Mainline/Bachmann 56xx

[cypherman]

Hi all,

I have a 56xx tucked away in a box somewhere. I am not sure if it is a Mainline or a Bachmann model(I have to fined it first.....lol). It definitely needs a new body as the previous owner gave one of the worst high gloss repaints I have ever seen.What I need to know are the Mainline and early Bachmann bodies interchangeable. Similar to the 4mt. Would mean I could buy a body I like without initially having to dig through dozens of boxes to check out which one it is. Just had to do this for a Wrenn 08 shunter and I do not relish the thought of having to do it again so soon.

 

Thanks

Edited July 8, 2019 by cypherman

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Thought for the day: to fit any body you may obtain, the 'digging out' will still have to happen.

 

Thought for tomorrow: once you have found the 56xx, you will be able to see if the mechanism is Mainline, and if that is the case, test to see if it is in sufficiently good working condition to be worth the effort of finding a body.

 

Thought for the day after tomorrow: create a grid plan - or some alternative that works well for you - recording where all the model railway items are located.

[naugytrax]

I have a Mainline 5600 Class running on a Bachmann mechanism.

The bits fitted together well, although I think the brake shoes were mounted differently so there had to be some bodging in this area.

The Bachmann mech runs so much more smoothly than the Mainline original that I would recommend retaining it if your dug-out model turns out to be a Bachmann.

Have you considered stripping the body (e.g., with brake fluid) and respraying it? The BR livery for a 5600 is dead simple, and even the GWR livery has only two-and-a-bit colors.

[The Johnster]

Unless you're going for post 1956 fully lined BR green livery...

 

There are differences between the Mainline and Bachmann 56xx, firstly in the mech with the ML being their usual split chassis pancake motor setup and the Baccy being a more conventional can motor/worm and cog drive.  The Baccy is a much superior runner, smooth and controllable to below a walking pace and to all intents and purposes silent.  The body toolings are also different, with the Baccy again having the edge with backhead detail included.  Having replaced an ML chassis with a Bachmann on one of these, I can state that it's not quite a straight swap and some filing and fitting is needed.  

 

I'd agree with Naugytrax that a repaint is simple enough especially if you go for BR or GW austerity unlined black.  You'll need to mask the cab windows of course.  I'd recommend etched number plates and real coal, which make a significant difference to the model.

[DCB]

If it is Mainline, the one  with ""Mainline" written on the chassis under keep and the little "Pod" motor attached to one side then chances are if it works at all it won't work for long.  The wheels are notorious for getting out of phase and the motors and gearing are extremely noisy.   

I would just keep it as a momento of a mis spent youth or strip the paint and put it on the end of a siding out of use.  Or put it on eBay as some one is bound to think its a bargain. I find a very light quick spray of poundland rattle can matt black and some poster paint weathering can make all the difference to even the most horribly painted loco.

[Steamport Southport]

This has come up before. The revamped Bachmann version has different fixing points.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/119194-bachmannmainline-56xx-is-there-a-difference/

 

 

 

Jason

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Thanks for the answers. The engine ran perfectly when it was boxed away. I just cannot remember which one it is. I suppose I should bite the bullet and go through the boxes again. I was just hoping that it may have been similar to the Mainline/Bachmann 4mt which was a straight chassis swap.

[Andy W]

Now there's a big difference between the 56xx and the 4MT 4-6-0.

The 4MT quite early on received a brand new chassis from Bachmann which fitted the Mainline bodies perfectly, and they even sold chassis separately so people could replace the Mainline ones. But the new Bachmann chassis, although far better than the dreadful Mainline one, was still a split-chassis design and suffers from splitting of the plastic insulating parts connecting the stub axles, and also gear-splitting and axle bearing wear. It also needs to be mostly dismantled in order to fit DCC. So a more modern conventional chassis eventually appeared. and models released over the last 10 years or so have this.  The body was also at least partially retooled at the same time to allow both single and double chimneys, and also around the cab area and as a result the chassis isn't a direct replacement for Mainline bodies and requires some surgery to get it to fit. On the other hand it is DCC ready.

