Dear Bach man,

Do you know when will the company have another production run on 70083 (Lancaster & Chester) N scale?

Anyone has successfully figured out a quick way to turn an engine from DC to DCC and back by installing some form of a switch?  I am interested to know, in particular N scale.

Dear Bach Man,

Do you think the company will ever produce the Bascule Bridge for N scale?
Also, is it possible to convince the company to make some models in N scale for Northern Pacific?  Since personally I collect BNSF, Northern Pacific is the only missing major fallen flags in the BNSF family that Bachmann does not make in N scale.  Does not have to be engines, some freights will be fine.

I got a new B23-7 and it already came with the dummy knuckle couplers.  But it does have a pair of rapidos just in case if you want to revert back to them.  I decided to revert.

As it turns out, it is impossible to revert it if you disassemble and then assemble entire draft gear box in the exact reverse order.  The coupler pocket should be upside down when you try to put it back.  The problem is, while normally you would put in the rapido into the draft gear box and then push it  through the coupler space of the body, it is impossible to do so with the rapido on the B23-7.  The empty slot which the coupler comes through from the draft gear box to the outside of the body (let's call it the coupler body opening) is barely big enough for a dummy knuckle coupler to go through. That is, you cannot put the entire draft gear box assembly through because it is too big for the opening.

Instead of cutting the space and make the coupler body opening bigger to allow the housing to go through, here is the better alternative:

After disassembling the draft gear box and get rid of the dummy knuckle coupler, you can now install the rapido in this order:

1.  Put the coupler pocket on the underside of the body where the coupler cover usually sits.
2.  Put the draft gear spring on the rapido
3.  Push the rapido through the coupler body opening and carefully put it on/in the coupler pocket.  Make sure now the rapido and the draft gear spring sits correctly.  Use a tweezer or your other hand to press the coupler pocket against the coupler body opening to prevent it from falling out of the place where it sits on.  Also, make sure the rapido "trip pin" points down instead of up (ie, it should NOT be facing you).
4. Gently push the coupler pocket assembly away from the coupler body opening, but only for a milimeter.  (ie. one milimeter away from the opening)
5. Now put the coupler cover on top of the coupler pocket assembly.  Now the entire draft gear box with the rapido is assembled.
6. Use a tweezer and gently hold the draft gear box and now turn it upside down 180'.
7. Now you can push the draft gear box back into the spot tight against the coupler body opening (ie. one milimeter towards the opening).
8. Use a tweezer to gently put one screw into the draft gear box, while use another tweezer to hold the it steady.
9. As soon as the screw drops inside the draft gear box, use a small screw driver and screw the screw through the gear box into the body.
10. Check whether the rapido sits correctly and that it has a correct slack.
12. Now screw the other screw into the draft gear box.
13. Double check whether the rapido is working correctly.  If it works, you are done.
14. Now you can repeat the same thing for the other draft gear box.


Summary:  Assemble the entire draft gear box upside down, then turn the entire assembly downside up to its normal position, then you can screw the gear box into the body.

Hope this helps.

I lost the entire assemblies of both body mount rapidos of my spectrum dash 8w.   
Does anybody has a pair of spares that can send to me?  I am sure some of you run this loco and converted to MT.  If you no longer need the rapidos and their housings, can you donate them to me?  Thanks.

I just bought a Magnum Ultra power pak, but it does not have any instruction.
Would you be able to scan the instruction paper for me, or anyone can scan or take a photo of it for me?  I need to know how the brake button and the momentum button works, but most importantly, the difference between the variable DC and fixed DC outlet so my trains will not get fried.

I have entered and did a major rewriting of the Bachmann entry in Wikipedia.  I have basically rewrote it entirely from scratch.  When I have time I will work on Bachmann UK, China, and Liliput.  Feel free to do corrections if you see fit.

I notice that Bachmann used to have a Diesel fueling and sanding facility kit..

I want to know what sanding is.  I read that Steam loco needs sand to help traction on the rails.  Diesel needs to do the same?

Where does the sand store in a Diesel?  When does the engineer decide to sand?  How does he do it?  Is there a time or circumstances which he has to do it?

PS. Where is the fuel inside a diesel, and also where is the water (cooling)?
Does anyone has a blueprint or diagram to show what a typical diesel design looks like (the inside)?

What is this model really?  Is it a B23-7, or a B30-7?  How come in the catalog it is always listed as B23-7/B30-7?  There is no B23-7/B30-7.  All I know is that
B23-7 was made for Santa Fe, while B30-7 was for BN.

I'll take the liberty to do the edit for some parts...in <>


Model Trains
The turnover for model trains for the year ended 31st December 2006 was approximately HK$365.62 million <edit: approx USD$50 million>, a slight increase of 3.36% as compared to last year.
During the year under review, the manufacturing costs stood at a high level which adversely affected the performance of the Model Trains section. To face the challenge, the Company followed a strategy of further improving the quality of the products. This strategy has succeeded in gaining the loyalty of customers and maintained our leading position in the industry<...
...> The Bachmann’s E-Z Command® series continued to be the key contributor to sales growth. This is a Digital Command Control (DCC) system incorporating the latest digital technology to bring a DCC system to control speed, lighting, and direction of multiple locomotives that is easy to use and
affordable for both the novice and experienced hobbyist. With the latest offerings of DCC Sound On Board locomotives, model railroads are able to come to life.
<......>
The Group is committed to maintaining its competitiveness in terms of productivity, quality, reliability and delivery. Efforts have also been placed in enhancing safety precautions and quality control. Safety standards, regulations and code of practices are the Group’s major concern. The
Group is always adhering to the Code of Business Practice of the International Council of Toy Industries (“ICTI”) and has passed and satisfied the ICTI audit, namely, the ICTI CARE Process.

