Bachmann Midland Pullman

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I was wondering the same thing Michael.

[Crewlisle]

I am certainly going to buy a Midland Pullman, even though my layout 'Crewlisle' is based on the WCML in NW England between the mid 1950s and mid 1980s. With examples of most locos and stock from this period (including OH electrification and APT) my excuse with modellers' licence for a MP set is that it is on a weekend excursion to the Lake District! Also, I originally came from Market Harborough on the Midland Main Line and remember seeing it snaking through the reverse curves through the station. Very impressive! Hence my reason for wanting to own one.

I operate my locos at scale speeds, including the HST and APT at scale speeds of 90 to 125mph both pushing and pulling, both with only one power car. One problem worries me. Having a powered car at each end of the MP could cause problems if the motor speeds of both units are not accurately matched. Take for example, if on my layout (or any others), the leading end encounters a break in power supply in the track section/point or the front and rear are straddling two independant sections and the leading section is accidently isolated, the whole train could 'jack knife'. This is no problem when trains are run at a scale speed of 10 or 20 mph or just shuttling in and out of a terminus, but disasterous on the WCML at 100 mph and very embarassing to any exhibitor at a large exhibition like the NEC Birmingham or Alexandra Palace in London! This will also happen if the rear power car is slightly faster than the leading power car as it will cause a slow motion 'jack knife' of the train even with power being supplied to front and rear power cars.

I contacted Bachmann last week with my concerns and their reply was: 'There should not be a problem as the coupling socket arrangement chosen for the model would not allow jackknifing.' This is very reassuring. Has anyone any ideas of what type of couplings they use or are they a new design?

[Matabiau]

They appear to be using the same design as the the couplings on the MPV. Each coupling is either male or female so you can't get the coaches the wrong way around as per the CEP or 350.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

If the close coupling mechanism as found on their mk 1 coaches is used (one would hope so for the best appearance) this does materially aid stability when used with a rigid bar coupler such as the Roco pattern. Experimentally I have tried pushing 20 coach formations at some speed, and they stay on the rails. That's about 30 - 40g force on the coupler mechanisms of the coach adjacent the loco, similar to what is required to push a dead driven chassis of the weight of the class 105 power car. (Guessing here that the mechanism layout in the MP will be as the other recently released MU's.)

 

As for one power car running into a dead section causing the potential for a jackknifing problem, I suppose one question to ask is whether track power is going to be connected the entire length of the train through the conducting couplers. If so then the problem is avoided.

[ThaneofFife]

i would think that an 8 wheel coach with pick up on each wheel will be hard pressed to hit a dead section long enough to stall the motor.

 

if that is the case then I would look at the track, the fishplates/joints and the wiring.

 

is it really motored at both ends anyway? sounds overkill for 6 cars.

[drjcontroller]

Email from Hattons today now quoting on or after 1st November as the date they are expecting delivery.

 

Douglas

[Dicky W]

They appear to be using the same design as the the couplings on the MPV. Each coupling is either male or female so you can't get the coaches the wrong way around as per the CEP or 350.

 

I can reveal (under close scrutiny!) that they are similar and are electrically live for both the interior lighting and the table lamps which can be controlled separately. The only non-live coupling is the centre one, which means that the sets are being treated as per the prototype - two 3 car sets. Both power cars are powered with decoders. The lighting power is transmitted though both the kitchen and lounge cars from the decoder in the power car via the couplings.

[Karhedron]

is it really motored at both ends anyway? sounds overkill for 6 cars.

Given the design, I am guessing that the power cars will be motorised with just a motor bogie rather than fully driven throughout like a loco. Could the motor in a 108 haul an extra 3 coaches?

[Welly]

Looking nice! - I had pre-ordered a yellow-free set even though it doesn't fit in with my era.

[frobisher]

Given the design, I am guessing that the power cars will be motorised with just a motor bogie rather than fully driven throughout like a loco. Could the motor in a 108 haul an extra 3 coaches?

