What Bachmann steam engine trains will run efficiently on an 8 1/2 inch radius turn?
None that I know of.
Dear Ivan,
I imagine the 0-6-0 will negotiate this tight radius, but I'm not sure. Using the widest radius possible is always the best idea.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Here is my experience with B-mann (and other) steam on Kato UNITRAM. The inner curve on those is seven and a half, or so, inches. The turnouts are like eight inches or eight and a half.
USRA 0-6-0-The locomotive will operate. I do not know what the stock tender does, but the SPECTRUM slope back and USRA short tenders will derail.
ALCo 2-6-0-The locomotive will operate and stay on the track. It stalls occasionally on the turnouts. On certain specific models, the mechanism binds on the curves.
Baldwin 4-6-0- The non DCC model will operate, but does stall frequently on the turnouts. It does climb the curves and the turnouts. The DCC versions stall, climb, derail and the mechanism binds.
SPECTRUM Baldwin 2-8-0-climbs and derails.
The 2-8-0 is the largest that I tried.
I tried the Model Power eight wheeler and mogul. Both climbed and derailed.
The Atlas Shay works well.
The Walthers/Life-Like USRA 0-8-0 climbs, stalls and derails.
If you want to operate on this radius with a steam engine, I suggest an 0-4-0T granted Bachmann does not currently make one but did make one in the past if I am not mistaken.
When Bachmann finally releases their 4-4-2 I'll bet it'll have no problems on sharp curves ::)
-Mark
The B-mann 0-4-0T and 0-4-0 with tender are out of production, as is the Rivarossi 0-4-0 with a tender that Atlas sold.
Life-Like sold an 0-6-0T, as did Atlas and at least one other manufacturer. Those are out of production, as well.
Minitrix sold an 0-6-0 with a tender. It is long out of production.
AHM sold a 2-6-4T manufactured by Lima. It is long out of production and is JUNQUE.
All of them have limited electrical contact, which inhibits their performance. Further, their construction methods are out of date.
The 0-4-0T is based on the Baltimore and Ohio 0-4-0T that worked Pratt St. and the Inner Harbour docks in Baltimore. They were oil burners, as Baltimore had smoke abatement laws. You could get the smoke abatement boys off of your case, back then, if you used oil burners (Hence Western Maryland's oil burning Pacifics). At some point, B&O converted two of the things to coal burners and conventional configuration (added a tender and took off the water tanks and fuel bunkers). The Rivarossi 0-4-0 with tender that Atlas sold is based on that conversion.
The B-mann 0-4-0 with a tender is based on a Pennsylvania Railroad prototype.
I am not sure of the prototype for the 0-6-0T
The TRIX 0-6-0 with a tender is based on a Pennsylvania B-6b.
The AHM/Lima is based on a Reading Company prototype that worked Philadelphia suburban commuter trains before Reading electrified the lines.
Of all mentioned in this topic, the best of the bunch is the newest version of the B-mann USRA 0-6-0 (in a plastic box, with the motor that does not stick far out of the back of the cab), with the proviso that you swap out the stock tender for a SPECTRUM tneder. The SPECTRUM tender is all wheels live and has up to date needlepoint axle pick-up that keeps down the drag on the locomotive. The tender swap is not difficult. If you will check Spookshow's website, there is a brief description of how to do the conversion. There are other tutorials out there in cyberland, as well. Later versions of the older motored B-mann USRA 0-6-0 are not bad, either, but you are better off with the most recent version.
There is a gentleman named Mark Watson (?), who posted something on either Trainboard or The Rail Wire about how he upgraded the Life Like 0-6-0T. He posted videos of it. He did a pretty good job with the upgrade.
More than a few have re-worked the old TRIX 0-6-0 and tender. It involves adding a better motor (the motor found in the old Atlas/Kato
GP-7/GP-9 or RS-3 seems to be the more popular) and in some cases a flywheel. Further, you upgrade the tender to all wheels live.
You can find all of the out of production steam switchers at shows. The caveat there is that many vendors have a high opinion of what they are selling is worth.
Some hobby stores may have some of the steam locomotives that I have mentioned as New Old Stock.
Model Power made either a 0-4-0T or 0-6-0T, I can't recall which.
Thanks to all. I have a used N scale B-mann 060 switcher and I am running it on a Kato Unitrack with 8 1/2 " radius curves on top of our Buffet in our Dining Room. It is doing a good job. I can pull up to 4 coal cars and a caboose. I was wondering if there were any other engines which could handle the curve, possibly a diesel. It seems that I am limited on my choices. A 4-6-0 sounds good. Thanks for your help!