The 56xx didn't appear in the Bachmann range with a split chassis, it went straight to conventional chassis, and as others have described, the body tooling was modified at the same time so the Mainline body is not a direct fit.

[cypherman]

Hi Andy.

I have 7 of the Mainline/Bachmann 4mt hybrids. I have solved the warped wheel centre problem to my satisfaction and have never had a problem with the Bachmann plastic axels splitting. On the other hand I do have one mainline 4mt completely original with it's box. This did suffer from the wheels slipping in the plastic axels. But even that was fixed with the gentle application of  Hafix industrial superglue  Yes you are right about the wear on the axel bearings . But all my Bachmann chassis based engines are in perfect condition for their age. But as far as the Mainline engine I am going to fit completely new electrical pick ups which bypass the old pickups. This means I can oil the bearings without loosing electrical pick. Therefore reducing the bearing wear. Just waiting for some bits from that place that shall not be named. If it is successful I will do the same to the Bachmann chassied engines.

Now for the 4 hour trawl through the boxes to find the 56xx.

Edited July 10, 2019 by cypherman

[DCB]

Cypherman -  Best of luck with the additional pickups on the 4MT.

I have fitted additional pickups between chassis halves and the back of the wheels on a Bachmann B1, a Lord Nelson and a Royal Scot which transformed their running.

However I currently  have a Std 4 in bits and I cannot work out how to attach the pickups, Usually I use the block supporting the valve gear/ motion as somewhere to hang the pickup strip which rubs the back of the wheels and the bottom of the strip just rests on top of the stub axle to stop it twisting. Sprayed matt black and high up under the running plate they are barely visible.   However the 4MT running plate is so high and wheels so small in relation that there is nowhere to hide the pickups.

I had a weird experience with a Bachmann Royal Scot chassis. I tested it out of storage on the outside branch and it ran beautifully fast slow, crawl. Then I tried it again inside and it ran like a three legged crab with arthritis.  The first test was on filth track on a Morley controller with a Relco, the second on clean track with a Morley but no Relco....    I decided to fit extra pickups.

Edited July 13, 2019 by DavidCBroad

[cypherman]

Hi David,

I intend to use the plastic base plate from the 4mt as the mounting point. It does help that I have several spares. So I am not worried about making a mess of one. I have acquired 2 Hornby pickups from the Jinty chassis. They will each be screwed directly onto the plastic with 2 small screws and a little araldite for extra support. Any areas on the pickups that will be visible from behind the wheels will be painted black to hide the. The 2 wires one from each pickup will go through a small hole drilled into the plastic chassis base and pass through the middle of the split chassis to the motor. There they will be soldered onto their respective spring/carbon bush holders. When soldering the respective wires to each side remember to make sure you put the correct wire to the correct side or you run the risk of burning the motor out. Make sure you leave enough slack in the wires so that if needed you can lift away the base plate to access the wheels. Job done.....

There are 2 other ways I can think of, But maybe considered  slightly harder way in one respect. One that does not require any wire or soldering. If where you drill into the plastic baseplate you continue through to the metal chassis. mark the drill points and then drill in to it with a slightly smaller drill. You can then tap those holes so when you screw down the contacts they will then screw into the metal chassis making a direct contact. You need some very small drills and tapping tools for that, And a steady hand..... lol

The other that does require a little wire and solder. Set the pickups similar to the first way and put the wire through the hole in the baseplate. then instead of soldering to the springs drill a small hole into either side of the chassis. Tap these holes and put a small screw in it. Fasten the respective wires to each side. Again remember to make sure you put the correct wire to the correct side or you run the risk of burning the motor out. Also remember to choose your screw points carefully so they do not foul putting the body on.

OH and no I have not found my 56xx yet. Still looking.

Edited July 13, 2019 by cypherman