Hi Loco Bill.

I haven't tried installing a standard Bachmann coupler in a Kadee coupler gear box but I cut the existing tongue from the Bachmann truck. I also cut the tongue behind the vertical spring( coupler rod) and mount the complete coupler assembly between the rolling stock frame rails to the floor of the car. On most of the Bachmann cars the coupler fits between the frame rails good and on some occasions the coupler assembly  needs some shimming so that the height matches the 1-1/8'' that Kadee recommends from the top of the rail to the center of the coupler. They also recommend 1-1/6'' but this requires more shimming between the floor of the car and the coupler. I try to make all of my couplers the same height regardless of the brand and I found that Aristo Craft couplers don't work well with other brands I recon with some modification this could be fixed but I haven't explored doing that yet.

I didn't make any transition cars because all I have to do is remove the body mount coupler and truck and install a hook and loop truck or a knuckle coupler truck and the car is good to go. I have modified 14 rolling stock cars and 4 locos with body mount  Kadee's or the Bachmann knuckle couplers and the most work was fitting a Kadee on the tender of My Bachmann 2-6-0 Russian Iron mogul. The standing platform and the original pin coupler assembly was most of the problem.

Well that's my progress to date.

DrWho 12
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Hi all
Has anyone tried installing Bachmann knuckle couplers on the body of their freight cars? I have been installing another brand's couplers on my RR cars and locos but I decided to try using the Bachmann couplers ( to save some bucks) that came with my cars and locos in a body mount vs. the usual truck mount installation.
Due to the winter weather out side I can't test the results so I was wondering if anyone has tried this?
The other brand coupler works very well so I have hope that the Bachmann couplers will preform as well.

Thanks in advance for a reply/ advice.
DrWho12

I have resolved the problem with the light on the tender of my E.B.T. Annie 4-6-0 thanks to Loco Bill's help.

DrWho12

Thanks for the reply to my question Bill..

     There wasn't a resistor in the wiring of the light probably causing the light bulb to fail.
  I ordered a replacement set of wires, bulb and resistor. I will install the resistor in the circuit when I
  repair it. I'll check one of my other locos for the proper location of thee resistor.
 
  Thanks for info Loco Bill.

The light on my annie tender burned out. Upon disassembly there wasn't a resistor installed . My E.B.T. 9000 series annie is only 1 yr. old with about 1 hr. of running time. Is this a new wiring system or was the resistor missed upon manufacture? I plan on ordering a new bulb assy. to repair my loco and do I need to install the resistor in the circuit?

Thanks in advance for helping with my repair.
  DrWho12

Hi All

 It has been a while since I have posted. I recently checked out my locos and noticed my Bachmann E.b.T. 4-6-0 Anniversary tender light wasn't working I bought this loco a year ago and have run the loco a few times on my layout total time about 1 hr.
I disassembled the light and found the bulb burnt out ( it was an led bulb) also there wasn't a resistor in line on either wire. The loco is a 9000 series so I figured Bachmann deleted the resistor. Am I correct in this and would the replacement bulb listed in the parts be the same or is there another light bulb source? Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance.

Dr Who 12

Thanks Bill for the info it will be most helpful being able to run the caboose with my other Bachmann cars.

Later DrWho12

I haven't posted anything for quite a while so I thought I would update and mention my latest. I just bought a Spectrum 120.3 caboose and it is amazing. If I didn't know it was a model, under the right setting it could pass for a real caboose.

Bachmann sure put the detail in this car a bit on the fragile side but that is to be expected with such detail. I was able to get it at a very low price so I couldn't pass it up.

The only thing is the couplers don't work with the Bachmann regular couplers however the caboose did include an extra set of couplers that I could attach to another freight car and run it ahead of the caboose.

