Two N Scale Turbo Trains, 50 Years Apart

[Dwight in Toronto]

Purely on a whim, I dug out my old (VERY old) Bachmann version of the Turbo Train. 
I think my dad bought me this for Christmas when I was maybe 18 years old, so, 50 years ago. 
I hastily lined it up alongside Rapido’s version (from 2018, I think it was … 6 years ago). 

First, it’s obvious that the bright white paint on the old set has, not surprisingly, yellowed a bit over five decades.  The Bachmann product never ran well.  In fact, it was terrible as far as usability goes.  I experimented with it over the years, and every now and then I’d try some sort of hair-brained Rube Goldberg “improvement” of one sort or another, so there are a lot of battle scars.  I even added a TCS DCC decoder and LED cab lighting at one point, but it forever remained a pathetic runner.  I must have ordered a replacement cab shell somewhere along the line, because I’ve got three of them.

On the whole, I think Bachmann did a not bad job, detail-wise, for the time.  I mean, the overall scale is pretty much bang on (the two 5-car versions are essentially the same length, for example).  The real head-scratcher is the cab domes - where did they get the idea that they had all those multi-paned windows, like on a dome coach?  Or, horrors … maybe Rapido got it wrong!!!

Anyway, kinda fun.  If I had a layout, I could put the 3 cabs on parallel dummy tracks, sitting static with, say, a half a coach-length on each one sticking out of a passenger station mockup to simulate multiple train sets.  It would look pretty cool with my Rapido Turbo coming & going!

Fwiw, I’ve put the topic under Detailing & Scratchbuilding because there’s a chance that I might try to get this ol’ gal running again.  Some of the mind-blowing work that I’ve seen since joining TRW has demonstrated that, if you can imagine it, then there’s a pretty good chance that there are ways of doing it. 

I’ve learned a lot from the folks on this site, and a few rudimentary possibilities are kicking around in my noggin.  Things like changing out the entire motor and drive mechanism, taking pointers from how Rapido handled the single axle bogies between coaches, bringing the shell details and accuracy more in line with the Rapido version, etc.  If I tackle it, I’ll share the adventure here.

In the meantime, here are a few comparison pics:

[wm3798]

I bought a like new Bachmann set about four years ago, and it actually ran surprisingly well... even relatively quiet.   I mainly bought it out of curiosity.  I photographed it and made a couple of videos, and then put it away.  Someone made an offer I couldn't refuse, so it got packed up and shipped out.



It was fun while it lasted, and I have no regrets about buying it, running it or selling it.

I like the looks and features of the Rapido models, but I'll never have that kind of money.

Lee

[nickelplate759]

I have both Turbo models as well.  Never could figure out how to make the Bachmann good enough to use.

As to where Bachmann got the idea for dome windows on the roof, they were in some of the early planning documents.

[peteski]

Interesting.  Even the triple-pane windshield.  So Bachmann got their hands on the early development plans.  How cutting-edge is that? 

[learmoia]

Would you call that a Phase 0?

The Atlas/Rivarossi angle cab switcher was designed off prototype drawings as well. (for the SW1500?)

Plus it has an Ed's Law prototype.
http://yardlimit.railfan.net/rebuilds/ic-sw14/index.html

[learmoia]

The Plot Thickens..

[Dwight in Toronto]

Well I’ll be darned … gotta hand it to Bachmann then, doing the best with what they had, right out of the gate.  Fascinating!

[thomasjmdavis]

Doing a bit of research, if sources are correct, the first two demonstrator units (that would test on NH and PRR) had carbodies built by Pullman in Chicago- so it would go to reason that they would be different than the later units built for Canadian railroads.  And, per Spookshow's site, the first Bachmann release came in 1969, a year after the first public appearance of any Turbo in any form.  So, it would not be a big stretch to assume that the Bachmann model was based on the original demo units.

[thomasjmdavis]

Check this out- 33 seconds in- an overhead shot of an early CN (pre- 1970s rebuild) with windows in the roof-  The image only lasts a couple seconds, but if you hit "pause" at the right moment...

[learmoia]

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[Point353]

[CNR5529]

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that during one rebuilding program CN plated over the roof windows as they were constantly filthy from exhaust soot. VIA ended up painting the roofs black.

Edit. From the Turbo wiki page: (...) in 1971 a rebuild program began, converting the five seven-car sets to three nine-car sets. Several minor changes were added. The engine exhaust fouled the roof windows of the power car, so these were plated over, and a grill was added to the front of the engines just behind the clamshell doors. (...)

[Dwight in Toronto]

In my first post a few weeks ago, I mentioned that there was a chance that I might, once again, explore the possibility of improving the on-track operability and performance of this old Bachmann Turbo Train set, and that if I DID, I would share the results.  Herewith, another journey of experimentation begins!

I started with the 2-axle bogies.  These first two pics show the rudimentary Bachmann coupling technique vs the much more sophisticated engineering that Rapido used.  Note that the Rapido method includes track power pickup from each wheelset, which ensures flawless operation of the two power cabs, as well as flicker-free coach lighting.





I did not, at any point, ever pretend to imagine that I could replicate Rapido’s innovative methodology … ie - there was no way that I was going to try to pick up track power with each bogie, or light the coaches etc.   I  DID take a lot of dimensions from the Rapido “vestibule”, and I fiddled with a few ideas on how to use styrene bars, tubing, and rods to see if I could somehow replicate their wonderful coupling technique.  That is, opposing coach-ends are simply pushed into the black vestibule, with a satisfyingly firm “ker-SNICK” as coach-grip bars snap around a central, power-strip-equipped “pivot pole”.  Some of my rough attempts are demonstrated here:




In the end, rightly or wrongly, I decided to pursue the idea of the central pivot pole, with styrene “rods & rings” that slip over, and freely rotate on the pole:

[Dwight in Toronto]

Using one of the old, sacrificial Bachmann coaches, I proceeded to remove the end-of-car bulkhead.  I did this by drilling a series of holes around the perimeter, and then followed up by dragging a fine jig/coping saw blade through each hole, essentially just “connecting the dots:






Here you can see the opened-up/cleaned-up car end (vs what it originally looked like), with a styrene replacement bulkhead that will be slightly inset within the coach body, and the trial 2-wheel bogie assembly:



This pic gives a better idea of what I’m thinking - you just need to imagine where the hole will be drilled in the bulkhead, so as to accomodate the styrene tube from the bogie:

[peteski]

Yes, the Rapido's articulation design is quite impressive and complex.  The little plastic  forks with t-shaped ends act as equalizers making sure that the wheel treads of the single axle truck stay parallel with the rail (otherwise then can get skewed and not ride parallel with the track). That is true on both tangent and curved trackage.

Bachman solved that problem a bit differently. Having 2 separate pivots, that design naturally kept the single axle truck's wheel trades parallel to the rails.

With a single pivot point you might end up with the truck getting skewed, crabbing along on the rails.

None of this would be a big deal if those trucks had 2 axles and a single center pivot point. 2 or more axle trucks are basically self-guiding on the rails.

It will be interesting to see how your design behaves in operation.