Bachmann Online Forum

Discussion Boards => N => Topic started by: rwbigbear on November 12, 2012, 06:51:59 PM

Title: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: rwbigbear on November 12, 2012, 06:51:59 PM
Anyone know who sells N-scale steam loco's.... 0 4 0's?? thanks, Ron
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: James in FL on November 12, 2012, 07:28:17 PM
Bachmann's 0-4-0's have been out of production a long time +/- 10 years, Rivarossi's longer than that.
Your best bet is eBay or a train show.
Good luck
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: rwbigbear on November 12, 2012, 09:42:00 PM
Okay that's good to know.... i will do some checking. I have a Rio Grande 2 6 2 but have to list it on ebay tomorrow... need something short...  :D
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: skipgear on November 13, 2012, 12:36:22 AM
The 0-4-0's were typically horrible runners and probably why nobody has persued them again. Keep in mind that N scale lives and dies by electrical contact and with a small light, 2 axle / 4 wheel loco, all it takes in one spec of dirt on one piece of unlevel track and you have lost contact and the loco stops.  Heaven forbid trying to cross an insulfrog turnout with one.
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: rwbigbear on November 13, 2012, 10:52:35 AM
good to know.... no turnouts....just flat and a small run around some mountain tops.... Thanks for the info!!
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: Desertdweller on November 13, 2012, 03:42:40 PM
Not only does their lack of weight work against them, but their short wheelbase does too.

If an 0-4-0 could be built with an extremely heavy (cast lead?) superstructure, and a weighted tender equipped with all-wheel electrical pickup, then it could maybe work.

So you would need extra weight and an extended wheelbase.  This would rule out tank-type engines.

Too bad, because they are both cheap and cute.

Les
Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: Azaros on December 19, 2012, 08:38:30 AM
Many years ago I purchased a Spanish brand Ibertern 0-4-0, it was fairly well detailed for its day, and once run in was acceptable - for the time.
Recently some of the smaller Japanese specialty brands like Worldcraft have made 0-4-0's. They run like clockwork, but are expensive! I hope posting commercial links is okay....
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10095911a/20/1
I have a Microace 2-4-0. It runs well.
I've seen 2mm Society members in the UK scratch build 0-4-0's that run well.
All of the models described above have a metal body and chassis.

I've had a few Bachman 0-4-0's - the Docksider and the tender version. These were designed in a different time, there was no 3D CAD, they had plastic bodies, chassis, and came with a very average motor. BUT if you replace the motor, they run reasonably well. The Bachman 0-4-0 chassis and Ibertern 0-4-0 chassis is popular with 009 modellers in the UK.

So the moral of the story for a any new massed produced 0-4-0 model is the designer must consider a cast metal body. And engineer the mechanism with a decent motor.




Title: Re: 0 4 0 steam loco's?
Post by: sharriso on December 20, 2012, 07:18:44 PM
The Fleischmann 7000 is not bad.  Obviously German with deep flanges, but they are heavy and usually run well on code 80 track (and Peco code 55).  They appear regularly on the action sites.

(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/sharriso/Miscellaneous/FleischmannT2.jpg)

I replaced the Rapido coplers with Unimate T-shank couplers.

(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/sharriso/Miscellaneous/IMG_0692.jpg)