I recently bought a bobber caboose to go with my Climax and my planned mine line. However, the coupler on the caboose is about 3/8" lower than the Climax. Same for the side dump cars and skeleton log cars. They all match up but the Climax seems too high. What gives? That's why I stayed with the same manufacture to avoid compatibility issues, now I have one. Suggestions?
Bachmann has made two scales, in "G" scale. Your bobber is part of the "Big Hauler" series, in theory 1:24. The Climax is from the spectrum series made accurately at 1:20.3. The coupler pockets on the Climax are high. You will need a Bachmann drop down coupler. It came with several of my Bachmann engines.
Chuck
As I recall, the BH series rolling stock came with truck mounted couplers, rather than body mounted couplers. This drops them down even more.
Kadee has/had a step down coupler that I put on my Climax to mate with body mounted couplers on 1:20.3 rolling stock. Sorry, no picturers.
This is what I did with my Shay. It came with step down knuckle couplers..
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/Shay%20coupler%203.JPG)
I drilled a hole in the shank.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/Shay%20coupler%204.JPG)
Mounted it in the lowest coupler pocket.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/Shay%20coupler%205.JPG)
It mates with 1:20.3 cars with body mounted couplers.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/Shay%20coupler%206.JPG)
This will still be high for truck mounted couplers. You will also need to get and install step up couplers on the caboose. I use Kadee #831 for truck mounted couplers the mate with body mounted couplers.
Mickey,
If you bought it new double check the box, see if there is another set of couplers which will align with your caboose and other cars. Bachmann included extra couplers on most 1:20.3 locos just for this reason. I am not sure about the Climax. If not check with the parts dept to see if you can get some.
Any climax owners out there who can confirm the second set of couplers??
I went back to all the accessory bags and yes there were actually two different sets of couplers. One set is part of the link and pin looking part and another pair with what looks like a small drop down. So after church I'll get them out and play with them to see what's what. Thanks for help. I guess I just was assuming it would hook right up to their existing stuff. I guess I was not really thinking that the log cars, side dumps and caboose were different scale since that's all they offer for their geared locos. Which makes me wonder how much bigger the skeleton logs and side dumps cars should be to match the 1:20.3.
Mickey:
Accucraft has 3 different log cars in 1:20.3: long logging car (24.5"), short logging car (20") and logging disconnects (16"). You can see them on the Accucraft web site. You should be able to compare your logging cars with theirs.
Chuck
So after looking through the parts, I did attach the drop couplers and it all lines up. I'm surprised they didn't come with those factory attached so it would work with their existing rolling stock, but I guess they have their reasons. Thanks for the input as I ad not even opened the plastic bag of goodies. Speaking of goodies, do most of you use all the extras by gluing them in place or what?
The Climax is a 1:20.3 narrow gauge locomotive. It's coupler height is set to work with Bachmann's 1:20.3 scale narrow gauge freight cars....
If it is historically primarily been a logging and mining engine, shouldn't you either make 1.20.3 mining/logging stock or have it set for their height. They weren't really freight engines. Not trying to be difficult but it just seems odd to me. But y'all did include the drop couplers so all worked out after the change.
Mickey:
I may be wrong, but I think that some or all of the cars you are talking about came out before they started producing geared locomotives in 1:20.3.
Chuck
Bachmann produces two distinctly different lines of Large Scale product. The Bachmann "Big Hauler" products were developed over 20 years ago and were designed to be compatible with other manufacturer's large scale products (LGB, Aristo, USA Trains, etc....)this is why the coupler height is what it is on these products. The Bachmann Spectrum 1:20.3 scale Narrow gauge product line does indeed run on the same track but it is a different scale and while it is compatible with the "Big Hauler" products the scale of these products dictates a different coupler height in order to maintain the finescale nature of these locos and rolling stock.
So out of curiosity, I checked my second version Shay and its couplers lineup with the log/mining cars. So why is that different than the Climax? I totally understand the scale thing, but I guess I don't understand then why do they not produce the correct type of rolling stock then to match? I mean aren't the Shay, Climax and Heisler all pretty much mining/logging engines? So why produce freight cars and not these? They would be much less expensive to mold and make than a loco. Just doesn't really jive to me.
Mickey,
Mickey you are wasting your breath on this. What Bachmann did and why is in the past they had good reasons at the time. Why they did what they did is history that took place in decisions made over twenty years ago. While you may be new at this, if you had been hanging around on this forum for 10 years or more you would see all kinds of why an wherefores. Why didn't they make them with only hook and loop couplers? or Why don't they only have Link and pin couplers? or and on an on.