1968  Bachmann started to produce toy trains.  It was N scale only.  N scale car numbering system is 6XXX.  Cars made in Hong Kong, packaged in white jewel cases.

1969 First retooling.  Cars packaged in blue jewel cases.  White were still used until they ran out.  Numbering system changed to 5XXX.

(1970 Bachmann started H0 scale)

1973 Second retooling.  Cars started to be packaged in black jewel cases.

1978 Bachmann changed its logo to the present one.

1981 Kader takeover.  Bachmann brothers became Bachmann industries.  Individual cars started to be packaged in white paper boxes.

1982 Numbering system of cars changed to 53-XXXX(-xx)

(1988 Beginning of Spectrum, but N scale spectrum would not appear until much later)

1992 The numbering system changed to the modern system that we have.  The cars were now under the 7XXXX system.  Cars now manufactured in China.

1999 Silver series began as a train set.

2000 Silver series extended to the individual cars.  The cars were now packaged in the modern jewel cases that we are familiar with.

I'd like to know when did Bachmann start producing N scale trains.  I read somewhere that they started in 1968, but I am not sure anymore.

I have most of the catalogs, but also one undated old catalog.  The N scale numbering system is different in the undated old catalog and the 1969 one.
I also know that the system in 1969 continued and evolved into numbering systems that was not the undated old catalog system.

I now know that any item that comes with the white jewel case is from the era of that undated old catalog.  Any blue or Black jewel case is from 1969 and onwards.  The proof is the items inside the white jewel cases that list their own catalog number, which correspond to the old undated catalog items.

I have never seen any catalogs that is dated earlier than 1969, except the one undated one that I know is dated no later than 1969.  Any Bachmann catalogs that I have seen that were dated before 1969 are Plasticville catalogs.

One of the key reasons why I ask is that, during a recent repair, I find out that items that come from the white jewel case era actually has a different mold to the items that come from the blue or black case eras (1969 onwards) (which in turns is different from the 1980s and 90s, and the modern day ones).  I tried to exchange trucks from a blue case era car to a white case era car, and found out that the screws do not match.  Nor are the trucks under close examinations.  Also, it seems to me that any white case era cars do not have "Made in Hong Kong" printed at the underside of the car, while the blue or black case eras do. even though they look very similar.

Anyone has extra OLD Bachmann N-scale white jewel case box available?  One or two will be fine.  I have a couple of cars that do not have boxes, and they dated back to the 60s.

I'm curious how many trains do you guys have?  How many trains are bachmann?

No, this is not a contest, I am just curious about what is the average collector has.

For the record we have 118, all Bachmann, N scale.

I just bought a Chevron set from *bay.  It comes in a white box and that's about it.  Just the trains and four pieces of tracks. Anyone knows anything about it, including what year was it made?

Does anyone know when does Kader takes over Bachmann?  Or more specifically, when did the company start making trains in China as opposed to Hong Kong? 

I've read that Kader took over in 1984, but in my 1980 catalog, Bachmann was still "Bachmann Brothers".  In fact, the old logo was in effect in 1977.  By 1979 they changed the logo to the current one.  Then in my 1982 catalog Bachmann is now refered as "Bachmann industries".  The catalog was printed in January 1982..so was the takeover happened in 1981?

The major reason why I like to know is the constant changing of catalog numbers of the same models.  And there are some very minute changes in the models, ranging from different road numbers, to different materials for the knuckle springs, to whether it is a plastic plug or a metal screw to hold the trucks onto the chassis, and even the size of the mold of the actual locos.  The numbering system is extremely confusing during the 80s.   By the latter half of the 80s the product lines more or less remains the same as today. 

Case in point.  The truck of my 3dome Shell tank car (Silver series) does not fit quite right.  So naturally I get another tank to do a body change.  I have an extra Hooker (China, from the white paper box period), and promptly found out that even though both were made in China, it is not the same.

So anyone has any idea about the following time line?
1.  When did Bachmann start using blue jewel cases as opposed to the original white jewel case with gold letters?
2.  When did Bachmann start using black jewel cases as opposed to the blue jewel cases?
3.  When did the trains start being packaged in the white paper boxes?
4.  When did the trains start being packaged in the modern jewel cases?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mafia-Gambino-Hitman-Roy-DeMeo-Toy-Train-Accessory_W0QQitemZ220126724955QQihZ012QQcategoryZ14433QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pretty scary, if you think about who the original owner is.  I guess the hobby REALLY is for people from all walks of life.

Awhile ago in *Bay I saw someone selling his entire set of trains.  He put all his rails inside what look like a tool box with compartments. Each compartment he stores specific type of rails: one for straight, one for curve, one for longer straights, etc.

I wonder if anyone can recommend a good carrying case for rails that the rails can be organized inside the case, as opposed to dumping all my rails inside a paper box. 

There is a chance that I will be moving in September, so I need to plan ahead.

My set is in N scale.  You can see my layout from my website to estimate the amount of rails that I have and hence what kind of carrying case I might need.

Thanx

I have a GP50 that consistantly derail at a specific turnout.   Other locos that I have have no problems.  I turn the GP50 180 degrees and then run it in the same direction, but it still derails.  Anything I should do?

I have seen two allegedly Bachmann rolling stock on Ebay. One is a Pabst Blue Ribbon reefer, the other is a Nestle.  I have a lot of old catalogs, but I cannot seemed to find these two.  Are they truly Bachmann, or someone else painted them into the current scheme?