Hi all,

I lost a part from my 84901 Ten-Wheeler tender - it's the little add-on thing (back-up headlight?) fitted with a hook (or rather a pair of hooks) which goes hung on the back coal sheet of the tender.

- does anyone know the part number? I don't have the instruction sheet with me...

- does anyone have one spare and is willing to part with it? I'll pay postage on it.

Cheers Nicholas

...anything new in the boil for this year's NMRA convention?


Cheers NB

Dear Mr. Bach-mann, what do you think about a giving us a GE 70ton loco? After the release of the 44ton loco, there is no tech excuse for not doing one...
Cheers NB

Hi all, a friend of mine is looking for a Sir Topham Hatt (Fat Controller) figurine, any scale. Could someone point me out one?

Cheers Nicholas

Hi all,

Just bought my 4-4-0, a gem of a little loco... however while looking at it I noticed that the axis of the cylinder does not line up entirely with the axle center, as it should be in most real steam locos; rather, the axis is set up a little higher. Is this a design/manufacturing error, or was it set up like this deliberately? Were there real stemers with this setup? Looking at the Mt. Gretna drawings I noticed that the cylinders were very slightly tilted from horizontal, with the axis aligned to the center or the rear driving axle, I wonder if folks at R&D failed to notice that... apologise the nitpick, just plain curious...

Cheers NB

Dear Mr. Bachmann...

I understand that the plans for the N scale Russian Decapod were put on hold because problems with finding/developiong a suitable motor. If by any chance the project doesn't pull through, I have a suggestion... why not go for a Baldwin "Sports Model" 2-10-0? These were built later than the Russians (1920's-1930's), have taller wheels and a fatter boiler which makes for a easier motor choice. Not only that but there is a working example not far from Bachmann's - Strasburg RR #90.

Cheers NB

Hi all,

Trawling through my books I found a picture in "Porter Steam Locomotives: Light and Heavy", page 47, of another vest-pocket sized American-built 4-4-0 which might be of interest. This beauty was built for a 36" gauge RR in Central America; fitted with a pencil-sized boiler and 42" drivers it had 10x16" cylinders and weighed (engine only) a sprightly 35.000 pounds in working order. Plus or minus this loco sort of matches the B'mann 4-4-0 in size.

Now, the interesting info about this engine was it's theoretical haulage capacity, this will help you guys give your 4-4-0s proper trains... on the flat the loco could haul between 500 and 800 tons (depending on the rolling characteristics of the equipment); going up a 1% grade this dropped to 150-175 tons and on a 3% grade the engine hauled a measly 45-50 tons. Oh, 30-pound rails, please...

Cheers NB

Hi all, how much tonnage could a "medium-sized" Forney (like Bachmann's) haul?

Cheers NB

Most of us are eagerly and anxiously waiting for the release of the 4-4-0, in the meatime I have another question... how much does the Bachmann loco adhere to the dimensions of the Mt. Gretna Narrow Gauge loco? Or have some dimensions been changed? I've scaled up the drawing in the Steam Cyclopedia, the Mt.GNGRR loco is TINY, although by no means the smallest 4-4-0 built by Baldwin. Never mind, her size suits me fine... I rather prefer smaller locos, gives me an excuse to run more trains...

Dear Mr. Bachmann...

Do you guys have plans to make more "Maine-style" equipment after the pulpwood flat?

Cheers Nicholas