RMweb Premium Gary H Posted November 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 29, 2012 Well Im pleasantly supprised. I already have 2 EMD switchers, the obligortary Athearn and an Atlas MP15DC, I wanted something differant as Im a sucker for locomotives that I maybe dont really need but like the look / sound of. I didnt reallly know diddly sqaut about Alco switchers, and indeed this is only the 2nd Alco Ive got on my MP roster, the other being an Atlas C420 that I diy'd Tsunami sound into a couple of years ago. Youtube, bless it, started me on the road to my S4, unbeknown to me, these sound not to dissimilar to a Class 20 and perhaps spookily are the same horsepower rating of a 20! Now ive always been wary of anything American outline, Bachmann made, especially non Spectrum models as Im a fussy so-and-so. I bought a Spectrum "GE 45 tonner" back when they first came out (I think Shortliner started it ) and i was well chuffed with that so this latest spend out was a nice supprise being a non Spectrum model with the 'poverty spec' Tsunami sound decoder. What can I say, it is absolutely superb!! The first thing that struck me are the handrails. I thought these would be chunky affairs like the ones you find on the Atlas Trainman 'Gensets' or an older Kato but these would put an Athearn Genesis model to shame! They are so fine and flash free and are as straight as a die. What is Bachmann's secret? They even feel very 'taught' as if made of wire. (they are not). I wish some of my Genesis models had handrails as good as these. The printing of the NYC herald on the cab and the white wasp stripes on the pilots are perfect. Glazing is also very good and flush with no convex effect you sometimes see. The brake rigging has nicely and accurately defined brake blocks that are inline and close to the wheels which have very shallow and fine flanges. The only thin il add are some wipers to the cab windows and maybe a trainline hose on the pilots. Ive not had the chance to run it yet and will report back latter on this aspect. So heres a couple of quick and nasty pics taken with my HTC one S for starters. If your in the market for an Alco switcher, this one is a gem and for under a ton with sound abit of a bargain. Over exposed to show the trucks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted November 29, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2012 Looks pretty decent for Bachmann, and quite cheap too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 They're pretty darn nice for the money. They are missing the grab irons on the nose and the ones on the cab by the back door are cast one but with a street price of $100 over here nobody's really complaining. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodmayes Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 "The brake rigging has nicely and accurately defined brake blocks that are inline and close to the wheels which have very shallow and fine flanges". Not sure what you are comparing the wheels with, but they are supposed to be to NMRA standards, and just the same and "like" the wheels on all the other RTR locos of the past 40 years or so. Ted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Given that the OP is from Cornwall, he is probably comparing the wheels to British R-T-R which until relatively recently had rather deep flanges. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 You shold be aware that the S4 livery is completely fictitous and comes from a painting by Howard Fogg from a series he was commisioned to do by the P&LE president. See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/51477-bachmanns-ple-s4-8662/ The only photos of this loco I can find on the 'net are that, and the official Bachmann Photos - I spent some time checking this out for Chris Ellis, Editor of MTI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted November 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 30, 2012 I bet the OP is really glad he posted his good news. After all, he now knows the livery is fictitious, there are too few grabs, and the wheels are no better than they should be. Do we have to rain on others' parades like this, chaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted November 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 30, 2012 Its a nice model at a very good price. I understand the sound versions are very good value for money indeed. And its not fictitious - its a model of that loco in the painting!! If they do one in B&M I'll most likely get one - grabs or no grabs - anyway fitting grabs is now quite a nostalgic exercise... Is that better? Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I've seen it for just under $68.00 - but you have to search... Best, Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 The impression of the general concensus I have gained from various fora is that it is a great model. The missing grabs on the front are better than moulded on ones as thay can be simply added and leaving them off makes it cheaper. Ther look great, run great, sound great (where appropriate) and are priced great. I had to look quite hard to notice the moulded grabs at the back, although they might be more obvious from other angles. I wonder whey they didn;t leave them off too? Perhaps they decided their absence would be too noticable? I think the Fogg P&LE livery is attractive, although the consensus on the P&LE yahoo group is also that it existed only in the paintings. (which are in themselves quite nice examples of railroad art http://i114.photobuc.../PLEfoob001.jpg) The P&LE at that time had standard NYC liveries on their switchers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NoggintheNog Posted November 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 30, 2012 It's a great model, no question, especially the sound one. You can walk into a shop here in the UK and buy it over the counter for less than £100. Thats less money than a soundchip for a UK outline model would cost. I have a UP one, no, its not top of the line detail, but there is nothing that couldnt be added for £15 worth of aftermarket details, it runs great, and the sound is, I think, more in line with what the majority need than nearly anything else out there. I love the Tsunamis and Titans and all the programmable bits you can play with, but in reality, engine sounds as the thing moves, a bell and a horn is pretty much what happens when people run trains, and it does that as well as anything. I certainly prefer this approach to the endless station announcements, birds tweeting or whatever else the likes of MTH and Broadway keep adding into the decoders these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I bet the OP is really glad he posted his good news. After all, he now knows the livery is fictitious, there are too few grabs, and the wheels are no better than they should be. Do we have to rain on others' parades like this, chaps? Sorry - didn't intend to rain on his parade - I just didn't want him to think that he had a "real" livery - it is very easy to get led down a non-existant path by manufacturers producing locos in liveries that didn't existm in real life Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted November 30, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 30, 2012 "The brake rigging has nicely and accurately defined brake blocks that are inline and close to the wheels which have very shallow and fine flanges". Not sure what you are comparing the wheels with, but they are supposed to be to NMRA standards, and just the same and "like" the wheels on all the other RTR locos of the past 40 years or so. Ted. Well, logic would normally tell us that, Ted but there is a differance. I first noticed it when i was selling