Bachmann taking reservations on N scale H16-44.

[brokemoto]

I have not taken mine apart.  Mine is through its major break-in, but it still does require some break-in before it is ready for service.  This is in keeping with B-mann offerings.  This is not a complaint, it just appears that most Bachpersonns require more break-in than products of other manufacturers.

Minuses: 

1)  It does appear to sit a bit high on its trucks.

2)  The B-mann factory knuckle couplers sit a bit too low and the MT conversion is not easy.

Plusses:

1)  Overall appearance is good.  The B&O paint scheme seems to be mostly accurate.  I note the missing road numbers on the ends of the hoods (which the Atlas has), but other than that, the paint appears accurate.  The window frames are even silver.  The handrails appear to be similar to offerings of other manufacturers, much more dainty than past offerings.

2)  The runnability is good.  It will hold a steady fifteen to twenty-five SMPH.  It does not stall on plastic frog switches, in fact, it does not stall at all.  Mine will bind here and there, but will quickly free itself and continue at set speed.  Ths is why I suspect that the mechanism still is not quite as loose as it should be.

3)  Price-MBK has them for less than forty bananas.  This makes it a good entry-level locomotive.  Like the MP FP-7 it has a pretty good price (although the B-mann is a few dollars less than the MP) and runs well enough that should the neophyte hobbyist decide to go further, he will keep this one in regular service even when he starts to purchase better power.

Minor disappointment:

It will pull ten boxcars of various manufacture, and one Bachmann caboose (all on MT or AccuMate trucks), up a one per-cent grade at speeds between fifteen and twenty-five SMPH.  That is the most that I have tried.  I consider that it performed satisfactorily on the boxcar train test.  It would only pull eight loaded MT gondolas, and the same B-mann caboose (on the same MT trucks), up the same one per-cent grade at the same speed ranges.  I consider this to be slightly less than satisfactory, but livable.

If the road that you model had passenger versions of these (I do not know that the B&O's were, I have never seen a photograph of an FM roadswitcher on a B&O passenger train, and I never rode behind one on the B&O), it might make good power for a train of five or fewer cars, but if you are going to use it for freight (as I will), it is best used on short locals.  As it only comes in one road number, I only bought one, so I have no idea how well it will perform if paired with another one.  As I am happy with its performance, I will buy another one and change the number.  I have seen more than one case where paired N scale locomotives will pull in excess of twice the cars that each one would pull singly.

I had rated this as a B-plus, but the slight underperformance in pulling power lowers that. 


Overall, I rate this one a solid 'B' and would recommend it.  Make a few improvements, Mr. B-mann, but overall, not bad.

[Mark5]

Minuses: 

1)  It does appear to sit a bit high on its trucks.

Not much to my eye.





Check out the weird end rails on this unit.

[Mark5]

How does the frame compare to an old Bachmann crapmaster?

Lee

from my post immediately above yours: "Split frame with tiny can motor."

Ya need to remove the front coupler box to fully remove the shell as far as I can tell.

[Mark5]

Minuses: 

2)  The B-mann factory knuckle couplers sit a bit too low and the MT conversion is not easy.

The funny thing about it is that lower is more prototypical I think. (M-T's are too high) 

I don't like the couplers though, they are much larger than the already oversize M-T or Accumates.

[Mark5]

When I get a chance, I'll put the thing apart fully. It has a tiny can motor which makes me less than optimistic about re-motoring. I want this thing to creep, and 15 mph isn't my idea of creeping. Who knows though, it might not be as hard as I'm thinking. The motor sits low in the chassis, a bit unlike what I'm used to.

But, overall I am happy with it (got mine at MBK too).

[wm3798]

Would you say that this "tiny can motor" might be a prototype for more smaller power, steam or diesel, from B-man?

Is the motor and drive comparable to the better mechanisms that are in their steam offerings?  (delrin gears instead of nylon, etc?)

For under $40, I might look into one of these...  Of course, the question of DCC conversion remains...

Also, are there any areas of the cab or frame where one might add a fraction more of weight?

Lee

[brokemoto]

I have not taken mine apart.

It will go slower than fifteen SMPH but it will not hold it steadily; you must keep your hand on the throttle or on the 'ON-OFF' pulse switch to give it a kick here and there.  It may creep better once it is fully broken in.

This is all on straight DC from an MRC 2400.  I do not use DCC.

[Chris333]

Just guessing...

The motor is the same size as what's in the 2-6-6-2?  Silver(ish) can motor?

[Mark5]

Without having gotten into it, it looks similar to the one in the new J, havent opened up my 2-6-6-2 yet.

[3rdrail]

Would you say that this "tiny can motor" might be a prototype for more smaller power, steam or diesel, from B-man?

From a direct conversation with the Bachmann representative at the WGH show in Atlanta yesterday, "No, the motor is still too large in diameter to fit in the boiler of either the Decapod or Ten-Wheeler."

You can bet that was the first thing I asked of Bachmann.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Anyone have proto pics of the Phase III H16 in Virginian?

[Mark5]

Anyone have proto pics of the Phase III H16 in Virginian?

All 40 of VGN's H16-44 are various phases of "Phase III". Bachmann seems to have properly matched the road numbers that best matched their H16-44.

Here's a different subphase:


http://www.rr-fallenflags.org

I was less impressed with the paint on the VGN version though (less to screw up on the N&W scheme )

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[SAH]

I'm just keying into the fact that the B'mann H16-44 is a Phase III.  (Need to pay better attention)  I was going to try to bash one from a Atlas H16-44 and Trainmaster.  Procrastinating pays dividends again!

The project:



A few challenges but nothing that can't be overcome I'll wager.  Has anyone recently successfully stripped a B'mann shell?  What works?

Steve