Aloha!

Possibly a better candidate is a Kauai outside frame 0-6-2 saddletank -- three 30-inch gauge engines still exist at the Grove Farm plantation (2 operational!), and similar 3-foot gauge 18-ton "Bulldog Baldwins" are being restored for the new Kauai Plantation Railway.  It should be easy to obtain documentation on these locomotives, and they would be a welcome addition to Bachmann's engine roster.

http://starbulletin.com/2000/07/08/news/story4.html

http://www.trykauai.com/KauaiPlantationRailway.html

On a similar subject, at the National Train Show I once again pressed Mr. Lee Riley and the Bach-man for a three-pack of 4-wheel sugar cane cars, similar to their boxed sets of mining and logging cars.  The end bulkheads could be removable, so the sugar cane cars can also be used as "shorty" flatcars.  Some cars from the Oahu Railway & Land Co. were once on display at Travel Town (Griffith Park, Los Angeles), but I don't know their current condition or location.  I'm impressed with Bachmann's recent resin castings (wood fuel loads, pulpwood cargo, etc.), and removable resin sugar cane and sugar bag loads would be nice extras for the set.  Sugar plantations were a major industry served by narrow gauge railroads, but so far Bachmann hasn't touched this subject.

And if Bachmann produces Hawaiian narrow gauge, why not a relabeled gondola car with a resin pineapple load for the Dole cannery? 

Mahalo,

David

First off, I apologize to the Bach-Man for my tardy post – hard to believe that it's been a week since I met him at the 2008 National Train Show, but a family medical emergency kept me busy.  (Everything's fine now, thankfully.)  Actually, I'm a bit surprised that there's little comment from show attendees here.  I would have assumed some regulars on the Bachmann Message Boards went to Anaheim last week. 

So here's my impressions and comments on Bachmann's new On30 products, and other related items seen at the National Train Show.  Due to the elapsed time, I'll accept any inaccuracies or misquotes below as my mistakes alone.

On30

Rail Bus and Trailer:   This is a cute little bug.  Electronics board is under the pop-off roof in the front vehicle, while wires to trailer are for DCC lighting.  Doors can be opened and closed, though you probably shouldn't play around with the front folding doors too much.  I couldn't figure out how to manipulate them with just my pudgy fingers – you may need to tug with tweezers or gently pry the doors into desired position with an x-acto blade.  The driver figure will be individually painted so there will be some color variety. 

Outside Frame 4-4-0:  Bach-Man says this was based on the last American-type engine built by Baldwin in 1945.  You can't get a more modern 4-4-0 than this!  It's definitely larger than the earlier inside frame 4-4-0, though the narrow low-slung boiler gives this engine a very "ground hugging" appearance.  This is emphasized by the tall cab – take a good look at the high-mounted forward windows.  Personally, I think a saddle tank could improve the overall appearance, but I don't know of any similar-looking 4-4-0Ts.  You can't really see them due to the outside frame, but the drivers are spokeless solid disks.  I assume someone could strip this engine down to the drivers and connecting rods and build a larger 0-4-0 siderod diesel or gas mechanical.  Tender had three fuel options (wood load, coal load and oil bunker), all nicely molded.

4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler:  Whoa.  This is BIG.  I estimate it's about the length of the 2-8-0 Connie, but the 4-6-0 is taller.  I like the tapered boiler. The two samples did not have alternate tender fuels, but since the coal load was loose I anticipate this will be released with wood and oil options.  Very impressive!  Both the older wood cab/fluted domes and modern steel cab/smooth domes version are elegant.

Upon my inquiry, Bachmann representatives guessed that the 2-6-0 Mogul pilots with operating front couplers should be out by November.

Others

Fn3 2-6-6-2 Articulated Saddle Tank Locomotive:  I think this will be another big seller among large scale modelers, and agree that this is a fine candidate for On30.  When I mentioned this to the Bach-Man, he expressed the hope to eventually see everything in Bachmann's Fn3 line reproduced in On30, and vice-versa, pointing to the new 1:20.3 scale 0-4-0 gas mechanicals as an example.  (These look very nice, by the way -- should be quite popular among the weathering artists and kitbashers.)

