Bachmann's Troublesome Trucks

[MikeWilliams]

Thanks Markie.  After very many (c20) attempts they have just answered the phone!  Very friendly, apologetic and had a plausible explanation re. web site errors.  With luck it will be here in the morning and if so I'd be happy to use them again.

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

Well, Dragon G-Scale were extremely apologetic and my Troublesome Truck arrived today.  Initial observations:

Body.
Length 16ft 2.5in  OK
Width 7ft 4.25"  OK
Side height (outside over curb rail) 60mm  OK  (inside) 57mm.  That means the floor is lower than it should be, but I doubt anyone would spot that.
External detail is excellent and correct for RCH 1923 designs.  Even the odd bolt heads on the side are for the end door catches are in the right place and with a fine representation of a safety chain. 
The Side and end thickness is about right - if anything slightly too thin.
If there is any criticism the door catches and hinges are a little flat, but that's being very fussy indeed.
Internal detail is just board marks - nothing else.
It is extremely sturdy and much stronger than normal resin or plastic kits.
To my delight the face on one end prised off leaving just a little glue to scrape away, and revealing all the hidden end door detail!

Underframe.
Channel solebars are good and well detailed.  Headstocks are plain.
Buffers are not bad, but for G-Scale are at 60mm centres.  I doubt they will come off undamaged, so complete new buffers wiull be needed.  They can then be sprung which will be much better anyway.
Hornguides, springs and axleboxes are reasonable, though again a bit thin.
Wheelbase is a scale 9ft 3in which is a bit odd and not a standard.
Draw hook is quite nice but there's no hole for the chain and being plastic it may be best to cut it off and make a new one.
Brakegear is rudimentary but probably acceptable on a garden line.
The solebars need to be widened by perhaps 6mm in order to get Gauge 3 wheels in.  That will mean cutting the moulded underframe into three parts.

However, buffer height is 42mm, which is a scale 5in too low.  Some of that is due to the wheels which are scale 2ft 9 3/4in instead of 3ft 1in (pity as they are really nice wheels and in some ways better than Slaters) and partly because the axle is not in the centre of the axlebox.  Metal bearing are provided so the axleguards are dummy anyway.  Correct wheels would help the height, but probably foul the brake blocks which are quite close to the small wheels.

As a means of quickly and cheaply getting a quantity of wagons I reckon new buffers, couplings and a new axle bearing unit might be all that's required.  The axle bearing unit may be something the Society can have made in bulk.

For a more scale conversion it would be better to also fit new axleguards, wheels and brakegear.  The brake lever is moulded into the solebar so will need some cutting away.  Those parts will take the cost up to near the price of a quality kit, but when done it should be as good as a wagon made from a quality kit.

Either way its worth doing in my opinion.

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

For the parts mentioned above.  With a steel solebar and the wider two top planks this is really a 1923 design, so most wagons would have buffers with rectangluar bases and four ribs.  Axleboxes should be of the split type with a horizontal join in the casting.

Chris Barron's cast brass axleguards should do the job.  My WilliamsModels steel W irons and whitemetal springs would be easier to fit, but I don't have the correct axleboxes.

Not sure who makes suitable buffer guides?

Brakes from several sources would do, depending how fussy you are: both GRS and my own WilliamsModels are certainly suitable.

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

If anyone cares to look at Bachmann's American site - which is where this range was developed - you can see what is planned for release soon:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/index.php

Note it includes wagons without faces and a tank wagon.  Apparently they are selling very well and Bachmann UK has sold out at present.

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

I'll write up my Troublesome Truck for the Newsletter, but here's a picture of it this evening.  Just buffers, couplings, brakes and painting to do.

Mike

[Andy B]

Mike,
Having said that you were impressed by the original Bachmann wheels, are they near enough to our G3 standard profile to be put on new axles, and are they solid or spoked?

Just wondering if they might suitable for a traction / implement wagon, such as the attached drawing - MR ones originally had 2' 8 1/2" wheels.

Any chance of a picture of the removed wheels with comments as to their re-usability?

Andy

[Andy B]

Just to avoid confusion - the 'D' number shown on the drawing above is not the MR diagram number, it just a reference number within the Midland C&W drawing collection.
10 wagons were built to this drawing, and allocated to Diagram 730.

Andy

[John Candy]

Useful idea, Andy.

I have had a GER lowmac wagon (LNER Mac K) on the drawing board for 6 years but require 2'8" solid-spoked wheels.

John.

[IanT]

Mike W has written an article for the September G3 Newsletter on his Bachmann wagon conversion. He states that the wheels are undersized for RCH (3' 1") at a scale 2 foot 9 3/4 inch, which I assume to mean a 38mm diameter wheel.

I had the chance to examine Mark P's re-gauged Bachmann coaches at the Tenterden GTG yesterday (which was very well attended BTW). Although I didn't actually measure the wheels, I did take some photos and they have ten spokes. I suspect Bachmann may have used the same wheels for both wagons and coaches, it would be cost effective to do so ... but anyone know for sure?

[MikeWilliams]

Andy,

The wagon wheels measure (with a rule) 39mm and have eight solid spokes.  They look to be cast mazak and bright plated.  The profile appears by eye to match the latest Gauge 3 Society standards - i.e. same as Slaters.  The axles are not shouldered but the insulated bush at the hub is a tight fit on the axle.  In fact the wheels are a much tighter fit than are Slaters which I often have to glue in place after aligning the spokes of both wheels.

If that sounds promising I'll pop them in the post to you for proper evaluation?

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

Photis of Bachmann wheels

[Andy B]

Mike kindly passed on the Bachmann wheels to me for closer scrutiny, so I set about them with a vernier  - apologies for the time it has taken me to post the results here.

Diameter at the tread centre is 39.8mm - a scale 35.4 inches or near enough 2' 11 1/2"
(The diameter at the tread edge is 39.55mm)
Diameter over flanges is 44.7mm, giving a flange height of 2.45mm - this compares to 2.35mm on Slaters wheels.
Width at 7.0mm and axle at 4.0 mm both match Slaters.

Due to supply struggling to keep up with demand for the Bachmann Thomas range, apparently these wheels won't be available as spares for the forseeable future.

As it has turned out, they are too big for my planned MR models (and John's GE Lowmac), so with Mike's blessing I'll happily pass them on again to anyone who has a use for some just sub-3ft wheels.

Andy

[MikeWilliams]

Andy,

I note that GRS list a 2ft 9in Mansell wheel, which I assume to be of Slaters origin.  As I understood David White's talk at Derby recently, he should be able to make a new centre to mould into that tyre relatively cheaply.  Might solve your problem?

Mike

[Andy B]

Mike,

I thought you were in the email discussion with myself and John C when he suggested using those wheels?

David was still looking for a commitment on 50 sets (pairs of axles) of wheels, so will need to talk with other G3 kit suppliers to see if they think they might commit to some for another small-wheeled wagon.

Andy

[hornbeam]

hello from a newby!

Im wondering has anyone done one of these conversions using the existing chassis? Guessing its a case of making a wee bit wider and re using the folded up axle boxes. Just trying one on a budget.

Simon.