Bachmann USRA 0-6-0 Prairie

[OldEastRR]

Putting a medium USRA tender on the 10 wheeler helps with overall look, Cutting down the coal bunker on the medium helps it look even better.  I didn't do that with my replacement tender because a speaker and keep alive caps are jammed into the tender shell.

[delamaize]

The Small Bachmann tender does make a ton of difference in the appearance of the 4-6-0's, that's for sure.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
(Ignore the bad decal job, Literally everything went wrong with this one)

[Iain]

The 4-6-0 is a Baldwin standard design. Common on smaller roads. M&P had some with smaller drivers, MP and Frisco both had some via Texas subsidiaries.

There is a need for a bigger 4-6-0 to represent ones built for low grade mainline work before WW1 and that served in secondary roles to the end of steam.

The 4-6-0 is basically perfect for NS premdernized D1 and D2 class once you do something with the tender (NS tenders need to be kitbashed, anyway, so not really a big deal).  Modernizing means swapping out cylinders, but a few had the original slide valves right up to the end.

[Lemosteam]

The Small Bachmann tender does make a ton of difference in the appearance of the 4-6-0's, that's for sure.
(Attachment Link)
(Ignore the bad decal job, Literally everything went wrong with this one)

It looks better as LIRR #39  :

[Lemosteam]

Andrews truck frames with drop in Bachmann electrical pickups from the OEM tender and axles are on their way to completion.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I really wish Bachmann made Fox and leaf spring Arch-Bar trucks for their tenders. These were pretty much the only thing B&M used on their light engines.

B&M didn't have USRA 0-6-0, but their G11 class had examples that were fairly close. To model these I used castings from a MP arched window cab on the USRA shell. The Spectrum sloped tender was a natural choice to improve electrical connections, but required a scratch built draw bar.

One aggravating thing I became aware of was on the retooled versions of the engine, the steam chests do not line up with the piping on the shell. On the old tooling, they did. Since the newer tooling is a lot more crisp and it includes the invisible coreless motor, I chosen to just accepted this and move on.

That new motor really is a big improvement.

[peteski]

I really wish Bachmann made Fox and leaf spring Arch-Bar trucks for their tenders. These were pretty much the only thing B&M used on their light engines.

Funny, there was a recent discussion about Fox trucks on the B&M group (groups.io).  Maybe we could ask John LeMerise to design those to accept the Bachmann metal sideframe pickups and 3D print them?

[Maletrain]

Funny, there was a recent discussion about Fox trucks on the B&M group (groups.io).  Maybe we could ask John LeMerise to design those to accept the Bachmann metal sideframe pickups and 3D print them?

Bachmann all-wheel-pick-up trucks are like Unobtainium.  Even if new models of them are made available separately in their parts department, they are quickly sold-out and not restocked.  I think they really could make a profit just making and selling all-wheel-pick-up trucks.

So, since Bachmann does not satisfy the market, it seems like an opportunity for others.  If useful (not too brittle) trucks can be 3D printed now, it seems to me that brass inserts could be fashioned relatively easily too, either as punched parts or even etchings.  The pockets for the axle ends should be easy enough to punch with hand dies, since they are just conical dimples in the proper places.  A few standard brass pickups in the various axle numbers and spacings would allow for people to 3D print trucks of just about any prototype design that accommodate those standardized parts.

A system like that could open up a whole new world for customizing at home or with the help of custom 3D printers like Lemosteam.  it seems that all we are missing is a steady supply of those pickup strips.

[SkipGear]

Bachmann has made a second earlier version truck that came on first generation Light Mountains I think. Never seen them again. I'll have to dig through my stash and take photos.

[nickelplate759]

Yes, Bachmann made a drop-equalizer tender truck for the original USRA light Mountains.

One note - the first runs of the Bachmann steamers with USRA tenders,  (with either style tender truck) have wheels that are too narrow in gauge.    I replaced them with Kato #932080 33" wheelsets (for electrical pickup) and they work great.

[peteski]

Bachmann all-wheel-pick-up trucks are like Unobtainium.  Even if new models of them are made available separately in their parts department, they are quickly sold-out and not restocked.  I think they really could make a profit just making and selling all-wheel-pick-up trucks.

So, since Bachmann does not satisfy the market, it seems like an opportunity for others.  If useful (not too brittle) trucks can be 3D printed now, it seems to me that brass inserts could be fashioned relatively easily too, either as punched parts or even etchings.  The pockets for the axle ends should be easy enough to punch with hand dies, since they are just conical dimples in the proper places.  A few standard brass pickups in the various axle numbers and spacings would allow for people to 3D print trucks of just about any prototype design that accommodate those standardized parts.

A system like that could open up a whole new world for customizing at home or with the help of custom 3D printers like Lemosteam.  it seems that all we are missing is a steady supply of those pickup strips.

I wasn't thinking that far ahead.  I was simply thinking that if one purchases the model, then they could replace just the tender's truck sideframes with their railroad appropriate (like Fox) sideframes.  But if you take this further, then your ideal makes sense.

[peteski]

Yes, Bachmann made a drop-equalizer tender truck for the original USRA light Mountains.

One note - the first runs of the Bachmann steamers with USRA tenders,  (with either style tender truck) have wheels that are too narrow in gauge.    I replaced them with Kato #932080 33" wheelsets (for electrical pickup) and they work great.

The gauge of Bachmann wheels can be widened by pulling them out slightly from the plastic axle muff, but the also seem to have rather wide tread.  Kato wheels are much nices.

[Maletrain]

The gauge of Bachmann wheels can be widened by pulling them out slightly from the plastic axle muff, but the also seem to have rather wide tread.  Kato wheels are much nices.

Has anybody made 2-rail pickup wheel sets by cutting the uninsulated wheels off something like Fox Valley or BLMA wheel sets and putting 2 insullated wheels in-gauge with a plastic sleeve?  Seems doable, but I have not had to try that, yet.

[reinhardtjh]

Bryan at Streamlined Backshops has a line of power pickups for trucks but I think most of his are axle wiper types rather than the axle bearings.

[Lemosteam]

Has anybody made 2-rail pickup wheel sets by cutting the uninsulated wheels off something like Fox Valley or BLMA wheel sets and putting 2 insullated wheels in-gauge with a plastic sleeve?  Seems doable, but I have not had to try that, yet.

@Maletrain

http://www.keystonedetails.com/keystone-customs/2016/9/12/n-scale-axle-muff-20pk-for-fvm-axles-58477