HO scale Log Skidder:  This would be an ideal subject for On30.  Mr. Lee Riley showed how the donkey engine boiler stack detaches and is stored on the frame for rail transport.  The coiled cables in the reels are actual wire, not painted.  A spring coiling machine was specially modified for this task.

HO and N scale Jackson & Sharp excursion cars:   The moment I saw them, I thought of the Disneyland trains just across the street.  (A Walt Disney "Lilly Belle" set prominently displayed right above the cars probably assisted that mental connection.)  I suspect members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (who preserve the memory of Walt's original live steam home layout) are quite pleased with this release.  The cars are almost 100% diecast for weight considerations so the seat backs aren't reversible, but that feature would be more practical in a larger scale.  (Hint!  Hint!)  Truly amazing was the amount of molded detail and the pinstripe decorations have to be seen with the naked eye to fully appreciate them.  Even the clerestory windows have stained glass accents.  Mr. Riley took special delight in showing these tiny masterpieces.  But when I asked him about the possibility of releasing them in On30, he tuned coy and hastily explained that narrow gauge excursion cars were different in dimensions and other features.  Nothing "official" could be gleaned from this conversation, but if I interpreted Mr. Riley's sly smile correctly they might be a good reason why Bachmann didn't simply rescale the excursion cars.  I guess we all have to "anticipate" until the next announcements...

Elsewhere at the show, editor Chris Lane of the On30 Annual was very excited about the upcoming 2009 edition, and says it should hopefully be out sometime in November.  Another future release worth waiting for – I had a good time chatting with Chris at the Carlstens booth. 

Also at Malfunction Junction's booth (from Las Vegas), I met Lynn Austin, who modified a couple Bachmann On30 Forneys.  One on display was a 2-4-0 with tender (a nicely-proportioned locomotive, reminding me of the Grandt Line 18-ton Porter – we need something like this), and an eye-catching 2-4-4-0T articulated saddletank engine.  Too bad I didn't have a camera handy – both were excellent modifications ("Forneycations"?) Maybe some pics will eventually surface on the Net or elsewhere.

In closing, I'd like to thank Mr. Lee Riley and the Bach-Man for graciously answering my questions and sharing their enthusiasm for On30.  It's always a pleasure chatting with these fine gentlemen, and I must commend the Bach-Man for performing the usually unappreciated task of Message Board moderator with infinite patience and aplomb.  I look forward to seeing them again in the future, along with another batch of On30 goodies.

Okay, I finally posted my National Train Show report.  Any other attendees?  Let's see your comments!


David

Mmmm... I'm sure glad I didn't cut up my combine for a kitbashed railbus.  And I wonder how many modelers will combine the trailer with the On30 trolley to make a more modern steel body streetcar similar to a Birney?

Congratulations, Bachmann!  You did it again.   

I tried to run that Japanese blog through Babelfish, but the resulting Japanese/English translation was so fragmented that I couldn't tell whether this was an actual Bachmann product, an aftermarket conversion kit or a private kitbash.

Looks very nice, though -- seems to be based on the current rail truck, but it's generic enough for those who didn't want something so distinctively "Colorado narrow gauge" as Rio Grande Southern #1. The short body and attached trailer looks vaguely European, though this should fit in perfectly with any US or Far East railway.

Thanks, Mike!  I appreciate your photos concerning the cut-down frame.  I agree that the cylinders should be larger, and my conversion will probably have piston valves instead of your squared slide valve boxes.  (They look more appropriate with Henry's Walschaert valve gear.)

I may have to scratchbuild the boiler, so I'm currently looking for appropriate steam and sand domes.

Again, thank you very much!  Your article and photos are inspiring!

Wonderful news -- I suspect the Mogul pilots with operating couplers will prove popular with the kitbashers and scratchbuilders.  I could easily use four -- one for my Mogul, another for a Mogul chassis awaiting a new superstructure, one for a 4-6-0 conversion (inspired by a 2008 On30 Annual article), and the last as a spare.  Thank you very much, Bachmann!

By the way, I suspect that most of my rolling stock have the earlier underframes.  Is there a way to quickly determine this?  And I assume these new lowered underframes are for the standard size freight cars, and not for the passenger cars and cabooses?

Thanks again!

David T. Okamura

Hi, Mike!

Thanks for a truly inspiring article.  I'm also very impressed with the other conversion projects on your website.  I'll probably use your pilot truck design on this Henry project.