Well that's it for now.
Later DrWho12

Thanks Joe for the quick response.
  I'll try contacting the club member and get the article.
Later Dr Who12

 At a recent club function one of the guys told me he learned  from an article he was reading that it warned of not using power transformers with the momentum function. This function starts your loco/train off in a slow speed progressing to desired running speed. The article stated that the Bachman motors will eventually burn out from this low voltage at startup.
I have an old 10 amp transformer with a rheostat/speed control that does somewhat the same thing and I'm wondering if I'll have problems with my locos. I have run quite while with no problems.  The club member said it would be better to start the loco/train off at a higher speed then running speed. In my thinking starting off from a dead stop with a running speed would do more damage to the motor/gear box than starting off at a slow speed then ramping up to running speed this is more realistic as well.
Any thought on this would be appreciated thanks in advance.

Later Dr Who12

 The rain quit and our RR club went to east Cleveland Oh. to install a garden railroad at a farm themed metro park. This was hard work and we had 25 club members helping. This inspired me to take out my 8' dia.curved track in preparation for a 10' curved track layout and make the straight sections longer as well. this is going to require a nice 10' dia. curved  trestle  at one end. I want to build this instead of a lot of fill dirt I would have to buy also I think a trestle would look better.

I haven't installed working couplers on the front of my Annie's as Bill has but perhaps over this winter I might make that happen. His video shows another step in realism with our Railroads. Thanks for the inspiration Bill.

Later
Dr Who12 

Well the weather has been rainy and cold so I decided to buy some body mount couplers and install them on my 4-6-0 Annie loco's tenders.

At first this seamed like a daunting task but I made a height gauge ( I could have bought one but I figured I could save some bucks by making my own) so all the couplers would be the same and the install went quite well. I haven't modified the loco's pilot couplers yet but hope to sometime.  The install on the tenders required making some custom height spacers and adjusting the coupler length but the result is very realistic and the couplers I bought couple very well.

I hope to be outside expanding my layout soon, weather permitting.
That's it from the North Coast.

Later Dr Who 12

Thanks for the reply Bill.

  I'll take your advice about the gears and not go beyond the replacement gear/axel I ordered.
I found some ball bearings for the die cast trucks  and installed a set in 2 of the 3 trucks I have but I think I will leave the last truck as is and use the oil and grease as you recommend.

On another note I was thinking of installing body mount couplers on these tenders with the die cast trucks but Bachmann is sold out of the spectrum ones in the parts listing so what would you recommend as replacements?

Thanks in advance
Dr Who 12

Thanks for the reply and info Bill.

I have installed a set of after market die cast leaf spring trucks on my ET&WNC Annie. I noticed that it appears that Bachmann may have used the same trucks or similar on the caboose. I was a bit concerned as the die cast metal used in my trucks seams a bit fragile. I like the look and the spring action but I'm happy to know that they probably will hold up. At least as well as your son's have.

Thanks again.
Dr Who 12

PS I took your advice and ordered a new axel/gear for my 2-6-0 mogul. When it is delivered I'm going to explore a way of strengthening  the gear with a fiberglass epoxy composite or take the gear to a local machine shop and get a price on making a brass one to fit the shaft. Perhaps I should consider replacing all the gears with brass ones?

Hi All
Well I thought I might be able to go outside ,I woke up to a beautiful sunny, day and run some trains today but the weather turned cloudy and cold that's the way it is here on the North Coast.
Feeling much better so I finished up the install of the Wallcharts valve gear mechanicals on my South Pacific Coast Annie and what an improvement. With the brass on the engine and the metal valve gearing this engine looks great. All I need are some passenger cars and this train will be complete.
  I also worked on modifying my ET&WNC Annie to the changes to the chassis and pilot and pilot wheels as depicted on the web by Tweetsie 4-6-0. This was a lot of work but the engine has a completely different look to it from stock as the front of the engine is shorter looking.
Doing this will limit the engine to 5ft and larger dia. curves though.

Also I was looking at a G scale  spectrum caboose  with die cast trucks and metal wheels but I'm wondering how well the die cast trucks will hold up any advice out there?

That's it for now
Dr Who 12