We are happy to help you as a new person, but beating old issues to death is not particularly beneficial or helpful to anyone. Things are what they are and cannot be changed. Early locos did not have the correct coupler height for 1:20.3. Later locos produced in 1:20.3 were made with the correct coupler height and the drop couplers were included. People with the early locos had to raise the couplers to be compatible with body mounted 1:20.3 rolling stock.
Bachmann did their best to accommodate as many modelers in different interest groups as they could. As the Yardmaster says things have evolved into the two distinct lines with accommodation for the older 1:22.5 group.
Just sit back and have fun and we will do our best to help you make things work together.
Loco Bill
Bill, I was not attempting or even realizing it was a old dead horse that had been beaten. As I said "out of curiosity". I know it is in the past. I even said "all worked out". I'm just trying to understand not ruffel feathers. I apologize to any one whom I offended. Not my intention or mode.
My other curiosity is why not make 1:20.3 log and mine cars. I guess that's for Accucraft.
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_443_462&products_id=2973
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_443_462&products_id=2972
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_443_462&products_id=2971
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_443_447&products_id=2930
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_443_447&products_id=2929
these cars work fine in addition to the 1:20.3 flat cars (they can carry logs) and 1:20.3 scale high and low sided gondolas - those are the big rectangular shaped cars that can carry coal and other items from mines....
The side dump and skeleton log ones are the ones I got. 9 of the log and 3 of the side, so far. But just to clarify, these are technically the 1:24, right? Not that it matters as the are already bought and the AMS are out of my price pocket.
Mickey:
Mining and logging cars came in many sizes and were used on Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge. I imagine that some time trucks were switched and something that started on one gauge may have ended up on another.
I'll start this discussion with the mine cars. I have a number of books on railroads. Most if not all pictures having the side dump mine cars with an engine, the engine is a small engine usually an 0-4-0. Either a tank engine, or a small switcher, like in the picture below. I cannot find in my books a Shay or a Climax pulling a string of small side dump 2 axle cars. They may be out there, but they are not common. They are pulling full sized cars: hoppers, gondolas, log cars (of various sizes) and other common freight cars.
This is a picture from a book on the Mesabi Railroad by Fred King.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%206.jpg)
In about 1997 I bought 3 Hartford Log car kits. I believe that they are 1:22.5. At that time I didn't have any 1:20.3 engines or rolling stock, so it is unlikely they are that scale, especially since they came with Kadee gauge 1 couplers.
They are all of 11.5" long. Much smaller than my long Accucraft log cars. This afternoon I took some pictures of the cars with my Bachmann Climax and Shay. The caboose on the end is a Bachmann bobber. The train in the background is a 1:20.3 mixed train.
Climax
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%201.JPG)
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%202.JPG)
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%203.JPG)
Shay
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%204.JPG)
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chuckn/climax%20shay%205.JPG)
My personal opinion is that solid (box, refrigerator, cattle and passenger) cars in 1.22.5/24 don't look that great behind a 1:20.3 steamer. They are dwarfed by the engine. There are some small 1:20.3 engines that might work, but I don't have any. On the other hand open cars (flat, hopper, gondola, etc.) seem to work.
Just remember. It is your train and if you like it, who is to say otherwise. When I first started in LS in 1980, LGB was the only game in town. I bought American Narrow Gauge freight cars and European Narrow Gauge cars and engines. At that time the only engines available were European design, so I had Colorado NG pulled by a Stanz or some other alpine engine. It wasn't long before the Mogul came out and I had a suitable engine for my American cars.
Over time, almost all manufacturers in Large Scale have produced cars and engines of different scales that run on our track: LGB, USAt, AristoCraft, Accucraft, Bachmann, etc. Some mix and match and some don't. Originally, LGB was primarily meter gauge at 1:22.5, but they had a whole line of cars and an engine based upon the Zillertal Narrow Gauge line in Austria. It is 750 mm gauge. That engine and cars definitely are not 1:22.5, but I have never heard anyone question it.
Welcome to the confusing hobby of Large Scale Trains and run what you like and don't worry too much.
Chuck
Great pics. Thanks. As I said, it is just a learning and curiosity thing for me. I made my decision based on what I wanted and price. The ams were just too expensive to get the number I wanted. They also appear to be of a newer era. I going for the very late 1800's to early 1900's.