IvanG,
The Bachmann Plymouth diesel switcher should work just fine on 8-1/2 inch curves. I have one that I run on Kato's compact unitrack - 6 inch (150 mm) radius - and it runs very well, including going through the compact turnouts. I usually run no more than 3 or 4 ore cars behind the engine (this is a small mining section on my layout) but the switcher pulls them without any problems. I also have a Bachmann 44-tonner that handles the 6 inch radius OK, although I do not regularly run it on that track. Hope this helps.
Some steam locomotives that I did forget to mention that will run on so sharp a curve:
MDC/currently Athearn sells some nineteenth century power: a 2-8-0 and a 2-6-0. These are excellent little locomotives that run well with a minimum of break-in time. The 2-6-0 has its middle driver pair blinded. The 2-8-0 has the two middle driver pairs blinded.
These are decidedly nineteenth century locomotives (the prototypes are about 1880s), but with a little work, you can "update" them. The 2-6-0 is especially adaptable, as it has sixty-three inch drivers. I "updated" one by removing the "mantle clock" headlight and replacing it with one mounted in the middle of the smokebox cover. I put a generator over the opening left by removal of the "mantle clock" headlight. I added a power reverse and pilot steps to make it look like an old locomotive that had been rebuilt over the years.
Of course, if you want to run nineteenth century equipment, you need not make any alterations.
B-mann sells an 1870s 4-4-0. While some of the older versions were inconsistent, if you will buy one of the last that appeared in a cardboard box, or, best of all, buy the version that comes in a plastic box. B-mann made some improvements to them, so they are pretty good. Do understand that you must operate these on live frog turnouts (if you have any turnouts, at all), as their small footprint will make them stall on neutral frog turnouts. This is not a flaw in the locomotive, mind you, it is just that these things are so small that their wheelbase does not allow for the best contact when you run them on track that has electrically neutral pieces.
Atlas sells an 1870s 4-4-0 that runs nicely.
Atlas sells an 1870s 2-6-0 that while it runs nicely, suffers from the limited pick up.
If your space is severely limited and you must use curves so sharp, you might want to consider nineteenth century equipment. B-mann sells two types of passenger cars and several types of nineteenth century freight cars. MDC sold and Athearn sells eight different types of nineteenth century passenger cars and several different types of freight cars. Micro-Trains also sells several different types of nineteenth century freight cars. The Micro-Trains come with a simulated "link and pin" couplers, but you can substitute 1023s for them, easily.
You can find the B-mann and MT equipment at most hobby stores and at shows. The old MDC equipment is everywhere at shows. Some hobby stores may have some as NOS. The Athearns, which are copies of the MDC designs (although Athearn has made them available in more road names and paint schemes) can be found at shows, although some hobby stores might have them, as well.
I love small radius on shelves. I'm running a jewel case (2014?) 4-4-0 on an 8.5 loop, where 2 pieces are 7". Pulling 4 Athearn Overton cars, with mth couplers and metal wheels. No derailing. No issues. Running slow enough, that it's pretty quiet
Quote from: spookshow on March 08, 2017, 09:22:06 AM
When Bachmann finally releases their 4-4-2 I'll bet it'll have no problems on sharp curves ::)
-Mark
Don't tease me.
Quote from: IvanG on March 09, 2017, 09:33:48 PM
Thanks to all. I have a used N scale B-mann 060 switcher and I am running it on a Kato Unitrack with 8 1/2 " radius curves on top of our Buffet in our Dining Room. It is doing a good job. I can pull up to 4 coal cars and a caboose. I was wondering if there were any other engines which could handle the curve, possibly a diesel. It seems that I am limited on my choices. A 4-6-0 sounds good. Thanks for your help!
I have a NW2 that runs fine. I'd bet most recent 8 wheel diesels will do fine. Also, if you are just looking for neat looking, as opposed to a specific US Model, there are a bunch of small European steamers. Then you can look at their cute 2 axle cars and you can pull more, on smaller radii
the 44 tonner with carefull modification will do tight curves - pull out the truck and care full trim the 'pip' that holds the truck to the chassis , trim each side to about half wide - then do other side of truck , now do second truck .
by doing this you will enable the trucks/loco to traverse more freely down to 12 inch diameter (not radius ;D )
I tried posting photos yesterday but forum would not accept , I also have 2 x 0-6-0's that do same layout , I will try photos once more.
here you should see the 0-6-0 switcher and old timers on tight curves , use long couplers and slight trim to tender front/cab roof .
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seacote_lad/32701160833/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seacote_lad/33515871845/in/dateposted-public/
Quote from: plas man on March 18, 2017, 04:22:15 PM
here you should see the 0-6-0 switcher and old timers on tight curves , use long couplers and slight trim to tender front/cab roof .
