood grain.
Another thing different is the new style pilot truck. The chassis is a gen.5 with plastic gears and also plastic drive rods, connecting rods and valve linkage. The chassis definitely looks stock and unmodified.

I was not aware that Bachmann made a Big Hauler with the new style pilot truck. Seems to be a hybrid between a Big Hauler and an Anniversary

Any thoughts about this North Pole & Southern?

Adam

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi Adam,

Tough questions without a photo.  First the easy stuff,  Bachmann never made a Standard Line Big Hauler with the new style swing truck rather than the pilot truck that is installed in the slot in the chassis.  All the NP&S #12 Big Haulers were from sets, and the NP&S Annie #12 which was in the Holiday Special Sam's Club set. 

If your has the new style front truck mount It could possibly be the aftermarket swing truck made by Barry's Big Trains.  You can be sure by looking at the bottom an see if the older slot is still there.  When the version 6 chassis came out Bachmann did sell the new pilot truck in the online store and they sold out almost immediately and have never been restocked.

Another possibility is that the old owner added the newer pilot truck and an Annie boiler from the Bachmann online store.  other than that I am stumped. Maybe you could post a photo or a link to the ebay listing and all the pictures in it.

Bachmann Modelers have modified Big Hauler 4-6-0's in many ways since the first came out back in 1989.  I modified some of the early Big haulers myself, just to make them look different, I got rid of all of them after the version 5 chassis came out, after that I only got the Annie 4-6-0's.  Hard to believe but I don't even have an old BH any more.  Should have kept on just for comparisons.

sounds like you got a nice buy!

Bill






I am afraid thats all I got.

Bill