I was at a train show last Sunday & I bought this Bachmann diesel (pic below) for my son. Just wondering if anyone can comment on this model, brand, quality, etc. I have several British Bachmann locos and know (from a previous post I made on this forum) that Bachmann do make a pretty good line of budget models.

I think the detailing on this loco is OK and it runs well except it squeals a little and is louder than most new locos!

Also, I see that it had one traction tire (not sure if there was ever another one!?) on one of its drive wheels -- but we hadn't had the loco "five minutes" before it came off! Now I have to mess around trying to get it back on. I've had to put traction tires back onto two of my tender-drive locos in the past, and that's a pain! I was also having problems with one of the couplers on the back end of the loco -- the coupler was so close (or short) to the loco that it would cause the freight car immediately behind it to derail.

At first, I bought this on a kind of a whim, knowing that -- for $25 -- it might not be that great. Then, after running it and looking at it for a little, I got to quite like it. It even got me thinking (inspired?) that maybe I should start to model the modern-day railway scene instead of always focusing on the 1950s !?!

At any rate, we only paid $25 for this loco! So, is it a reasonably good loco that we bought for a deal -- or is it a waste of money since we're already having problems with it?

Thanks, Rob
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I'm not a Bachmann expert, but the box suggests this isn't current production, and it may be 20 or more years old. In addition, it looks like they had different production runs with different paint for Canada. The Bachmann models I've gotten in the past 20 years or so have never had traction tires -- biggest problem with some is the wheels, which get dirty quickly. This looks like a B23-7, though, and I'm not sure if that's in their current catalog. $25 for a loco that runs at all isn't a bad price these days, anhow. If it runs and you're more or less satisfied, great! You might try lubing the motor bearings, which will probably quiet it down some. If it's that old, it probably needs it.

Bachmann models have steadily improved over the years. They had a bad reputation starting in the 1960s and 70s, when they were cheap junk. They've had a long way to come, but they've definitely been working on it, and their latest models, GP7, FA-2, RS-3, and S-4 are in the B to B-plus range at least.

Regarding your coupler problem, change them out for Kadees. The Bachmann couplers are all plastic and they will not hold up. You can get a couopler with a longer shank form Kadee to take care of the problem with it derailing the car behind the locomotive.

jwb Wrote:I'm not a Bachmann expert, but the box suggests this isn't current production, and it may be 20 or more years old. In addition, it looks like they had different production runs with different paint for Canada. The Bachmann models I've gotten in the past 20 years or so have never had traction tires -- biggest problem with some is the wheels, which get dirty quickly. This looks like a B23-7, though, and I'm not sure if that's in their current catalog. $25 for a loco that runs at all isn't a bad price these days, anhow. If it runs and you're more or less satisfied, great! You might try lubing the motor bearings, which will probably quiet it down some. If it's that old, it probably needs it.

Bachmann models have steadily improved over the years. They had a bad reputation starting in the 1960s and 70s, when they were cheap junk. They've had a long way to come, but they've definitely been working on it, and their latest models, GP7, FA-2, RS-3, and S-4 are in the B to B-plus range at least.

Interesting, as I think even back then, there were two levels of quality. The junk seems to have been those lightweight locos with pancake motors (mounted directly to the truck, only one truck powered) and traction tires.

But the Bachmann diesel that I got as a 7 year-old (1977) is very heavy, and has the traditional centre-mounted motor powering both trucks via universals. Yes, it has the "fire in the cab" lighting, but it ran smoothly and quietly after sitting in a box for 20+ years.

Important thing is that if you feel it was worth the $25, and you'll use it, then no worries.


Andrew

jwb Wrote:I'm not a Bachmann expert, but the box suggests this isn't current production, and it may be 20 or more years old. In addition, it looks like they had different production runs with different paint for Canada. The Bachmann models I've gotten in the past 20 years or so have never had traction tires -- biggest problem with some is the wheels, which get dirty quickly. This looks like a B23-7, though, and I'm not sure if that's in their current catalog. $25 for a loco that runs at all isn't a bad price these days, anhow. If it runs and you're more or less satisfied, great! You might try lubing the motor bearings, which will probably quiet it down some. If it's that old, it probably needs it.

Bachmann models have steadily improved over the years. They had a bad reputation starting in the 1960s and 70s, when they were cheap junk. They've had a long way to come, but they've definitely been working on it, and their latest models, GP7, FA-2, RS-3, and S-4 are in the B to B-plus range at least.

Thanks! I might try lubricating it then. You're right, the box does old -- almost a '70s look! -- yet the loco appears clean and new.

MasonJar Wrote:

jwb Wrote:I'm not a Bachmann expert, but the box suggests this isn't current production, and it may be 20 or more years old. In addition, it looks like they had different production runs with different paint for Canada. The Bachmann models I've gotten in the past 20 years or so have never had traction tires -- biggest problem with some is the wheels, which get dirty quickly. This looks like a B23-7, though, and I'm not sure if that's in their current catalog. $25 for a loco that runs at all isn't a bad price these days, anhow. If it runs and you're more or less satisfied, great! You might try lubing the motor bearings, which will probably quiet it down some. If it's that old, it probably needs it.

Bachmann models have steadily improved over the years. They had a bad reputation starting in the 1960s and 70s, when they were cheap junk. They've had a long way to come, but they've definitely been working on it, and their latest models, GP7, FA-2, RS-3, and S-4 are in the B to B-plus range at least.

