Awesome to have it back on the net!

I had already recommended it to a lot of folks in here, so I´m glad
that Harold did make it available again!!!

Harold, you made my day!!!
Cheers, Tom

Lenz Set 90 would be another solution, though.
I´m using the Set 90 and Set 100 components, while I can state that the knob control on the 90 is more to my personal taste... NCE is another, as already said, good choice.

Please let us know if we all in here can be of some help!
There are a lot of helpful friendly folks arround here - including me, hopefully....=)

Kind regards, Tom

Wise said, Darryl.

Only one of my Climax engines had gear issues yet. No problem with all of my Shays.
But if there is going to be a Heisler, preferably a more modern one, I´d go for one or two..

Let´s fire up the hope boiler again...
Let there be black smoke emitting - saying the new model is going to be a heisler...

Cheers, Tom

I had done the conversion with two of my Forneys: There would be no problem at all if Bachmann had chosen another way; letting the coupler swing with the trailing truck would not bring the problems we have yet here... Especially with light cars (flats, low side gons) this is a issue, the forney does shove the trailing car out of the track. As the swing of the truck is limited too, you can see the wobble of the trailing  truck before it will derail...

I have used a RIBU SKD 85503 (which is built for a HO model) plus a Kadee according to NEM 362 (Kadee 17,18,19) - depending which curve radii you are thinking about. The Kadee itself can swing a bit while the RIBU SKD 85503 gives the coupler a full swing left and right. This solved the problems. There is some work to open up a Space to build in the SKD 85503 but this is all you need and you will be fine!

Cheers, Tom

Hi there!

The Forney´s main problem is in fact the body mounted coupler. If the coupler would have been mounted to the trailing truck the problem´s wouldn´t have occured. In tight curves, the Forney´s trailing truck becomes unstable due to the limited side swing. After that, the body mounted coupler, swinging outside of the middle of the track, shoves the coupled car, especially light ones, out of the track...

I have halfway solved this problem by removing the coupler and milling a space into the footplate, then adding a RIBU (European made) NMRA coupler pocket I still had. This coupler pocket has a centering spring and can swing freely to right and left. This did not solve everything, but the derailments decreased in numbers...

Kind regards, Tom

I´ve changed a lot of Bachmann decoders for Tsunamis and ESU Loksound decoders too.
You can even use the plug of the Bachmann decoder for the new installation. If you cut off the plug and solder the cords, colour by colour to the new decoder, you´re fine. The Bachmann decoders won´t make a big deal on EBAY, so you can re-use the plug and wiring. Use the smallest shrink tubing you can get to isolate the soldering spots from each other and this is a straightforward job...

Cheers, Tom

Willis - did you try Caboose Hobbies?
They do have some in stock when I recall it right from my last visit...

Otherwise - get in touch with Bill Banta directly - you can buy from him directly too!


Cheers, Tom

Hi there Darryl,

sorry for my delay. Yeah-that´s the way to do it. And you can go "forward" in time too when you add a closed cab from my dear friend Bill Banta´s range. I did this and added a cut off (I had two obsolete ones...) tender body from a 2-8-0 and voila: A "modern"  looking T-Boiler comes out. Add a more "chunky" Stack and a new logging animal is born... =)

Cheers, Tom

Your´re  very welcome, cm!

Please be sure to ask me, if I can get you any help. When I got it right, Pacificcoastairliner.com is not online any longer, this is quite bad as Harold Minkwitz did make excellent step by step instructions how to convert your 2-6-0 to DCC operation. Illustrated and made very wise. I will check if this is to be found somewhere, but when I recall it right, it´s gone...

Just in the case you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We´re arround here, ready to help you.

Kind regards, Tom

hi there!

Look for the two tiny little screws underneath the cab - they´r close to the backside from the cab and secure it to the floor. Undo these, then pry with extra care, sometimes the cabs don´t come off that easy. Look for the little lugs, you don´t want to break them. And take extra care for the piping which goes into the cab from front. This is flexible stuff, but take this off first.

Cheers, Tom

The Bachmann 2-6-0, that´s the Ohio River and Western you mentioned, can be converted to DCC.
It´s a bit fiddly, but can be done. But if you go DCC, you can run a analog engine together with DCC equipped engines, following the NMRA regulations. One non-DCC engine can be run unter "0" while you give the others the equivalent numbers their decoders are programmed to. So, a DCC conversion is not neccesary if you want to have "more" on your tracks.

But as I said, the 2-6-0 can be converted. I´ve done three conversions following Harold Minkwitz´s recommendations in here a while ago. Then it´s a snap...


Cheers,Tom

Hi there,

you can get a replacement coupler or go for a HO Kadee coupler.

You should be fine with a Kadee No.5 coupler- please look for the center shank couplers,
there are others which can improve the coupler height a bit, but you´re fine with the standard height.
They´re available in plastic or metal version. If you look for something more sturdy, go for the metal couplers... I do. Can recommend this.

Cheers, Tom

Steamer51,

everything can be removed.  Go the way, Maine 2 Foot described; I can recommend this way too:

Unscrew the trucks by the centered screws in the trucks. The couplers can be removed for painting the body, just check, how the plates are attached to the body. Take extra care not to loose the tiny screws of the plates which hold the couplers. There are two lugs cast on these plates, they go to the inner of the car´s body, when I recall it right.

The tank can be taken off too. Undo the metal strings which hold the tank body to the car body, but take extra,extra care!!! These tiny screws can be lost easily. Best keep them on a magnet (a O-Scale 2-Rail uncoupler magnet does work perfect for that - that´s what I always do) or store them until you will re-use them again. The tank body will come off now easily.

I have made a extra-long On30 tank car from two Bachmann Tankers to follow a Maine Prototype...

Cheers, Tom

Do some of you folks recall how the prices were falling when the On30 BLI Goose was out?
First: 299 Bucks, at the end the price was down to 49$ without, 79$ with sound...
Ok-could be that this RGS model did not find a wide-spread range of interested modellers...

I have found that the Favorite Spot is cheap and reliable, while it´s hard to find another dealer who carries the whole spectrum of Bachmann´s On30 models... By heart, I can only tell good things about the Favorite Spot. But it´s correct that this brings even a bigger chance that some day we must drive a long way until we may find a well-stocked LHS. That´s the truth.

Cheers, Tom

That´s something to look forward to....

Praise the Lord!
Cheers, Tom