Bachmann's Best Ever Models

[Westernway]

Their Auto Coach is a very nice model (they do make very good coaching stuff) and looks great in this livery.......

 

[Westernway]

This is my favourite Bachmann Steam Engine. Very well detailed and runs nicely.

 

[jazzer]

I must have been unlucky with Bachman. I have a standard class 3 tank which others praise but Bachmanns QC seems all over the place. The first two I selected were such rough runners they were taken back and exchanged. The third one I should have sent back but I thought I might me able to improve it but it’s still barely acceptable and erratic at low speed.

.

At the other end of the scale, bought a GWR Dukedog. The first one I chose didn’t even come out of the shop it was so bad . The second one I brought home and ran in but it still wasn’t much good, so that went back. The third one I brought home and straight from the box was absolutely brilliant, the best slow runner I’ve ever had, even better than kit built. So good it finds itself transferred from Wales to my South Devon branch to help out with the Summer timetable.

 

So there it is. It seems to me Bachman can produce great running locos but they can’t do it on every one h.I am now very reluctant to choose Bachman over Hornby although I bought an E4 accouple of weeks ago and its a pretty good runner, not as good as the Dukedog but quite acceptable,

Edited December 22, 2017 by jazzer

[No Decorum]

I must have been unlucky with Bachman. I have a standard class 3 tank which others praise but Bachmanns QC seems all over the place. The first two I selected were such rough runners they were taken back and exchanged. The third one I should have sent back but I thought I might me able to improve it but it’s still barely acceptable and erratic at low speed.

.

At the other end of the scale, bought a GWR Dukedog. The first one I chose didn’t even come out of the shop it was so bad . The second one I brought home and ran in but it still wasn’t much good, so that went back. The third one I brought home and straight from the box was absolutely brilliant, the best slow runner I’ve ever had, even better than kit built. So good it finds itself transferred from Wales to my South Devon branch to help out with the Summer timetable.

 

So there it is. It seems to me Bachman can produce great running locos but they can’t do it on every one h.I am now very reluctant to choose Bachman over Hornby although I bought an E4 accouple of weeks ago and its a pretty good runner, not as good as the Dukedog but quite acceptable,

Now that is interesting. A friend has a Standard 3 Tank and it runs beautifully. I have two and they are rough. The last rough runner I had from Bachmann was City of London. I put it down to outside cranks and was in some trepidation waiting for a Dukedog to arrive but it runs beautifully. I get the impression that poor runners from Bachmann are getting a lot less common. Perhaps I’m just getting luckier.

[Westernway]

I bought two exact same engines, not Bachmann, one ran perfectly, the other was truly terrible!

[farren]

How can I resist this, with a rake of birdcage or other Southern carriages from red boxes?

 

2421_H2_31-920_portrait1_3ab_r1200.jpg

 

Roll on 2018! Acknowledgements to Bachmann for picture, slightly enhanced.

 

cheers

Showing photos like that, makes it very hard to resist, even for a confirmed LMR modeler. Oh dear my poor bank manager!

[robmcg]

Couldn't resist the carriages, like many others!

 

 

I feel rather spoilt by such beauty, also the SR olive green lined versions and the ex-LSWR carriages from Hornby, not to mention the Nelsons,    and the H1 and H2 Atlantics.  With Hornby N15s, T9s and Schools, now I suppose someone will produce an older 4-4-0?

 

We've never had it so good!

 

Picture edited.

Edited January 18, 2018 by robmcg

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... and the H1 and H2 Atlantics.  With Hornby N15s, T9s and Schools, now I suppose someone will produce an older 4-4-0...

 The obvious 'missing element' in SR group 4-4-0's is anything from the SECR development series. And there's the NRM with the Wainwright D in the collection, a locomotive both successful in service and a real looker. I was pretty amazed (and grateful!) we got the Stirling single instead of the D as the follow on from Compound, Truro, Atlantic...

[robmcg]

 The obvious 'missing element' in SR group 4-4-0's is anything from the SECR development series. And there's the NRM with the Wainwright D in the collection, a locomotive both successful in service and a real looker. I was pretty amazed (and grateful!) we got the Stirling single instead of the D as the follow on from Compound, Truro, Atlantic...

 

I'd love to see a D or similar, even an E or L but haven't thought much about the practicalities, such as chassis and body and how any choice might suit modellers who want to create variations.

 

I think a D would potentially be one of those models which would be bought simply because it is beautiful, as it is to my eyes.

 

At the opposite end of the steam-age spectrum I recall that when the 9F was first made in 2006 most of the black versions were pristine, 31-851 92192, 32-852 92116, 32-854 92006, 32-855 92249,32-856 92002, 32-857 92077, all black and pristine, 32-853 92044 weathered, and of course 32-850 92220 green pristine, and now it's very hard to buy a pristine 9F   and they look so good when in ex-works black!

 

Still,mustn't grumble!   

 

Here is an aftermarket weathered 92249 which still looks great.

 

 

cheers

Edited January 18, 2018 by robmcg

[Guest spet0114]

The recent arrival of a GCR liveried 11F, prompted a GCR-themed mini photo shoot.

 

Looking at the line-up, it still amazes me how the number and quality of pre-grouping RTR models (*) has come on in leaps and bounds.