 

It manages it happily in the 4CEP

[Andy C]

Email from Hattons today now quoting on or after 1st November as the date they are expecting delivery.

 

I refer the right honorable gentlemen to my previous answer @ #109.

 

Edit,

 

i love those "told you so" moments. Of course my posting couldn't possibly be right as the information came from Bachman, not from Hattons

[Andy Y]

Given the design, I am guessing that the power cars will be motorised with just a motor bogie rather than fully driven throughout like a loco.

 

That's correct; another big plus is pick up from all axles.

[Brian]

Bachmann now have a video of both types fully painted and running. (Sorry if you have already seen it!)

[Colin_McLeod]

Beautiful.

 

Anyone want to buy my Tri-ang version?

[Andy Y]

(Sorry if you have already seen it!)

 

Not a problem - it was here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/58145-Bachmann-midland-pullman-exclusive-video/page__fromsearch__1

[Ian Hargrave]

Stick by what I posted when I started this topic after the Warley Show last year---best R-T-R ever .Now with added Mozart. That is pure elegance on rails. Worth breaking the piggy ?

[stewartingram]

NO NO NO I must resist......

 

Oh its ok, there are no 'Football Special' stickers on the windows so it won't suit my layout!

 

Note to moderators - can we please have this highly offensive video removed?????????????????

 

 

must resist,must resist, must resist.........

[NickL2008]

Must admit even though way before my era/time, the Blue Pullman from Bachmann is a superb model and raises thier product quality even higher, top stuff!

 

NL

[D605Eagle]

A still taken from that video showing the full yellow end version

I've not found a picture of a pullman painted like that. One was painted in a very odd yellow front with blue stripes up the sides, but nothing like that. Does anybody have any evidence?

[Karhedron]

I've not found a picture of a pullman painted like that. One was painted in a very odd yellow front with blue stripes up the sides, but nothing like that. Does anybody have any evidence?

According to Bachmann it is genuine. Apparently it was carried for a short time while the 6-car untis were on test runs on the WR but before they received MU cables. I don't have a copy of Kevin Robertson's book handy to verify though.

[G-BOAF]

what was the music?

[Andy Y]

I've not found a picture of a pullman painted like that. One was painted in a very odd yellow front with blue stripes up the sides, but nothing like that. Does anybody have any evidence?

 

Yes, it's been discussed previously. This livery is shown in Kevin Robertson's book as part of the tests of different yellow end treatment during the transfer to the WR and used on driver training runs.

 

There's a better quality image here - https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/News/Exclusive_video_of_Bachmann_Midland_Pullmann_DCC_Fitted_6_car_set/

[brushman47544]

Yes, it's been discussed previously. This livery is shown in Kevin Robertson's book as part of the tests of different yellow end treatment during the transfer to the WR and used on driver training runs.

 

There's a better quality image here - https://www.model-ra...tted_6_car_set/

 

Of course you are right Andy, but what has not as far as I am aware been confirmed is that the "full yellow" was ever on both ends of the set when running on test on the WR - indeed there is circumstancial evidence to the contrary. The only photos I've seen show one PC.

[Guest Belgian]

It just goes to show how ugly and over the top the full yellow ends were on BR stock.

[Andy Y]

Of course you are right Andy, but what has not as far as I am aware been confirmed is that the "full yellow" was ever on both ends of the set when running on test on the WR. The only photos I've seen show one PC.

 

Quite correct Andrew, the other PC from the same set received the yellow bib arrangement but there's no evidence, it seems, that particular livery ran in the wild so it's a speculative point, not lost on Bachmann themselves, as to whether the other PC (can't remember the numbering of each without the book to hand) ran in a matching livery. It's unlikely the yellow-bibbed one would have been reverted to plain (or crested) blue to go out on the driver training runs and as there's no pictures around of it remaining and running with the yellow bib there's a reasonable assumption that both ends received the same treatment for those few weeks. If anyone can produce incontrovertible evidence (and quickly) I'm sure they'd be delighted to know.