Chris Lane mentioned that some material that wasn't published in the Annual might later appear in the "Xtras" section of their website.  Maybe he'll let you post more photos of your engine there.

By the way, do you intend to attend the 2008 NMRA Nationals in Anaheim this July?  From your website I get the impression that you're based in Southern California.  I've never attended one of these conventions before, but it would be nice to meet fellow On30 modelers there.

Hi, Matt!

Yes, the 2008 On30 Annual is a Carstens publication.  See:

http://www.on30annual.com/home.htm

The article in question was written by Mike Miller, who also posts on this board as "mmiller".  You can read some of his comments on his article at:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,3717.0.html

Yes, it would violate copyright to scan this article, so you might want to order directly from Carstens.  There should be contact information at the On30 Annual home page.  You won't regret this -- there's a LOT of fine ideas here. 

The article itself is three pages, with three large photos of the finished conversion and four 2 x 3.5 inch "in progress" shots.  There is a list of materials at the end.  Basically, this involves mating a Bachmann On30 Mogul boiler and Banta wooden cab onto a 4-6-0 "Henry" from Bachmann's HO scale "Thomas the Tank Engine" line.  Judging from the photos, the end result is quite impressive for a relatively quick project.

I attended The World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour at Del Mar just yesterday, and spoke with Annual editor Chris Lane about this conversion.  I voiced concern over the driver spokes -- usually HO drivers have too many narrow spokes (compare them to the ones on the Bachmann Mogul).  But Chris assured me that he checked out the engine with a micrometer, and the dimensions work out fine.  I later bought a copy of the Annual at the Carstens booth, then walked a few stalls over to another vendor and purchased a Henry for only $40.  So it looks like I'm committed (or should be committed, but that's another matter...)   

(As an aside, I also had the distinct pleasure of meeting the "Bach-man" himself at the show.  Frankly, I don't know how he could deal with a flood of visitors at the Bachmann exhibit all day, and STILL oversee the message boards at night.  Recall the three-hour time difference on the West Coast -- I noticed he posted some comments after midnight early Sunday, which would be 3:00 AM for his "body clock".  How can he remain so courteous and helpful after such a long day?  My hat's off to him.  It was also fascinating to closely examine the Bach-man's handiwork -- the Thomas layout and the On30 "Riley's Run" display were in full operation.  Sure, there's pictures in the forum gallery, but you need to personally see the layouts to fully appreciate the details and the extra planning that went into them -- remember, they must also withstand heavy abuse while travelling across the country.  Bravo again, Mr. B!)   

So, after examining the Henry locomotive, I've concluded that the drivers do look credible for an earlier locomotive.  I'm now seriously considering backdating my Mogul to match.  When disassembling the engine, it may be more convenient to loosen the two small screws anchoring the cab, since the frame extends back to a small slot in the back of the cab.  This extension may cause some problems for those lacking a miter box and good miniature saw.  Mike Miller shortened the frame to fit the Mogul, but that section is 3/8 inch square and solid metal.  For those with only a rusty hobby saw more suited for balsa, that may be a daunting proposition.  Of course, one can always scratchbuild a whole superstructure or move the cab back, but that will alter the overall boiler proportions.  I'll probably research more 4-6-0 profiles before attempting to hack away.

Mike also suggests removing the gears responsible for Henry's moving eyes.  I'm not sure this is really necessary, since it doesn't look like they generate extra noise or mechanical drag on the motor.  I agree with Mike that the cylinders could be larger, which means the pilot wheel truck must be longer.  Also, be sure to secure the top of the running gear -- they originally snapped onto the bottom of Henry's running boards.

By the way, the tender wheels are also spoked, like the pilots.  If I backdate the Mogul, I could pull and replace the solid pilot wheels with the spoked Henry set. 

As you can probably guess by now, I thought this article was VERY convincing.     Try to get a copy of the Annual -- even if you don't take on this particular project, there's many more articles to inspire you. 

Have fun!

David

According to the announcement, they will be diecast.  Here are the colors:

Sports Coupe:  Burgundy, Dark Green and Blue

Pickup:  Black, Cream and Tan

Sedan:  Black, Dark Green and Blue.