my UK based loco's and rolling stock after I had built my second, American themed layout. I thought I'd give a Bachamann 37 a spin just to make sure it was OK before Ebay'ing it. To my supprise, it would bump through the common crossings on my Peco Code 83 turnouts due to the flanges being to deep! It was the flanges that were hitting the raised plastic moulding that hold the rails near the V nose. This also happened when I tried a 'loose' Hornby 08 wheel set rolled through by hand, that I'd changed out for some EM gauge Ultrascales previously. The treads are fine but the flanges are deeper than all of My American traction and rolling stock! Just for abit of fun, I took some pics today and took some measurments with my digital vernier. First shot is the measurments and the differance of nearly half a MM. Kadee wheel on the left and a split axle wheel from a Bachmann BR vent van. Bachmann BR Vent van wheel on the left and American Intermountain wheel on the right. On the left is wheel set from an Athearn Genesis SD70M and a pulled apart Honrby 08 on the right. Last is the Kadee wheel and the Bachmann from which I took the measurments, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Very nice and looking on the bright side, the absence of grab irons on the nose means you won't have to laboriously carve off moulded ones like I had to on my Atlas S2. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted November 30, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 30, 2012 Sorry - didn't intend to rain on his parade - I just didn't want him to think that he had a "real" livery - it is very easy to get led down a non-existant path by manufacturers producing locos in liveries that didn't existm in real life No problem, Jack. I did have a good look round before i got it and couldn't find anything that related to the livery of it, so i did have my doubts and suspected it was, can we call it a fantasy road? Anyway, it more than makes up for it in other ways and it'l be great for my new cement plant *im trying to finish*! Oh, if anyone has any pics of these that show where the grabs should be on the front end, it'l be a great help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Oh, if anyone has any pics of these that show where the grabs should be on the front end, it'l be a great help. Quite a few on Railpictures.net, including this one - http://www.railpictu...=347751&nseq=19 Looking further, there seems to be an alternative arrangement, with one more grab - http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=118403&nseq=94 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Lots of Alco switcher photos here: http://http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?locomotive=Alco%20S4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 You could do an interesting interchange between a shortline and a secondary mainline. The Black River and Western shortline has a interchange with the NS at Three Rivers in New Jersey. What makes it more interesting is that the BR & W locos are all different liveries, mostly of "fallen flags". They shuffle freight around on the line from NS once or twice per week. The line runs to Ringoes, NJ where their local HQ and repair shop is. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 If you are interested here's a video of the BR & W, mostly shot at the interchange with the NS at Three Bridges, NJ. Both locos visible actually have the BR & W logo on them but they are different colours. New Jersey has a great deal that is very bucolic - it's not all Newark and The Sopranos! This line is within 50 miles of NYC. I'll be putting some shots up later (in USA and Canadian Railroads) of some of their pointwork at Ringoes - where I got permission to walk part of the track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7r7uMID0w Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted December 1, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 1, 2012 Well Ive now got alot to go on referance the hand grabs. Looks like Il have to make a brass template or something to get accurate placement of the holes. Standard freight car drop grabs will be fine for that job. Theres also a run of 4 grabs on the conductors side just by the cab. I had a good trawl last night, only info i can find on this particular road number is that it was built in 1953 and sold, presumably scrapped in 1963, no other info after that year. Thanks for the video Pete, enjoyed watching it. Thanks for the links from PH and Highpeak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 can we call it a fantasy road? The road's real and they had Alco switchers, it's just Bachmann chose the "pretty" paint scheme not this one http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ple/ple8649s.jpg and this one shows the other side of the nose http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ple/ple9012ags.jpg obviously a "used" purchase. Look forward to seeing the finished product. All the best Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted December 1, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 1, 2012 The road's real and they had Alco switchers, it's just Bachmann chose the "pretty" paint scheme not this one http://www.rr-fallen...le/ple8649s.jpg and this one shows the other side of the nose http://www.rr-fallen.../ple9012ags.jpg obviously a "used" purchase. Look forward to seeing the finished product. All the best Nick Thanks, Nick. I hadn't seen those. Looks like the second one is in a deadline, a few parts missing and brakes wound off by the looks of it! Ive also spotted more grabs in your pictures, another one low down on the near side front pluss another atop the hood. More measuring and drilling! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodmayes Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Sorry for any misunderstanding. I was intending the wheel comparison should only between the various US RTR models. Nice video BTW. Looks like we should all be modeling class 2 RR's with code 40 rail though. Ted Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilgarth Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 All... I have a Bachmann S-4 w/DCC and sound and a Bachmann S-2 w/DCC and sound, both purchased from Trainworld. Both are superb runners on my large layout operated by an MRC Prodigy Advance2 system and on my small portable switching module operated by a Bachmann EZ Command DCC system. Each is programmed with a single digit address to facilitate movement between the layouts. I'm also an old Atheran "blue-boxer" and don't mind the "missing" grab irons, air hoses, and MU cables, as I have a stock of these and find it no problem to add them to the locomotives as aftermarket parts. Considering, the cost of other DCC/sound equipped models, I feel there is a market for what Bachmann have to offer: reasonably priced models without delicate detail parts that can all to easily be broken off. The S-4 has been reviewed in Railroad Model Craftsman (RMC) Product Reviews June 2012; the S-2 is reviewed in Product Reviews of the January 2013 (current) edition of Model Railroader. ... coh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Railmodel Journal had a two page article on detailing a NYC Alco S4 in the March, 1991 issue. You can read the article at http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/59/4242/march-1991-page-34 Trainlife.com is a great source for old magazines, the index at trains.com can help find the issue you are looking for. You do have to subscribe to trains.com (no charge, you just get a lot of email from Kalmbach) but trainlife doesn't require you to join. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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