The newly announced Bachmann 3F tender loco

[Guest Phil]

Many modellers have gladdened hearts from Bachmann's announcement of the new Midland 3F tender loco, not least because it is a humble black 0-6-0 goods engine with a pretty comprehensive geographic coverage.

 

I'm interested in the correlation between the 3F, and 4F which is probably the more popular (at least up until now) prototype. A decent loco drive RTR 4F has been a desire of many and I'm interested in how other modellers perceive the Bachmann offering. For those who don't know the chassis wheelbase is common to MR 2F, 3F and 4F.

 

 

Are you intending to buy the Bachmann 3F because ;

 

1) You would like one anyway

2) You think you can get the new Bachmann 3F mech' into your old Airfix / Hornby 4F

3) You think Bachmann deserve the sales and hope the same mech will appear in a new 4F from them

4) You think Bachmann have given Hornby fair notice that an 8'+8'6" chassis is on it's way, and the ex Airfix 4F may have a competitor on the horizon.

 

Interested in the thoughts of those who fancy one of these beauties

[Guest Max Stafford]

Or 5; If the 3F is a commercial success, more classic British 0-6-0s may follow...!

Such is my take on the project.

 

Dave.

[45568]

Will get two, and 1,3,4 & 5 are the reasons, plus 6, they were everywhere in the East and West Midlands!

Cheers,Peter C.

[Allegheny1600]

I'll be getting at least one because it's a lovely little loco and i'll be able to run it on the club layout and,

Max's reason No. 5!!!!!!!!!

Cheers,

John E.

 

PS plus i do have some S&DJR leanings! D'oh!

[signalmaintainer]

All of the above (although no. 2 is least likely for me).

 

But mostly because Hornby flogged the dog long enough by continuing to roll out 4Fs with mediocre tender drives. A stiff dose of competition will improve the marketplace. So a Bachmann 3F it will be for me, and if Hornby upgrades its 4F, well, we'll see then.

[smudgeloco]

I want one, just so I can retire my Triang one, bless her.

[Ed-farms]

I'm going for option 7 and 8

 

7 - I run main line with attached presrved line circa 1980's so I can have 1 of these preserved.

8 - They ran on the S&DJR, go perfectly with the 2-8-0 for me :icon_thumbsup2:

[LN Lancs]

I'll get one for reason 1, but as Max says hopefully more 0-6-0s will follow. I don't find the Hornby 4F mechanism too bad myself, and my Airfix 4F is still running around OK.

[The Stationmaster]

Surely we're talking about different horses for different courses? Apart from the matter of improved manufacturing methods, and the tender drive issue with the ex-Airfix 4F, the model difference between the two is that they are models of two different classes of locos which had different work capabilities etc and therefore had differences in the work they performed.

 

Alright not such a vast difference as between a 4F and a Stanier 8F but still some differences. So what is taking place is an addition to the number of LMish 0-6-0 locos in the market place, albeit with an almost certain considerable improvement.

 

And way the prototypes were allocated to work could provide a layout with justification to have both or either - which in turn provides a market for both.

[Jenny Emily]

I hadn't thought about re chassising my old Hornby 4F. It was one of the first models I bought, and also the most disapointing. Tender drive with plastic wheels? It actually made me buy my first Bachmann loco, and I never looked back.

 

I would be interested to find out just how easily the forthcoming 3F mechanics would fit into a 4F body. Alternatively, might it be better to wait and see if Bachmann provide a RTR offering of a 4F and put my Hornby one off now to the manic bidders on Ebay?

[S.A.C Martin]

Or 5; If the 3F is a commercial success, more classic British 0-6-0s may follow...!

Such is my take on the project.

 

Dave.

 

Definitely for the other 0-6-0s - plus I have a photograph of a 3F out of use at Copley Hill

 

One more excuse to buy one!

[DaveF]

I'll be buying one or more for my S&C based 00 layout, I can then "retire" my old (but rechassied) Tri-ang ones, and an old kit built one.

 

David

[paulbb]

Reasons 1 and 4 for me.

 

Good sales of the 3F will also show that that there is a reallly good market for 0-6-0 tender engines generally

and I support the move to get some Scottish steamers in 4mm like the Jumbo and the J36; those failed Clayton diesels

wont rescue themselves!

[bike2steam]

It'd be nice to have a 'Bulldog' (or two ?) for our club layout (Blandford, 1955-60 ish), it would also be nice to have a 3F (or two ?) for my own fictitious West Midlands based exLMS layout (1955-60 ish).