Hmm... shouldn't be too difficult to paint the black sedan doors white for a police car.  Hopefully it won't be too difficult to separate the body to repaint as a yellow taxi cab -- otherwise you'll have to be careful masking the sedan.

Aha!  It all makes sense now -- I was unaware that Athearn's diecast vehicle line was in 1:50 scale.

The vehicles in the product announcement photo look like the HO scale line, which is acceptable for such advance notices.  I expect the final product will have greater detail than was technically feasible in HO, perhaps with thinner wire wheels and black radiators (they shouldn't be completely chromed).

The greater weight of diecast is a welcome feature, though unfortunately it will be harder to convert the pickups as I envisioned in my earlier post.  Hopefully the pickup bed can be removed without too much aggravation.

Checking the model numbers, I suspect a second release will complete the color range (black, burgundy, dark green, cream, tan, blue) for all the vehicles.  While monochromatic, I'll probably get a black pickup since my grandfather once drove one.  The dark green sedan looks good, but I might wait for a cream or tan sports coupe -- those color combinations with the black fenders and whitewall tires look quite sharp.

While I'm curious over why Athearn chose 1:50 over 1:48, I agree that the difference is barely discernable.  Compared to 1:48, 1:50 is just 4% smaller, while 1:43 is approximately 112% larger.  And it's often preferable to have scenery objects slightly smaller so as not to visually overwhelm the main subject (trains, of course).   

Forced perspective also favors smaller vehicles, while an oversize car tends to stand out regardless of positioning.  Cars can take up a significant amount of precious layout scenery area, so even a 4% savings in "parking space" can help.

However, 1:50 scale is large enough to permit modifications and kitbashing.  I predict we'll soon see aftermarket conversion kits for the Model A pickup -- tow trucks, extended Model AA truck frames, delivery vans, fire engines, fine photoetched wire spoked wheels, etc.

Calgary, Alberta?  Freezing and thawing ground will distort all but the most securely anchored roadbed.  Since you have a somewhat restricted "operating season", temporary roadbed and tracks that can be stored indoors seem more practical.

And if you don't get that many days of intense direct sun in Calgary, perhaps E-Z Track might not be such a bad idea.  It might last a few seasons before the roadbed styrene gets too brittle and the connections snap off.  You might be able to prolong the use of this plastic a bit by spraying Krylon UV-Resistant Clear (clean the rails immediately afterwards to ensure good electrical contact).  See:  http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&productid=1818&content=product_details

The plastic used in Bachmann's trains is not UV-resistant, but you'd probably wouldn't want to leave them baking under a hot sun all day anyway.  It's the track that may cause problems.  I'm not sure the plastic used for the ties on most HO scale track is UV-resistant, but a coat of spray paint might help for a while.  The roadbed for Bachmann's E-Z Track is definitely NOT UV-resistant, which is somewhat of a pity -- that would be a good means to keep the rails off the bare dirt.

You may have difficulties anchoring HO scale track so it doesn't shift.  I wonder if a roadbed of concrete paving stones or bricks buried nearly flush with the surface might work.  You could then secure the track with liquid nails or similar adhesive.  Keeping dust and dirt from fouling rails and switches will be an ongoing concern.  As for electrical conductivity, I'd check out onboard battery power and radio control.  That might be too large to squeeze into a Connie's tender (let alone a Forney), but an attached boxcar might be roomy enough.

There's also the question of landscaping.  It's sometimes hard to find "scale" plants that won't dwarf the G scale trains.  Looking for decent On30 foilage might be trickier.

Good luck with this project.

Many thanks, Nigel!  I see that installing DCC into the Dash 8-40CW may be more involved than I expected -- I can just see those motor brush springs flying at the first opportunity.   

I was debating between the Spectrum Dash 8-40CW and a Proto 2000 SD50 (both were being offered at the same price), and due to brand loyalty I was leaning toward Bachmann.  But I beleive the SD50 is "DCC ready", so pending information on appropriate DCC and sound units that might be my final choice.

Thanks again!

I have an opportunity to acquire a Spectrum GE Dash 8-40CW, and I have a couple questions:

Since it's an older model without DCC (#86002), is it fairly easy to retrofit it for DCC?

I intend to use Bachmann's own DCC decoder, but is there room for a speaker under that body shell?  And if so, who produces an appropriate sound DCC unit?

Thanks!