The N Scale Bachmann F9 Thread

[kiwi_al]

Over the next month or so I will be attempting to alter and adapt the trainset Bachmann F9 shell to run on something better.
First the shell needs modifying quite a bit. The basic shape is ok but the front pilot needs to be closed in and MT couplers fitted, the rear winterization hatch must go and correct fans installed.
Other alterations will probably follow. The end result will be something that more closely resembles an F9 and hopefully it'll mean that IM or Kato will suddenly make one  instead of those girly FP9's.

[kiwi_al]

So this is the sad Bachmann F9 from about 40 years ago. It's mechanism is shot, the top metal part of the chassis has broken with fatigue. The mechanism was never good and will not be reused.

Here's the poor thing:



Given that the plastic is so old and difficult to shape, I'm making a mold to allow me to remove the details that I need to more easily and accurately. The attempt on the shell above had the front pilot disintegrating and the winterization hatch was difficult to trim down without destroying the roof detail and roofline.

[kiwi_al]

Today I made the mold (part of it - I'm waiting for the second part to cure) the picture will show the box holding the F9 and the modelling clay as the support base. It's been possibly 10 years since I cast my last shell so I'm remembering the things I shouldn't be doing!!

Here's the box



You can see it's not the white shell I'm making a mold from (Yes I had 2 F9's). To make matters worse I also have 2 E60CP's, a Plasser, a plymouth and sundry other old things awaiting new motors etc.

[nkalanaga]

45 years ago, the mechanisms were good, with all-metal gears.  Very noisy, but they ran well.  The main reason I only bought one was that I already had Trix Fs, and the Bachmann rivet strips didn't line up with the Trix.  I stuck with the Trix because the mismatch bothered me, and it would have cost too much to replace the ones I had.  Besides, the BN had a lot more F7s than F9s.

[kiwi_al]

45 years ago, the mechanisms were good, with all-metal gears.  Very noisy, but they ran well.  The main reason I only bought one was that I already had Trix Fs, and the Bachmann rivet strips didn't line up with the Trix.  I stuck with the Trix because the mismatch bothered me, and it would have cost too much to replace the ones I had.  Besides, the BN had a lot more F7s than F9s.

Yep back in the day they weren't bad, I had 2 and an old GP40 all Bachmann - I was 12 years old.
I had a quick look at BN 1 - that's nearly a dead ringer for the Bachmann shell, who knew! I have to modify it for ATSF but I think I might keep the original with the winterization hatch removed for BN 1. I also model BNSF and any electic BN model

[Ike the BN Freak]

Well BN 1 & 2 were both F9s, so makes sense it would be similar to the Bachmann.

I got a pair of Kato F7s I plan on reworking to make into the pair.

[thomasjmdavis]

Yep back in the day they weren't bad, I had 2 and an old GP40 all Bachmann - I was 12 years old.
I had a quick look at BN 1 - that's nearly a dead ringer for the Bachmann shell, who knew! I have to modify it for ATSF but I think I might keep the original with the winterization hatch removed for BN 1. I also model BNSF and any electic BN model

Modify it for ATSF?  Just out of curiosity, are you doing the F9 freight units, or did one of the passenger F7s (or F3s) get modified to F9 standards at some point late in life?  (every time I think I have ATSF F units figured out,  I find another unit that breaks one or another "rule".)

[kiwi_al]

Hi Tom,
I'll be making ATSF F9 Freight units, no skirts, single headlight, remove the winterization hatch and replace the hole with the correct fans and hopefully FARR grills along the side. The front pilot needs to be improved as well.

[Albert in N]

   Agree that Bachmann F-9s were great for the early 1970s in N scale.  A modern F-9 in either ATSF or BN would be nice.  Your project will be interesting to follow.   Here are a few photos I took comparing my Bachmann UP F-9 with Kato Santa Fe F-7s and BN F-3s.  I notice that the train set Bachmann F-9 is slightly longer and slightly narrower than Kato F units.

[ncbqguy]

If I were to revisit making a decent F9 (I started one back in the mid 1970s using sides from the original Bachmann oversized unit) I would attempt to splice the new Bachmann sides into a Kato or InterMountain shell and transplant the 48” dynamic.  It probably would be worth keeping the Bachmann cab door and side window as well since the other shells have earlier versions.  Trim the roof overhang flush as they disappeared during later F7 production.
The CB&Q didn’t have F9s but a C&S and FW&D F7 were wrecked and rebuilt with F9 appearance.  EMD had a ‘test bed’ F9  in demo colors that ran on the “Q” so much it was an honorary part of the roster.
Charlie Vlk

[wcfn100]

It probably would be worth keeping the Bachmann cab door and side window as well since the other shells have earlier versions.

