[Ozzie21]

I decided to buckle today and bought a Bachmann 2MT 2-6-0. It is a lovely little model, well proportioned like the prototype. It's nice and weighty as well and having the DCC decoder socket in the tender makes life so much simpler. For all it's design quality why oh why do Bachmann insist on omitting tender pickups on their models. On US Bachmann steam they all have tender pickups so it shouldn't be that hard to add pickups to the just the front and rear wheels of the tender on a British model. Hornby seem to accomplish it with ease so why can't Bachmann. I use dead frog points so every Bachmann model has to have tender pickups added. For 0-6-0's I add a match wagon to help bridge the gap.
Whinge over with now. It's still a ripper little model.

Charles Emerson
Queensland
Australia

 

[Doug]

Tender pick-ups are found on the Liliput models so the factory does know how to install them. It must be a budget thing for Branchline models.

 

[34C]

In support of Charles' point, Bachmann have a well developed (and what looks like a low cost) system in regular use for pick-up off non-powered wheels, a split axle and a thin metal sheet on the inside of the frames. It's in their lit Pullman coaches which are not drastically more expensive than their regular stock.

Reference is often made to the price sensitivity of the UK market, and I do appreciate the way Bach are very price competitive for the quality compared to Hornby. But a little extra for refinements of the five pole skew wound motor and tender pick up variety would not go amiss, and would be fully consistent with the overall standard of the steam models they now produce. The diesels are relatively cheaper, but consistently boast all wheel pick up, a much larger 5 pole motor, flywheels: I can see from a production engineering perspective that they are cheaper to produce, but many of us do run the two types of model side by side, and it often needs that bit more work for lack of drive equivalence to get the steam models' movement as sweet as the diesel types. Not throwing stones here, just after continuing improvement.

 

[dwb]

QUOTE It's still a ripper of a model

For anyone who hasn't got one, here's the the Forum review of it.

and I have fitted tender pickups too...

I'm seriously thinking of getting an SWD sound chip for it at Warley. I got my first steam sound loco last week and now I'm hooked!

For an idea of what the SWD is like check out this thread from piemanlarger.

David

 

[Ozzie21]

It is odd as the tender wheels of most Bachmann steam models are already insulated so applying tender pickups shouldn't be to costly. As for the price sensitivitey of the UK market well I don't really see it. When ever I have ordered a model from the UK I could have ordered from a dozen places and the cost would only have varied by the odd pound. In the US it's a bit more cut throat but I suspect that it is due to the size of the overall market but you can save quite a few dollars in comparison to either the UK market or here in Oz. I have a chap that can supply me Hornby models $50 under the best hobby shop prices and he does even better with Bachmann.

Ahh well time to go and fit some pickups.

Charles Emerson
Queensland
Australia

QUOTE (34C @ 14 Nov 2008, 23:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In support of Charles' point, Bachmann have a well developed (and what looks like a low cost) system in regular use for pick-up off non-powered wheels, a split axle and a thin metal sheet on the inside of the frames. It's in their lit Pullman coaches which are not drastically more expensive than their regular stock.

Reference is often made to the price sensitivity of the UK market, and I do appreciate the way Bach are very price competitive for the quality compared to Hornby. But a little extra for refinements of the five pole skew wound motor and tender pick up variety would not go amiss, and would be fully consistent with the overall standard of the steam models they now produce. The diesels are relatively cheaper, but consistently boast all wheel pick up, a much larger 5 pole motor, flywheels: I can see from a production engineering perspective that they are cheaper to produce, but many of us do run the two types of model side by side, and it often needs that bit more work for lack of drive equivalence to get the steam models' movement as sweet as the diesel types. Not throwing stones here, just after continuing improvement.

 

[Ozzie21]

David, it is a good review and i notice in your conclusion you picked up on my favourite whinge fall plates and crew and the lack there of. In can't be that hard to fit a crew and a fall plate even in this model as I'm sure that HM's Railway inspectorate would have noticed the gap as the fireman fell through

Charles Emerson
Queensland
Australia

QUOTE (dwb @ 15 Nov 2008, 06:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>For anyone who hasn't got one, here's the the Forum review of it.

and I have fitted tender pickups too...

I'm seriously thinking of getting an SWD sound chip for it at Warley. I got my first steam sound loco last week and now I'm hooked!

For an idea of what the SWD is like check out this thread from piemanlarger.

David

 

[Carnforth]

Mornin'All,
If you go for the SWD sound chip make sure you specify LMS, as the Ivatts used a vertical Stanier hooter. The BR chip uses the BR whistle, better suited to Standard BR classes. Different animal altogether. I used one in this Comet Models kit. Link should be below.
Steve.

 

[dwb]

QUOTE If you go for the SWD sound chip make sure you specify LMS,

Thanks for the pointer. I'll be sure to specify LMS.

QUOTE Link should be below.
That's a fine looking model and the sound is really good. What speaker did you use?

David

 

[Carnforth]

David
That particular one has a single base reflex speaker with a tuned port from DDC Supplies in the tender, facing downwards, sound emitting through the hollow chassis. It was a bit of a snug fit, though and may not fit easily into a RTR tender. Its' dimensions are 58mm x 22mm x 9mm. I made a blank from plasticard first to check if it would go in the tender body from below, and bolted the chassis in after.
Steve

 

[dwb]

QUOTE That particular one has a single base reflex speaker with a tuned port from DDC Supplies in the tender

Thanks, I know the one you mean.

David

 

[paullad1984]

Anyone know where i can get a narrow, tapered chimney as fitted to the darlington built engines, and how easy it will be to fit?

 

[Carnforth]

Paul
I have a few in a spares box. White metal, as supplied as an option by Comet in their kit. I'll send you one FOC if you e-mail me your postal address. Or you can order from comet, it's in their catalogue as available.
Steve