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
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
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!!!! ;D
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...
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
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
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
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.
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
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