How do you manage to get that train up a grade with the stock tender? If I use a
SPECTRUM tender, not only will it climb the hill, it gets better electrical contact. I must admit that the stock live truck and drawbar does not perform poorly, when you consider what it is, but the all wheels live and needlepoint axle pick-up on the
SPECTRUM tender renders far better performance than does the stock tender.
Nice looking pike.
hi Brokemoto , the layout is a secondary line above my main layout and is 2 tracks on the level although one above the other , also I have the latest 4-4-0 Bachmann and to enable tight curves you need to trim the inside (cut in half) off the cylinders to enable the front truck to pivot the drive shaft do not need to be altered . again using the long EZ coupler on tender .
Also one 0-6-0 is Durango and Silverton set and other is pizza cutter wheels and both locos have center wheel flange removed with help from Unimat 3 lathe .
Oh, so it does not have to climb a hill.
Blinding the drivers is one way to get some of that power around a tight curve. Even the prototypes did it. The Pennsylvania blinded one of the middle driver pairs on some of its consolidateds. The Athearn MDC 1880s 2-8-0 comes with both middle driver pairs blinded. The 2-6-0 has the middle pair blinded.
I have managed to run the B-mann eight wheeler around a seven and something curve (the inner curve of the Kato UNITRAM) without problem. Six inches in N scale is pretty tight. That is equivalent to just over eleven inches in HO. I seem to recall that the old HO Mantua
0-4-0T kit would go around an eight inch curve, but anything much larger than a small switcher would require modification.
Because, I'm running a lot of small trains, I'll come back to this.... Atlas/MicroAce 2-6-0 Mogul (that isn't reviewed as the best runner... is doing really nicely on 8 1/2" radius.
C'mon Bach Man! Get developing small stuff!
Quote from: kmcsjr on March 26, 2017, 07:44:24 PM
.... Atlas/MicroAce 2-6-0 Mogul (that isn't reviewed as the best runner...
C'mon Bach Man! Get developing small stuff!
The latest version of the B-mann 1870s eight wheeler is actually pretty good. Buy the version that comes in the plastic box. The problem with the Atlas/Micro-Ace mogul is that only one "truck" on the tender is live. Because the electrical contact is so limited, the thing will stall of straight and level at speeds of twenty-five SMPH or less. The thing runs nicely--
when it runs. The only thing that will save the Atlas mogul is hardwiring it to a live boxcar, caboose or baggage car.
Fortunately, Atlas did address the problem with its eight wheeler. All of the "trucks" on the tender are live on that one. All of the tender trucks on the B-mann eight wheeler are live, as well. Those on the Bachpersonn pivot, as well, which neither of the Atlas do.
The Micro-Ace is an actual model that it did for the market in Japan. It is based on a 2-6-0 that Baldwin built for Japan in the 1870s. One prototype does survive. As I understand it, Atlas approached Micro-Ace with the idea of hanging nineteenth century U.S. and Canada road names on it. Micro-Ace agreed, as long as no alterations were made to the basic model. Thus, the only two wheels live on each pole.
The Atlas/Micro-Ace is yet another illustration of Miranda's Maxim as explained by ke: "The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is almost always attributable to poor electrical contact."
The funny thing is that Miranda's Maxim applies less to the Bachmann eight wheeler. The contact has been the same throughout the various versions of this one. There is only so much contact that you can get out of something so small. The problem for years with the B-mann eight wheeler was its construction. The things used to wobble quite a bit. In addition, the performance varied wildly model-to-model. GF has one that will hold a steady twenty five SMPH and pull fifteen nineteenth century cars of various manufacture, on MT trucks, up a one per-cent grade. I wonder if the prototype would do that. I had one or two that could not get out of their own way and had only two speeds: very fast and not-at-all.
I recall seeing a Disney display at a World's Greatest Hobby On Tour show. They had a B-mann N scale eight wheeler that was operating quite smoothly at fifteen SMPH and pulling several cars on a roundy-round. I asked someone at the display about it. He got one of the technicians for me who went into quite a bit of detail on how they had re-worked the thing to get the wobble out of it.
Shortly after that, a cardboard box version of the eight wheeler appeared that showed a marked improvement. In fact, I put a MT coupler on one and was using it to switch cars on my nineteenth century pike. Since then, B-mann has done another wave of improvements to this one. The plastic box version of it is the latest. It is very good. If you have not tried it, you should.
I'm running the latest DCC equipped Spectrum 2-6-0 on 8 1/2 radius tonight. It's creeping along nicely!