Bachmann 100 Ton Hopper quickie review

[James Costello]

Thanks James - I am busy getting ready to move/sell house but if I get a chance sooner will do!

@James Costello - is this your target "match"? https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/product/bn-phase-3-black-delivery-1976-ps-4000-100t-triple-coal-hopper/

Thanks @Mark5 and it sure is 

[Rivet Miscounter]

Thanks James - I am busy getting ready to move/sell house but if I get a chance sooner will do!

@James Costello - is this your target "match"? https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/product/bn-phase-3-black-delivery-1976-ps-4000-100t-triple-coal-hopper/

Any update about the MTL comparison?

Just a cursory look at the Bachmann vs the BN prototype car shows a similar issue with the panel spacing, which is a bummer.  But, at least the end slope looks better.   If the overall dimensions of the car are good, this is likely a step in the right direction if Bachmann would do the BN rotary scheme(s).   Not sure I'd go to the trouble of painting/decaling over just sticking with the MTL cars though.   Maybe if I can cheat with removing lettering from another car and keep the dim data and so forth. (EDIT: Meh, none of the current releases comes close with the dim data.  Assuming the lettering comes off clean still probably worth it versus starting from scratch, but not much better really)

Man, it would really be nice to get a good-fidelity BN triple hopper in N.

[Mark5]

Any update about the MTL comparison?

Unfortunately, though I have moved, I am still dealing with selling the house. 

[Ike the BN Freak]

Not speaking for James, but I'm pretty sure the answer is YES.  And, I have the same interest.

I've been asking Tangent to do those in N for years now

[High Hood]

I've been asking Tangent to do those in N for years now

Tangent has been awfully quiet since the Bethlehem Quad release. I’ve asked them if they planned to do L&N like they did in HO. They said they do plan another run, but that’s been some time ago now. Maybe they are tooling up a correct Eastern version? 

[Ike the BN Freak]

Tangent has been awfully quiet since the Bethlehem Quad release. I’ve asked them if they planned to do L&N like they did in HO. They said they do plan another run, but that’s been some time ago now. Maybe they are tooling up a correct Eastern version? 

My fear is they didn't sell as well as they thought they would, pretty sure MB Klein still has a bunch.

Just checked the tangent page and many of the quads are available. Two of the DTI ones are sold out, on the UPs, only 4 are sold out out of the 68 different numbers they have done.

[Rivet Miscounter]

Tangent has been awfully quiet since the Bethlehem Quad release. I’ve asked them if they planned to do L&N like they did in HO. They said they do plan another run, but that’s been some time ago now. Maybe they are tooling up a correct Eastern version? 

Man, I completely forgot that Tangent was in N.   They announced right as I officially bailed on N around 2018.  I even talked to them at the NTS in KC, lamenting that the UP quad was something I'd clamored for, and was adding to the growing list of N items that got announced right as I was heading out the door. (alongside the Carbon Black hoppers, among others)

I need to research, I don't think the train I modeled before (as 2001 BNSF with UP trackage rights) existed as a unit-train in 1989, but the coal likely came through as part of a trackage rights manifest train so having a few of both Tangent and Trainworx quads would likely pass muster if not the entire unit train.

Back to the topic at hand of BN Triples, I'll defer to my previous proclamation: "Man, it would really be nice to get a good-fidelity BN triple hopper in N."

[James Costello]

Tangent has been awfully quiet since the Bethlehem Quad release.

No idea about sales vs expectations etc, but I do know that the Bethlehem Quad was one of the last projects that Dave (Tangent) and Craig (BLMA) cooperated on before Craig sold to Atlas - so lets hope it's more to do with that than Tangent going cold on N.

[sizemore]

Just for anyone wondering and doesn't want to change trucks on a fleet of already spendy hoppers. The Bachmann axles measure out at .557, I tested FVM .563" axles with 36" wheels and was pleasantly surprised at the rolling quality in the stock trucks. I assume the stock wheelsets are just a hair undersized.

The S.