I could live with the tender loco gap as it is a 5 minute fix. For personal reasons I run insulated switches so I would have to add tender pick-ups. Not a big job now that I have it down to an art. But to still have the moulded in coal, that is something else. It is a big job to cut out the old "coal", build some sort of hopper and add real coal. Like others I will be waiting for them to be discounted so that I can fit the motor under my old detailed locos. I really want to get "Mayflower" since when I was a kid i used to "cab" her on a fairly frequent basis when she came by with the pick-up daily freight. So I guess that will be a Hornby modified and detailed by, at this time, persons unknown.
Bachmann B1
I got a new Bachmann B1 (61180) for Christmas and I regret to say it's a disappointment.
Certainly runs better than my previous split chassis version but it has retained the crude tender coupling and the resulting, by todays standards, huge gap between loco and tender. The tender also has two peg-holes on the tank top for which I see no part to fit, it doesn't have the big cylindrical thing (!!) on the tank top I have on 61132 and the "toy" coal load doesn't seem to be removable.
Not good Bachmann - a rush job? - not thought through? - cutting unnecessary corners? On this evidence it won't be hard for the Hornby version to be far better and worth the extra money over this Bachmann "railroad" equivalent.
If Mr Bachmann reads these forum pages, I'd be interested in hearing the excuses.
Mike
PS I'm sending it back to the retailer anyway as the crude tender coupling is not properly fitted and I'm not prepared to have to repair a brand new item. Quality control???
Certainly runs better than my previous split chassis version but it has retained the crude tender coupling and the resulting, by todays standards, huge gap between loco and tender. The tender also has two peg-holes on the tank top for which I see no part to fit, it doesn't have the big cylindrical thing (!!) on the tank top I have on 61132 and the "toy" coal load doesn't seem to be removable.
Not good Bachmann - a rush job? - not thought through? - cutting unnecessary corners? On this evidence it won't be hard for the Hornby version to be far better and worth the extra money over this Bachmann "railroad" equivalent.
If Mr Bachmann reads these forum pages, I'd be interested in hearing the excuses.
Mike
PS I'm sending it back to the retailer anyway as the crude tender coupling is not properly fitted and I'm not prepared to have to repair a brand new item. Quality control???
1 - 6 of 45 Posts
A practical questions!. I can remember the 1:1 B1,s pulling 13/14 coach trains. My current Bachmann B1's manage to pull 9 close coupled and gangwayed Hornby Gresleys on a nominally level circuit. I read on one post that the pulling power of the Bachmann B1 seems to be down on the new chassis. Does anyone have pulling numbers for either or (or both) the new Bachmann and the Hornby? Also, does anyone know if it is possible to add extra weight to either?
Thanks 34C & kristopher. A response on another forum indicated that if one is prepared to relocate some wires on the new Bachmann there is room to add additional weight. He also indicated that the front bogie is parasitic and that reducing the spring load improved pulling ability on the old split chassis. Assuming the front bogie is still the same this might improve the situation. I plan to play around with the bogie spring tonight on my old split chassis locos.
To follow up on my previous post, I did shorten the front bogie spring on one of B1's and at the same time put some graphite powder onto the bogie axles. There is an improvement. I can pull at least two extra coaches without it slipping. As I understand it Bachmann have not upgraded the front bogie on the new version chassis, so this remedy will apply to them as well
One of my old "detailed" split chassis B1s just gave up the ghost and I just ordered the cheapest BR new version I could find. As received it was about 40 gms lighter than the old split chassis. Without any "cutting" I was able to get at least 30gms additional weight into it, most of it directly over the centre wheel. My old split chassis loco would pull 9 coaches and 10 with some slip. The new one with the extra weight will pull 12 hornby Gresleys. Very nice smooth runner - this may have helped with the trac tion since the old one was always jerky at slower speeds and from starting off
1 - 6 of 45 Posts
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