Dear B-mann:

I noticed the announcement of a USRA light 2-8-2 in HO scale.   I looked at the list of available road names, and noticed that BALTIMORE AND OHIO was not one of them.  Often, when B-mann issues a product in HO scale, the product appears in N scale a little later.

This request is for the N scale version of this, assuming that it appears.  Please include BALTIMORE AND OHIO as an available road name in N scale.  The first USRA locomotive was a light 2-8-2 assigned to the BALTIMORE AND OHIO.  This locomotive still exists.  It is on display at the B&O Museum in Baltimore.   It does not run (at least not that I know), but it does exist.    BALTIMORE AND OHIO had one hundred of these things.  They ran everywhere on the B&O, including into Philadelphia, where B-mann is based.

I suppose that I could buy one of the others and remove the lettering, prepare the surface and re-letter with one of the Microscale sets, as Microscale does have a set for these locomotives.  This would assume that I could get the tender shell off the chassis and at least the cab, if not the whole locomotive shell off its chassis.  This would assume, further, that the factory in China does not use the same sort of superglue that it has used on other locomotive windows, which precludes their intact removal.  Instead, you must either tape over the windows or, if you must strip the shell to re-paint, you must destroy the glazing (as the stripper will ruin it) and replace with the Microkristallkleer.

I have liked your latest issues of small to average sized steam in N scale (as well as the B&O EM-1), so I do look forward to seeing this one in N scale.  While it is true that Model Power, under the auspices of Model Rectifier Corporation, has re-issued its USRA lights, the detailing is not as good as the latest B-manns.  In addition, the B-manns have up to date construction, particullarly when it comes to electrical contact.  While MRC/MP has made some alterations to address the contact problems, the construction employed by B-mann is up-to-date and therefore superior to the modification of an archaic construction method.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

--PL

B-mann has come a long way with these.  I have an old one, with the hex ended drive shaft that can barely get out of its own way.  Over the years, I have acquired various copies of these and recently began to notice that with a long break-in, they were not bad locomotives, as long as you operated them on a pike with metal frog switches.

I did buy a CB&Q version recently, that showed some problems.   B-personn, as usual, rectified the problem promptly.  The replacement runs well.  But this is not the reason for this topic.

My latest purchase of one of these is the very latest Jupiter , it comes in a plastic box, has the dummy knuckle coupler, as opposed to Rapido and has a much improved paint scheme over the other issues.   I was most impressed with its running qualities after very little break in.  It does not wobble, it runs smoothly at speeds from fifteen to forty five SMPH, pulls well for its size and keeps the electrical contact on my little nineteenth century pike (that has metal frog switches).

It was because of the good running qualities that I got a wild hair up my nose:  could I use this thing to power a local freight; a task that would require it to spot cars on sidings?

The first thing would be to convert to Microtrains couplers, so that I could use magnetic uncoupling ramps.  MT recommends 1049 for the older version, but I suspect that it is not yet aware of the version with the dummy knuckle coupler, as MT's website shows no recommendation for that one.  A quick examination and a bit of surgery allowed me to get  a 2004 onto the tender.  I did not even consider anything for the pilot (thus, I can only spot cars on trailing sidings).

I put the thing onto the track, coupled it up to a short freight train, pulled it up to some trailing sidings and went to work.  It worked well.  The thing crept nicely as it pulled cars off of and backed them onto the sidings.  The magnetic uncoupling went well.   It was only recently that no one would have considered using this locomotive for such a task.   With a long break in, it was an allright runner locomotive, but having it work was not something  for consideration.   That has all changed.   This locomotive has come a long way.

We nineteenth century modellers do not have much from which to choose.   Bachpersonn is the only manufacturer that makes a real eight wheeler from the nineteenth century.  While the Model Power is based on a VERY late 1890s design, it is really a mogul body stuffed onto an eight wheeler chassis.  The eight wheeler was the standard nineteenth century design.  Athearn does have a very nice mogul and consolidated and Atlas sells a mogul, but that it all that we get for the early 1890s and before.

I also fitted an Atlas mogul with a MT 2004 and tried to put it to the same tasks.  The Atlas mogul is a finicky creature that is prone to stalling, even on straight and level, at speeds less than thirty SMPH.  The latest B-mann 4-4-0s show no such problems.  I had to pull the Atlas mogul off of the local freight.  The B-mann eight wheeler completed its task with no problems.   Who would have thought that this thing would ever be able to do  something that a similar Atlas locomotive could not?

One thing, though, Mr. Bachpersonn.  It appears that the contact plates on the bottom of the tender have gotten smaller and someone in the design department decided to omit the clip that retains those contact plates.  The plates should be restored to the original size and the clip needs to be restored, as well.   What happens is that the plates try to come out.  Further, the trucks now tend to pivot excessively and the contact springs move off of the plates.  When the trucks pivot the other way, the springs get snagged by the raised edge of the contact plates, creating some problems.

Other than that, this is a great locomotive that has come a long way.  Good job.

I received mine to-day.

It is undergoing break-in.

I am running it on DC, from a Kato powerpack, thus, there is no pulse.

Some have complained about the 'smart' decoders refusing to function or not functioning well.  This one is working well; no problems.

