New Bachmann HiRail Truck

[JWB]

Here are some photos of the new Bachmann Hi-Rail truck. It has working head and tail lights and DCC on board. While it has weight, and the highway wheels are metal and flanged, along with the hi-rail wheels set up for power, it's still sensitive to dirty track. I found cleaning the wheels with a cotton swap dipped in lacquer thinner helped.

 

[Glorious NSE]

That looks like it has potential, it's not a bad looking vehicle except for the narrow track wheels - wonder if you could add 'dummy' road wheels outside them?

 

Hmmm!

[69843]

Be a problem if you drove that on the road. Local Council would love fixing roads with 1,435mm (or 16.5mm) gaps in them.

 

I'd be tempted to replace the 'road' wheels with a set of proper wheels to sit on the track, then add a bit of weight so that they get traction, and make the rail 'guide' wheels actually work as rail wheels, assuming they don't do much at present.

 

That's actually gotten me thinking...

 

EDIT: Just noticed the ABSOLUTLY CORRECT graffiti on the wall!

Edited April 18, 2013 by 69843

[trisonic]

A couple of detailed shots of a real one:

 

 

 

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

[Glorious NSE]

I'd be tempted to replace the 'road' wheels with a set of proper wheels to sit on the track, then add a bit of weight so that they get traction, and make the rail 'guide' wheels actually work as rail wheels, assuming they don't do much at present.

 

But at present the 'road' wheels are both the drive and the electrical pickup (a guess, but logical from the look of them, else they wouldn't be so compromised) - so *replacing* them means you now have something that doesn't work - hence the idea of putting dummy 'rubber' road wheels outboard of the (functional but fictional) ones it has...it's a larger/heavier (prototype) vehicle than the one Pete shows, so its not unreasonable for it to have a wider wheel track - as it is it looks a little strange with a huge overhang on the wheel arches!

 

(I also like the graffiti!)

[69843]

But at present the 'road' wheels are both the drive and the electrical pickup (a guess, but logical from the look of them, else they wouldn't be so compromised) - so *replacing* them means you now have something that doesn't work - hence the idea of putting dummy 'rubber' road wheels outboard of the (functional but fictional) ones it has...it's a larger/heavier (prototype) vehicle than the one Pete shows, so its not unreasonable for it to have a wider wheel track - as it is it looks a little strange with a huge overhang on the wheel arches!

 

(I also like the graffiti!)

That is a good point. I'll pop my head back down now...

[Adrian Wintle]

Hi-rail trucks do tend to look a little strange due to the slightly reduced track of the wheels to match the rail width. It is conceivable that at the rear a truck like that might be a dually, but it would still be reduced in track from a normal truck. See http://www.highrailequipment.com/highrail-trucks.html for an example but this one doesn't have the wide front flares and its work box isn't anywhere near as wide as the one on the Bachmann truck. I think the issue is that they made a hi-rail chassis for a small (pickup-based) truck like the one Pete has shown, but put the body of a larger truck on it. I also think that they didn't make the road wheels wide enough, possibly to avoid running problems/shorts.

 

Adrian

Edited April 18, 2013 by Adrian Wintle

[Glorious NSE]

I still think you're looking at too small a prototype  

 

I think it's a vehicle that's this kind of size (minus the extra axle) - rather than a 'pickup truck' sized vehicle as that one and the one Pete pictured are based on: http://www.highrailequipment.com/bridge-inspection-equipment.html

 

In fact I think this is the correct cab looking at it...

http://www.highrailequipment.com/highrail-crane.html

 

The track on those is much wider than a pickup truck...

http://www.highrailequipment.com/rotary-dump-truck.html

 

(Lots of idea's for Boley kitbashes there too! )

 

This GMC also seems a fair match for the cab?

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=1992

[JWB]

These trucks are pretty much unique to the railroads that order them, and I've never been able to find one that matches any commercial model (e.g., the old Walthers/Magnuson urethane, or any Boley conversion). That goes for the new Bachmann, too, but it's basically a fun thing at the 3-foot level. Here are some shots of trucks that are sorta-kinda.

I agree with the idea of adding slightly smaller-diameter wheels to the outside of the rear "highway" wheels on the model; I may do this. (I may get the UP Bachmann version, too!)

 

 

[Glorious NSE]

Liking the scruffy NS example.

 

Any idea whether there's any spare outputs on the DCC? Is it a conventional decoder wired in or a bespoke board? I'm just thinking that adding a beacon (Like that UP one) would be a nice feature?