What part would you keep?



Jason

[kiwi_al]

Thanks Albert and Charlie,
My intent was just to correct some features of the existing shell and see if I could put it on a Kato or Intermountain F7 mechanism. I did figure out that the Bachmann is a bit long when you look at the front porthole location and the distance to the cab. If the shell doesn't fit on either I'll probably end up modifying a Kato F7 and graft the signature bits in. I'm also trying to bait Intermountain and Kato into producing one 

[thomasjmdavis]

Thanks Albert and Charlie,
My intent was just to correct some features of the existing shell and see if I could put it on a Kato or Intermountain F7 mechanism. I did figure out that the Bachmann is a bit long when you look at the front porthole location and the distance to the cab. If the shell doesn't fit on either I'll probably end up modifying a Kato F7 and graft the signature bits in. I'm also trying to bait Intermountain and Kato into producing one 

It would certainly be logical for Intermountain, since they already produce an F-9B (to go with their FP-9).  I was surprised, given the number of F unit variations they have done, that the F-9A was missing from their catalog.

Hi Tom,
I'll be making ATSF F9 Freight units, no skirts, single headlight, remove the winterization hatch and replace the hole with the correct fans and hopefully FARR grills along the side. The front pilot needs to be improved as well.

And I am just going to throw the following out as a thought, because I happen to have an AB set of "Spectrum" F7s done in passenger scheme and was thinking about converting to model the same F9 freight units- the Bachmann Spectrum F7 shell (at least, the one I have circa 2001, and I assume also current production) is a very late model F7- with 48" dynamic brake fan and no overhang.  My major complaint is that there are some parting lines around the nose.  But if I were kitbashing one, that would just require a little light sanding.  The molding is better than the "trainset" F9, and I don't think much would be necessary beyond moving the porthole. 

And while the Bachmann mechanism is not up to Kato standards, mine at least has lasted the 19 years (with only light use) and Bachmann now produces them on a DCC chassis.  (my 2001 version is distinctly NOT DCC ready, but I am sure is "do-able" somehow with a DZ123, some milling, and a roll of Kapton tape).  But I also wonder if the current production DCC chassis might not be an easier fit for a modified (ie- shortened) old Bachmann F9 shell.

[Albert in N]

   As an old man (age 76), I have seen many ATSF F units on main line and branches in both Texas and Oklahoma.  In 1973, I bought Kalmbach Publishing's "The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide" by Jerry Pinkepank.  At that time, living near a convergence of ATSF mainlines (near Clovis NM), I spotted a variety of Santa Fe locomotives.  On page EMD-95 of that book, Pinkepank states "an extra car-body air filter appears ahead of the first porthole.  B units still have three port holes with filter grille".   The photo of a Milwaukee F-9 shows the cab end port hole with car-body filter grilles close on both sides.  I never saw a Santa Fe F-9.   Referencing another book in my modest book shelf, I find that Santa Fe only bought 18 F-9 A units and 18 F-9 B units, all freight units.   My thought would be to either find a working Bachmann F-9 trainset chassis to power your modified shell, or to choose an upgrade model F-7 and add another car-body air filter grille.  If the upgrade was chosen, you could consider sanding smooth the car-body air filter grille closet to the cab side port hole and adding one closer to the porthole so that the port hole was bracketed by two equally spaced air filter grilles.  Thomas mentions the Bachmann Spectrum F-7s and the nice thing about those is that they come with one headlight (perfect for Santa Fe freight units)!  Here is a Wiki link with a photo of a Rio Grande F-9 showing the port holes and air filter grilles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F9

[thomasjmdavis]

   Thomas mentions the Bachmann Spectrum F-7s and the nice thing about those is that they come with one headlight (perfect for Santa Fe freight units)!

Another amusing aside (and also perfect for freight units) on the Spectrum F-7s is that neither A or B units have steam generator fittings on the roof. But they were ONLY available in the passenger scheme (at least AFAIK, I have never seen one advertised in freight colors).  For those readers who might be unfamiliar with ATSF practice, only their B units had steam generators in passenger service, the As did not ( and in point of fact, even a few of their freight B units had SGs, to allow use on troop trains and tour specials).  I did not think about the single headlight, but that was one of things that got me thinking about re-painting them as freight units. So, for the Spectrum F7s in ATSF passenger paint, the A's have no SG (correct) but single headlight (incorrect), while the B units have no SG, and therefore are also incorrect for passenger units.