New Bachmann Large Scale 4-6-0 Chassis Identification list.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

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.     

[RailMan63]

Hi, Bill ! I was just doing my daily browsing of the Ebay G scale auctions and found 2 BH 4-6-0's with the Version 5A chassis.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274771063358?hash=item3ff9a1b23e:g:8qwAAOSw9mJgg0pm

There is also one just like Adams' for sale (Adam, are you selling yours?) :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233981145530?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649

Veddy interesting !

[A Trainman]

Hi RailMan63,
No I'm not selling mine. I bought mine off ebay a year or so ago for a kit bash at a really good price, under $100 shipping included. But when i found out about front truck I thought I'd keep it as is.

Adam

[A Trainman]

Bill,
That list looks pretty complete except...

The Annie chassis that Bachmann Parts is selling have the version 5 slotted front truck, plastic gears and metal side rods and linkage. Seems like Bachmann made three version 5 chassis, one for the Annie one for Big Haulers, with plastic side rods and now this other with plastic side rods and the swing arm front truck. Versions 5, 5A & 5B?

I truly don't want to be a pain in your behind, but it seems to me Bachmann/Kader has done some quick and short changes and not always consistent with their production. 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm very happy with all the upgrades Bachmann is making. I can't wait to see their newest 4-6-0 offering in person!

And Bill,
Thank you for your dedication to keeping all of this sorted out for the rest of us.

Adam

[Greg Elmassian]

Need to mention the 7th generation now, with the updated tender and electronics...

Greg

[Loco Bill Canelos]

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

[Loco Bill Canelos]

HI All,

Looking at the latest photos of the new PNP 4-6-0, it seems Bachmann has dumped a dilemma on me as far as chassis identification goes.  Looking at the photos I am thinking of calling it the "PNP Annie" but what I am desperate for are specific VISIBLE differences on the loco itself.  For example the catalog says it has a "finescale backhead" but what I need to know is this; Is there any actual difference in backheads  on this new PNP Annie and the original Annie we know and love?? Are  there other things that are different just looking at the loco that define it as a PNP Annie?  

As many of you know what I strive for in chassis Identification is how can the reader tell the difference if all they had was the locomotive itself without the tender.

I will be making a major move to a new state and my layout has been torn down and all my rolling stock has gone into storage, so it is going to be up to forum members to help me out with the new chassis definition.  My usual procedure is to place both locomotives side by side, using using painted unlettered locomotives and trying to see what is different about them.  I will not be able to do this in the foreseeable future so any help you can give will be much appreciated.

Loco Bill

[Greg Elmassian]

From what I am told, the Bachmann display was on a table at the Star Hobby booth. A friend asked about the socket in the new Big Hauler, and they were not aware of it.

I guess that's what happens if you don't represent your product yourself.

Greg

[Joe Zullo]

Bill,
Didn't you make a move to a new state a short time ago? Is this yet another move? If so, you sure move around alot for "an old guy" ! 

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Well Joe,
I never seem to last in one place!  I did 33 years (12 overseas)with the Army and moved on average about every 3 & 1/2 years.  After I retired I helped my Dad on the family farm for 19 years (longest I lived in the same home). When he went to the Big Rock Candy Mountain, I sold the farm to satisfy beneficiaries and moved to Colorado six years ago near to my wife's family. Now that they have either passed on or moved away, we will  be moving to Belton, Texas to help in my kids business interests and be near our grand-kids.  My kids are making a major expansion of their businesses and I am a major consultant and involved with all the leases, and construction activities. Will be 81 years old next month, but will start a new RR in the new home. I have  lost track of how many model RR's I have built and torn down.  I had at least a shelf RR, no matter where I was.  The only time I did not have a model RR was in Vietnam, but while there was responsible for the rebuilding of the Vietnamese National Railways from the port of Qui Nhon to the town of Phu Cat where a huge airbase was being built. It was great playing with a real railroad. It has been an interesting life, and I am proud of our 4 kids, who in spite of all the moves lead successful lives with respect and tolerance for other folks being a high priority.  None of the above would have been possible without my wife Sharron, the most amazing woman in the world. I have been very fortunate in my life, learning at an early age to do my best to help others. As a leader in the military I always took good care of my soldiers and their families, an they always took good care of me. So there you have it my life story in one paragraph .  I am doing my best to stay active and involved in life!

All the best,

Bill

[veetwelve]

Hello Bill, and welcome to Texas!
I'm less than an hour south of you in Round Rock.  I haven't found much LS activity in central Texas, but then I haven't looked very hard either.
There is a great railroad museum in Brownwood a couple of hours away, and they have some nice layouts there.
We'll have to get together once you get settled.
Again, welcome aboard!
Jay

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Thanks Jay, Email me with your email and we can communicate off the forum!! thanks Bill

[StanAmes]

Bill

The new 4-6-0 has an entirely dirrerent chassis so should be labeler as a version 7 rather then a 6A.  There is a whole new gear box, a pittman motor and the front axle has a new chuff sensor.

Stan

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Thanks Stan,

Thanks for that input on the new PNP 4-6-0.  I will go ahead and change it today. The problem I now will have is finding a way to visually identify it if there is no tender present.  I know you are most likely to get one soon if not already, if you can set a new one next to a version six Annie and note any visual differences I would be most grateful.   

Note to other forum members:  If you can do a side by side check for visual differences, and let me know any, that would be great.

Bill

[A Trainman]

Hi Bill,
You asked " note any visual differences I would be most grateful."

Well, I noticed a  couple differences from the photos posted by Ted, Greg and Hunt.
First, looks like the front couplers are brown in color, not the usual black.
Second, the wire pigtail from the loco to the tender seems to have multiple conductors instead of the usual two wire plug.

I don't know if these obvious changes will be present on the consumer models, but should be an easy way to identify the new PNP locos if they are.

And by the way Bill, thanks for your service. I enjoyed reading your bio.

Adam