 

One can only imagine what Peter Denny would have made of it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers
Adrian

 

 

* This includes the preservation era approximations of pre-grouping condition.  They're generally close enough for me.

[robmcg]

Lovely GCR engines.

 

Is there rhyme or reason to the differences in handrail and detail painting on the two 4-4-0s? The front wheel hubs look at little better on 'Mons' too but it might be lighting?

 

In any event, in my quest for a photo of a clean pristine 9F I made this...  and of course 92192 would unlikely to have been cleaned in its short life, sadly only 6 years. Built 6/1958 withdrawn (I think) 6/1964.

 

 

Cheers

Edited January 20, 2018 by robmcg

[robmcg]

A further attempt to re-create the past with Bachmann 32-856 9F 92002 via a Hattons small photo and some of my embellishments, partly from a photo of 92203...

 

the days when the 9F was new and the 1955 BR Modernisation Plan was yet to come.

 

 

 

 

 

[farren]

You just have to love the 9f! And Bachmanns model not bad though the wheels don't quite pay tribute.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

But to best represent the wheels, P4 is required. That would enable the coupled wheelbase to be scale, the Bachmann model subtly deviating from the truth there in a very skillful compromise by the designer. (It must be skillful because no-one complains about it...) Happily it requires no excuses to do its thing at the head of a long train of mineral wagons, looking rather more classy then the very beat up WD 2-8-0s that it worked turn and turn about with.

 

 I have no recollection of seeing an operating P4 9F, has anyone here seen such a thing?

[pom-pom]

Lovely GCR engines.

 

Is there rhyme or reason to the differences in handrail and detail painting on the two 4-4-0s? The front wheel hubs look at little better on 'Mons' too but it might be lighting?

 

In any event, in my quest for a photo of a clean pristine 9F I made this...  and of course 92192 would unlikely to have been cleaned in its short life, sadly only 6 years. Built 6/1958 withdrawn (I think) 6/1964.

 

92192_9F_portrait25_3ab_r1200.jpg

 

Cheers

 

I'd be inclined to trust Bachmann's accuracy on the handrail painting and other livery details on the two GCR 11Fs. Note that the tender lettering is also of a different size and typeface; that on "Mons" being the correct rendition. The livery details seen on "Butler Henderson" reflect the livery as preserved.

 

I believe the mistake in the tender lettering was inexplicably made by Gorton of all places before No. 506 went to Clapham museum way back. And since that time the same old incorrect lettering has been painted again and again, I have no idea why. But of course Bachmann have faithfully reproduced this error as their model is presumably of the locomotive as preserved. The same goes for the handrails presumably - most pre-grouping period photographs show a polished steel handrail.

 

Another interesting livery detail is the tender lettering on the 9J where the words "Great Central" interspersed by the armorial crest are somewhat awkwardly centred on the crest itself over the centre tender axle, leaving unequal gaps between the lettering and the ends of the tender. The majority of contemporary photographs show the lettering and crest centred as a whole unit over the length of the tender - as on "Mons" - which seems far better balanced. However, again Bachmann have most probably got it right as the occasional 9J did have its tender lettering/crest offset as in the attached photograph. I have never seen a photograph of No. 316 but looking at the position of the chimney it is superheated, unlike No. 984.

 

Nick

[Ouroborus]

My tuppenth. I think that one of best that Bachmann produced was their 158. Time has long since caught up with it, but I can remember it being released in ?1998 and it being simply streets ahead of Hornby and Lima offerings. I still think that it holds it own pretty well

[robmcg]

This below is not an RTR model, far from it, but with all the planned Atlantics it might end up being missed out so I photo edited a version of a GCR Atlantic...  since they are more beautiful than any other,

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest spet0114]

I swear the C-class gets cuter every time I run it. Period rolling stock makes it better still. Well done Bachmann!

 

[robmcg]

The C type is indeed beautiful, but for modern engines the A2 has great charm...   especially if the cab fitment and running board droop are sorted.

 

 

that said, the 9F is king.  

 

 

serious cheating with editing in both cases.   

 

 

[Black 5 Bear]

Rob, It's the 4MT 260 with 1B tender for me, a beautiful model, superb in every way.

[Norton961]

Re a P4 9F 2-10-0, I know of at least 3 running example, Dave Holt built one a few years ago, and a P4 layout Black Gill has one running and one of our P4 Nottingham Area Group members

built a superb example. Dave Bradwell does an excellent chassis kit designed for a P4 9F.

 

David

[robmcg]

The venerable Bachmann Peppercorn A1 class can look the bee's knees...

 

 

picture edited

 

cheers

 

 

[richierich]

For Diesel locos, the Class 66 is still pretty good. 

 

Class 150 DMU is very good in its tweaked format.

 

As other say some of the wagons are excellent like the Autoballasters and PCA Metalair tanks.

[Ncarter2]

Diesel id say it’s the 47 or 37. Unit I’d say the thumper is up there.

The 85 definitely set a standard for electrics.

[robmcg]

Diesel id say it’s the 47 or 37. Unit I’d say the thumper is up there.

The 85 definitely set a standard for electrics.

 

I see Kernows have Class 85s for under £80