 

(Sigh - I think I just added something else to my modelling 'to do' list...)

[JWB]

It's a board, based on the parts diagram -- I haven't disassembled it.  Given Bachmann's general policy of providing minimum function to keep costs down, I suspect there are no other options with it. It does appear that there's room for detail and customization -- I'd thought of substituting a Boley cab, for instance, but then I'd have the question of what to do about the headlights, which are a plastic light rod.

[Adrian Wintle]

I still think you're looking at too small a prototype

 

I think it's a vehicle that's this kind of size (minus the extra axle) - rather than a 'pickup truck' sized vehicle as that one and the one Pete pictured are based on: http://www.highrailequipment.com/bridge-inspection-equipment.html

 

In fact I think this is the correct cab looking at it...

http://www.highrailequipment.com/highrail-crane.html

 

The track on those is much wider than a pickup truck...

http://www.highrailequipment.com/rotary-dump-truck.html

 

(Lots of idea's for Boley kitbashes there too! )

 

This GMC also seems a fair match for the cab?

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=1992

 

Yes, the larger prototypes have a wider track. The front wheels are lifted clear of the rails (so width doesn't matter), while the rears are dually, with the inner tires providing the drive. Bachmann's chassis is appropriate for a smaller, pickup-based, hi-rail, not the body they have provided.

 

Adrian

[Glorious NSE]

It's a board, based on the parts diagram -- I haven't disassembled it.  Given Bachmann's general policy of providing minimum function to keep costs down, I suspect there are no other options with it. It does appear that there's room for detail and customization -- I'd thought of substituting a Boley cab, for instance, but then I'd have the question of what to do about the headlights, which are a plastic light rod.

 

Presume the lights are switch-on-and-off-able?

[JWB]

Yes, function 0.

[trisonic]

JWB,

Where is the site of that Santa Fe operation in your first photo in post #9 (the one with the "Sea Foam Green" trim)!!!

 

Thanks, Pete.

[Glorious NSE]

Is that the mountain from close encounters in the background?

[trisonic]

I don't think so, Martyn. I've seen mesa's like that all the way from North Carolina to Arizona - I suspect it is in California but we'll see.

 

Best, Pete.

[JWB]

Trinidad, CO on the north side of Raton Pass.

[trisonic]

Trinidad, CO! Thanks JWB, didn't think of that......

 

Best, Pete.

[JWB]

It's called Fisher's Peak, very much a local landmark. While there have been several published Raton Pass layouts, I don't remember any including Fisher's Peak on the backdrop, or at least the photographer didn't catch it. In fact, I can't remember a published Raton Pass layout that's gotten the place right. Here are some more photos of the depot and the peak.

[Glorious NSE]

With the usual US-UK time delay, I picked the one I ordered (the plain white one until I finally decide what i'm going to do with it) up from my local shop here today. First impressions are very good, runs very smoothly considering the size, helped by fairly clever and flexible 8 wheel pickup.

 

For kitbashers the bodyshell is in 2 pieces (utility body and cab/nose) and both those are easily-kitbashed plastic. Removing the 4 larger screws under the rear part allows that to come off, the cab will then unclip. The crane is a further separate part screwed into the underside of the utility body.

 

If you remove the rear body then the mech is completely below the line of the cab windows, so lots of scope for putting an alternative body on it as long as it's at least that height - one easy conversion might be a sperry truck?

[Glorious NSE]

Nekkid pics, for the kitbashers... 

 

Rear body removed...

 

 

'Topless'

 

[CraigZ]

Have a big Mexican hi-railer that I photographed in Orizaba about 13 years ago.

 

[JWB]

A kitbash and detail possibility would be to add the angle iron framework over the cab and hood that appears on some trucks like this:

On the UP truck, notice the orange traffic cones on the rear bumper. Bachmann and JLL Innovative make these, and they are very common on both railroad and ordinary commercial utility trucks. Now that I think of it, the SJVR truck has deployed its cone!

Edited July 13, 2013 by JWB

[Glorious NSE]

Spent a few hours on this one last night...

 

 

I think that looks much better, it's had a bit of detail painting, a driver, some proper mirrors and a few decals added to enliven then look a bit, and then some very slight weathering. I found wheels the right size on an old Athearn piggyback trailer. The front ones are mounted on a piece of plastic and so don't revolve, the rear ones are superglued to the 'faux' wheels.

 

Whilst it looks good I need to try again with the rear wheels, as a test run confirms I didn't get them centred properly!