It runs well and smoothly at speeds between thirty and sixty SMPH.  At speeds between twenty-five and fifteen SMPH, it is a bit stiff, but not bad, considering that it is nowhere near properly broken in.  I expect that once it is properly broken in, it will run well at slower speeds, as the slower speed control and operation has improved over the little running time that it has.

The pulling power seems to be within tolerances.  I did a preliminary pulling power test, after a few break--in laps in both directions.  It pulled a mixed consist of six cars, on four or six axle MT trucks, as appropriate to the car.  There were RR and Lima HWs, RR LWs and  one C-C corrugated side.  It pulled the train up a one per cent grade at thirty five SMPH and showed no sign of slipping.  I did not try more cars, at this point.  The locomotive seems to be substantial, so I expect that its pulling power will be good.

The coupler is at the proper height.

My one concern is the delicate wires from the tender to the locomotive.  I had a bad experience with another N scale steam locomotive, from a different manufacturer,  that appeared recently.  It also had six delicate wires between tender and locomotive and in an external clip.  Under careful handling, one of the wires came off.  That, combined with other problems in this locomotive-that-shall-not-be-identified, has caused me to relegate that unnamed locomotive to JUNQUE status.

Still, so far, I am happy.  The SPECTRUM USRA heavy 4-8-2 has made a good first impression.  I will comment further, as it runs in more.  So far, Mr. Bachpersonn, it looks like you have a winner.

I am delighted to see the USRA Heavy 4-8-2.  I noticed that it says that it has a decoder.  Might I assume that it has a 'smart' decoder which will allow me to run it on DC (I do not use DCC)?  Or do you plan to release a no-DCC version?

I am also happy to see the tenders as a separate item.  Would you also consider issuing the SPECTRUM USRA Standard tender as a separate item.  Many of the locomotives out there that need the help of an all-wheels-live, needlepoint axle pick-up tender are smaller (MP mogul and eight-wheeler, as examples).  The USRA Long and the Vanderbilt would overwhelm such power.  If these tenders have an electrical pick-up/drawbar configuration that is the same, or at least similar, to the USRA Standard, I can make a fe wswitches from the light 4-8-2 and the 2-8-0, as a large tender would not overwhelm those locomotives, but, at some point, I will want a smaller tender that has all-wheels-live and needlepoint axle pick-up. 

Or, do you (or your bosses) know something that I do not know about a certain competitor that has also sold USRA Standard tenders, with all-wheels-live needlepoint axle pick-up in the past

Anyhow, thanks for the announcements.

I just noticed that these are missing from the product list.  Has Bachmann discontinued these?

Are there any plans to re-introduce them?

Thank you.

I bought the B&O version the other day.

Appearance:  looks pretty good.  One thing especially to  note is that the handrails are more dainty than one would expect on an 'inexpensive' locomotive.  In the past; handrails on inexpensive power; of ANY manufacture; appeared to be manufactured by the ClunkiFex Corporation.  the handrails on this one raise the bar for inexpensive power.  The paint and lettering are good.  The window frames are even silver; another raise of the bar for inexpensive power.  Even the fan grilles on the end of the long hood are much crisper than one would expect.

Runnability:  It requires extensive break in.  This is not a complaint; nor does it detract from my opinion of the locomotive; just something to note.  Extensive break-in periods are not atypical of B-personn power.  Still; it will hold a steady fifteen SMPH running either light or under load.  THIS is Standard Line Bachmann??  Clearly it ain't the OLD B-mann Standard Line.  Whatever they did for the motor and gearing clearly raises the bar for inexpensive power.  Since mine is still in break-in; the mechanism will appear to bind; at times; but it quickly frees itself and continues to run.  Pullling power is somewhat less than I had hoped.  While it will pull ten boxcars; of various manufacture and a B-mann caboose; all on MT or AccuMate trucks; up a one per-cent grade at twenty-five SMPH; it would only pull eight loaded MT gondolas and the same
B-personn caboose up that same one-per-cent grade at the same twenty five SMPH.  I did not try more than ten boxcars.    Still; the pulling power is not enough to make me discommend this locomotive; on the contrary; I recommend it.

The chief complaint is the couplers.  The knuckle coupler will mate with the various knuckle couplers; but it sits too low.  If Mr. Bachpersonn would be good enough to ask his superiors to address this in subsequent releases.........  The other problem is that MT conversion will not be easy.  The MT 2004 will come to the proper height.  There are two panels on the underside of the shell between which will go a MT mounting screw.  It is a snug enough fit; initially; but eventually; it will wear out.  At that point (or even now) it will be necessary to glue the screw to one of the panels.

Overall; this is a pretty good locomotive.  It and the Model Power FP-7 make  excellent entry-level locomotives.  B-mann's advantage over the MP is the better construction methods.  MP's advantge is the better pulling power.  Either one runs well enough that should the neophyte decide to continue; he would retain either (or both)_ on his roster even though he has upgraded to more expensive power.  This runs well enough that experienced modllers would also buy it; especially since Bachmann is the only one that offers this in N scale (the Atlas represents an earlier model; the B-mann represents a different body style)

Overall; a good locomotive that I would recommend.  Keep it up and make some adjustments; this is a good sign.  The B&O had eight of these; three that appeared in 1955; five more added 1957.  The Atlas model represents a body style of which the B&O had only two.  B-mann puts only one road number on these; but they run well enough that I will buy another one and change the number.

(The comma key on this keyboard is not working; so I must use the semi-colon in its place)