Bachmann's Geep

[jwb]

I think the Clinchfield's biggest customer was Tennessee Eastman in Kingsport, TN. They did/do a lot of classified work, but there was a lot of general freight involved, as well as yard switching in Kingsport. Clinchfield wasn't exclusively a coal hauler.

For that matter, they also did a lot of cement business. I have several CRR cement hoppers from various makers.

[kamerad47]

Are you run any sound in theses geeps???? To me the sound makes the differance is a switching layout!!

[faraway]

Are you run any sound in theses geeps???? To me the sound makes the differance is a switching layout!!

No, there are no sound decoders in those Geeps except for a small test and it worked as fine as it could be with todays limitations. I have sound decoders in some steam engines but uninstalled all of them (ESU Sound decoder) from diesel engines for three reasons
1. I feel disturbed by sound after five minutes
2. The small speakers have no adequate capabilities for the low frequencies dominating prototype diesel sound
3. I know no sound decoder that matches the very silent run of a Zimo decoder when sound is off (after five minutes).

[kamerad47]

Well too each is own !! But I look at you layout & see that nice grade crossing no bell !!!! no horn !!!! or diesel sounds !!!! I just feel cheated!!!!!

[faraway]

...grade crossing no bell !!!! no horn !!!! ...

You got me hock: That is the place where I would like to have sound. I did have a look last week after fixed installed sound modules for bell and horn at the crossing operated with two buttons at the fascia. This looks like a possible solution I will try:
Innovative Train Tech (ITTC) 349 20091 Diesel Horn #1 34.95
Innovative Train Tech (ITTC) 349 21091 Diesel Bell 34.95

[oldline1]

I think I'll try to pick up one of the GP-7s or 9s on Micro Mark and try to put the mechanism in one of my P2K WM shells. I have no idea what to expect, having no Bachmann diesels for reference. Maybe their motor and stuff isn't far off from the P2K mechanism and it will fit. I'm not too worried about being able to attach the shell to the mechanism. I usually don't pick up a unit by the horns! LOL

Roger Huber

[Brakie]

Well too each is own !! But I look at you layout & see that nice grade crossing no bell !!!! no horn !!!! or diesel sounds !!!! I just feel cheated!!!!!

Yeah,I adding sound to 2 of my engines..

However.

I'm using a MRC Tech 6 that has a standard mode and a DCC mode..

I can easily slide into DC and remove the noise makers.I won't run my noise makers on DC since I've set several CVs.

Silence can be golden when sound starts getting on one nerves.

[faraway]

My wife and I have been downtown Stuttgart again. I had no plans for the LHS but they dumped a Bachmann SOU GP50 for 29.95€. It is a simple model without DCC even without a DCC plug but it runs as good as the other Bachmann Geeps. Bachmann did find a technical and economical way to build well functioning drives at very low cost.
I mad some minor modifications: new PCB and DCC decoder, some black, silver, white and yellow paint, two snow plows and Kadee couplers mounted with two small washers to swing freely. It is a nice and very useful engine for small money

[jwb]

A low photo angle and a layout with a "natural" environment also help. I think Bachmann has been getting a bad rap -- if you want to spend more, you certainly can, but the stuff is good value for the money they want.

So show us the loco at work!

[faraway]

... So show us the loco at work!

Well, a Southern GP50 without ditch lights pushing a cut of TTX high cube boxcars in front of International 4900 trucks stretches the term "freelance" considerable
However I like toying around with that southern belle and did add MU hoses.

[jwb]

I happened to notice a thread on another forum at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26592.0">http://www.therailwire.net/forum/index. ... ic=26592.0</a><!-- m --> where some folks start bashing Bachmann (N scale in this case), but others make the point that Bachmann is much improved. I've got to say that I lived through the whole 1960s-70s Bachmann era, and I've sort of reflexively thought of some locos like the GP50 as having pancake motors, but it looks like (after 30 years) the whole line has been revamped, and many locos are acceptable, especially considering their price, while others are good. One thing I like about this forum is that I haven't seen any knee-jerk Bachmann-bashing, and on the other hand, there's a willingness to try something new.

I don't worry too much about ditch lights vs era. Ditch lights started to become standard in the late 1990s, while the NS paint scheme started in the early to mid 1980s, so it would be unusual to see a Southern GP50 with ditch lights anyhow. I generally don't look too much father than whether a boxcar has a roofwalk or not to determine era (and if I look past that, the first thing I look for is whether it's tagged). It's a model railroad, not a museum!

[jwb]

Well, Reinhard, you got me thinking: Trainworld has Bachmann HO GP50s in both Southern and NS for US$34.99, which I guess is comparable to the Euro price you got. If I were doing the Southern version, I'd try to remove the factory lettering but keep the tuxedo paint -- not sure if the NS lettering is better. But based on what I see in your photos, the overall shape of the loco is quite good, certainly a worthwhile "layout quality" loco, maybe even better quality than old wide-body bluebox Athearn, which for many years we thought were perfectly OK. I have an old VHS tape showing NS GP50s running through onto the Susquehanna-operated phase of the D&H.

I might try one.

[faraway]

Well, Reinhard, you got me thinking: Trainworld has Bachmann HO GP50s in both Southern and NS for US$34.99, which I guess is comparable to the Euro price you got. If I were doing the Southern version, I'd try to remove the factory lettering but keep the tuxedo paint -- not sure if the NS lettering is better. But based on what I see in your photos, the overall shape of the loco is quite good, certainly a worthwhile "layout quality" loco, maybe even better quality than old wide-body bluebox Athearn, which for many years we thought were perfectly OK. I have an old VHS tape showing NS GP50s running through onto the Susquehanna-operated phase of the D&H.

I might try one.

I think some Athearn RTR models e.g. CF7 have more details and the shell is better. On the other hand run my ears havoc with the old RTR motor but the current Bachmann motors is a nice guy with a good DCC decoder.
For me is it much easier to add some details to the shell than to install a new motor/drive. Bachmann is for the ears, RTR for the eyes I think you should give it a try at that price.

[jwb]

Yeah, I've been doing some looking and thinking: the Southern road name and number are smaller and of a different style on the prototype, and the pilots need diagonal white safety striping behind the plows. Also, the hood ends need the Southern emblem -- but the thing has real possibilities. In your estimation, is the gear ratio-speed curve roughly the same as the Bachmann GP7/9 and the S-4? If so, they'll train well with Atlas. Hmmm.

[faraway]

... In your estimation, is the gear ratio-speed curve roughly the same as the Bachmann GP7/9 and the S-4? If so, they'll train well with Atlas. Hmmm.

I did put the GP50 and a GP9 with identical DCC decoders and identical CV values on the track. The end speed is the same but the GP9 is faster in the middle. The trucks of the models do look similar but not the same.
However, my GP50 is an older model not in production anymore (7078). The GP50 at train world has a different road number (9014) and might be still in production. It would make sense to me if Bachmann uses only one truck design on all Geeps and therefor one gear ratio. How about a short question at the Bachmann forum (http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/b...d,2.0.html)? Mr. Bachmann is answering quite fast.