Interesting, as I think even back then, there were two levels of quality. The junk seems to have been those lightweight locos with pancake motors (mounted directly to the truck, only one truck powered) and traction tires.

But the Bachmann diesel that I got as a 7 year-old (1977) is very heavy, and has the traditional centre-mounted motor powering both trucks via universals. Yes, it has the "fire in the cab" lighting, but it ran smoothly and quietly after sitting in a box for 20+ years.

Important thing is that if you feel it was worth the $25, and you'll use it, then no worries.


Andrew

Thanks, Andrew! I'm no expert on pancake motors, but it does give off a high-pitched whirring noise when running -- which is how I think pancake motors sound! I haven't opened it up yet, but I think the motor might be right over the powered truck that had the traction tires !

Russ Bellinis Wrote:Regarding your coupler problem, change them out for Kadees. The Bachmann couplers are all plastic and they will not hold up. You can get a couopler with a longer shank form Kadee to take care of the problem with it derailing the car behind the locomotive.

Thanks -- I'll try that too. I'll try to use a longer Kaydee coupler.

Rob

The traction tires have probably dried out. Dried tires fall off easily. If it has traction tires, it is a "pancake motor" unit. For just running in a loop, they were okay. For slow running or switching, they were more of a pain. My brother had a bachmann GP30 that also had electrical pickups on the powered truck, and it ran much, much better than my F9 that had pickups on only the unpowered wheels.

Rob:
Does the car that derails have truck mounted couplers? that can be a problem is the loco couplers are body mounted. Or the other way around.

If you get a lot of locos with traction tires coming off, you might look at Bullfrog Snot. Even though the small tin costs about as much as your loco. (And you may have to hide the label away from your kids. Or your wife. :oops: )

BR60103 Wrote:Rob:
Does the car that derails have truck mounted couplers? that can be a problem is the loco couplers are body mounted. Or the other way around.

If you get a lot of locos with traction tires coming off, you might look at Bullfrog Snot. Even though the small tin costs about as much as your loco. (And you may have to hide the label away from your kids. Or your wife. :oops: )

The traction tires have probably dried out. Dried tires fall off easily. If it has traction tires, it is a "pancake motor" unit. For just running in a loop, they were okay. For slow running or switching, they were more of a pain. My brother had a bachmann GP30 that also had electrical pickups on the powered truck, and it ran much, much better than my F9 that had pickups on only the unpowered wheels.
--
Kevin

Thanks David & Kevin.

I was experimenting with it tonight and found out a few things related to what you say:

-- yes, the freight car that derailed does have a truck-mounted coupler while the loco has body-mounted couplers. However, the coupler on the front end of the loco is basically identical to the problematic coupler -- and it connects to and hauls freight cars no problem. I did notice, though, that the problematic coupler has lost its "springiness," i.e. it no longer snaps back into place as the other coupler does, so I'm wondering if that's the problem -- the couplers are the old hook/horn type.

-- Kevin, I suspect you're right -- that the traction tires have dried out with age. However, I was running the loco round the track tonight hauling 3 freight cars and at low speeds. I might have some traction tires that I bought for my tender-drive locos that might fit, you never know.

-- David, I've heard of Bullfrog Snot before but didn't realize it was so expensive -- good to know it works well though.

Having said all this, it looks like, with some TLC and patience, I might be able to get this loco to run fairly well on my layout.

Does anyone know if CP Rail actually ever used or uses this type of Diesel? It's a GEU33B. Or is it one of those cases where the model train manufacturer simply decided to paint a model in the paint scheme of a railroad that never used it?

Thanks,
Rob

In the $25 range I go with Athearn Blue Box engines or Bachmann Spectrums. But for GE engines they are poor examples of them from both companies.

RobertInOntario Wrote:Does anyone know if CP Rail actually ever used or uses this type of Diesel? It's a GEU33B. Or is it one of those cases where the model train manufacturer simply decided to paint a model in the paint scheme of a railroad that never used it?

Thanks,
Rob

Ahhh, I see, a U33B! This is definitely old production, with a pancake motor. Not too many railroads had these -- offhand, I think Rock Island, SCL, Auto Train, and Penn Central. Certainly not CP. If you can get it to run, more power to you, but I'd say bluebox Athearn will always be a somewhat better bet than a Bachmann this old.

Rob:
the coupling problem is more that the body mounted coupler swings out more than a truck mounted coupler and pulls the lighter car off the tracks. I don't think tired springs will cause that problem -- they are more in the unwanted uncoupling line.

Rob the incompatibility with truck mounted or talgo couplers and body mounted couplers is that the truck mounted couplers follow the center of the track around curves. Body mounted couplers will always swing towards the outside of the curve. The tighter the radius the worse the problem becomes.

RobertInOntario Wrote:Thanks! I might try lubricating it then. You're right, the box does old -- almost a '70s look! -- yet the loco appears clean and new.

That is because it is from the mid 70s! my fleet of Metroliner MU cars are all from that same time with the same box. 80s/90s bachmann had a white box that may be more familiar.

Your model is U36B, not a U33B (to be fair, they are similar).

Taken from the Bachmann Collector's Resource-




"U36B Diesel Locomotive
CP Rail

Made for the Canadian market, the CP Rail U36B does not appear in Bachmann's annual product catalogs. The CP Rail example was offered in the U.S. as an exclusive offering from a mail order hobby shop, SMC located in California. SMC lists the CP Rail U36B and a few other Canadian Bachmann offerings as exclusive items in a mid-'76 advertisement. "

The original drive-



The mid 70s drive with "pancake" motor