That's just for reason #1, as for #2, all 12 of my Airfix/GMR/Dapol & Hornby 4F's (exMR & exLMS) have Comet/chassis with Mashima motors with alterations/improvements & detail differences

[LH&JC]

I'm buying one (at least) because I want one, it is suitable for a Midland railway (preserved but I run what I like ) and if sales are good it might persuade Bachmann to do more humble everyday locos. So that's category 1,3, a bit of 4,5 and 7!

[bike2steam]

phil, as far as #4 is concerned, they've already done it, - in tank version.

[Captain Kernow]

.............'cos I wants one, Precious!......

[Pennine MC]

Interested in the thoughts of those who fancy one of these beauties

 

Phil, I think you made a very valid point a while ago, that at 70 quid (and obviously less at discount), this is a loco that will attract more semi-casual purchasers than something like the ROD at getting on for double that. I'm certainly intrigued that Barwell have chosen this rather than the perhaps more obvious 4F, but maybe it's because it has a more obvious 'Victorian' appearance and thus might ride the wave initiated by the aforesaid ROD and the Super D? For myself, like the latter I will find it hard to resist, despite being outside my core interests

[Guest Phil]

Phil, I think you made a very valid point a while ago, that at 70 quid (and obviously less at discount), this is a loco that will attract more semi-casual purchasers than something like the ROD at getting on for double that. I'm certainly intrigued that Barwell have chosen this rather than the perhaps more obvious 4F, but maybe it's because it has a more obvious 'Victorian' appearance and thus might ride the wave initiated by the aforesaid ROD and the Super D? For myself, like the latter I will find it hard to resist, despite being outside my core interests

 

I'm thinking the same way Pennine, wondering if a more "useful" 4F will materialise in due course. This could take the form of a brand new Bachmann 4F after Bachmann have achieved sufficient sales from the class 3, or simply that Hornby are spurred on by the 3F and decide to revamp their 4F in competition. It is true that some serious prenat damage could be done by this classic, but I wonder how many transition modellers are silently wishing Bachmann can reuse this Midland Standard chassis, and crab tender on the more common, and longer lasting "four freight" or "duck six".

 

I know I have wittered on about the price differential between Barwell and Margate products but still feel that the "pocket money" strategy which Bachmann seem to employ must do well for sales.

[Bruciethefish]

Considering the vast number of assorted 0-6-0's which used the 8'+8'6" wheelbase, with 5' or thereabouts wheels, I will probably end up purchasing several, particularly if the motor is small enough to fit inside a round-topped boiler...

[Guest Phil]

Considering the vast number of assorted 0-6-0's which used the 8'+8'6" wheelbase, with 5' or thereabouts wheels, I will probably end up purchasing several, particularly if the motor is small enough to fit inside a round-topped boiler...

 

I'll need to be checking the adverts then !!!!

 

It had occurred to me that if the Bachmann mechanism fits a belpaire 3F boiler, it must fit the 4F boiler, but probably not the smaller 2F.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

It was a common visitor to the area I model, so is a no-brainer purchase. But pretty much irresistible anyway as representative of the workaday steam power that slowly got the goods to their destination.

 

Considering the vast number of assorted 0-6-0's which used the 8'+8'6" wheelbase, with 5' or thereabouts wheels, I will probably end up purchasing several, particularly if the motor is small enough to fit inside a round-topped boiler...

The existing 8'+8'6" chassis from Bachmann under the 3FT augurs well. To the top of the essential parts of the machanism it stands 33mm above rail level. The motor can be turned through 90 degrees in the cradle to make it narrower in plan (helpful to fit a small diameter boiler) raising the height by 1.5mm; fitting 20mm diameter wheels raises the height another 1mm. With suitable construction that will still fit inside a boiler only 4'6" over cladding pitched 7' above rail top, which is a pretty small engine; any increases on those dimensions makes it an easy fit.

[bike2steam]

Perhaps Bachmann are just being a bit cautious considering the 4F has been around for a while, and many, like myself, have modified it to their own requirements. I feel that if the 3F proves successful, then they might consider progressing from there.

[Barry Ten]

Fits right into my S&D interests, so ... yes please, I'll be having one or two I think. But I imagine I'd have been tempted anyway.

[Unknown Warrior]

I want one and it will go nicely with my 00 Works 2F when it arrives! Now how about a Kirtley 1F with Johnson boiler to make up the set (I also have a Hornby 4F!)