Gauge 1, 1:22.5-scale coach and combine
Bachmann Trains
1400 East Erie Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19124
Price: $139
Website: www.bachmanntrains.com
All plastic gauge-1 coach and combine; insulated metal wheelsets; truck-mounted working knuckle couplers; hook-and-loop couplers also supplied; track-powered interior lighting; interior details; sliding door on the combine
Pros: Attractive passenger stock; good paint and graphics; interior detail and lighting
Cons: Trucks not free rolling
Underbody detail is limited and what is there is molded into the underside of the floor. There are black plastic truss rods, end rails, brake wheels, and smokejacks. Trucks are all plastic (except for the wheelsets) and carry Bachmann’s truck-mounted knuckle couplers. Hook-and-loop couplers are also supplied, and can be easily swapped out. Interior detail includes seats in both cars, and a partition between the baggage and passenger compartments on the combine.
Each car has interior illumination—two bulbs per car, up against the clerestory roof. Each bulb is encased in a sort of light-conducting strip made of pink plastic. When the lights are on, they cast a rosy glow over the interior of the car, reminiscent of some aspects of the Old West. I discovered there is an on-off switch under the floor of each car, for turning the lights off during daytime running.
The light bulbs are powered by track power, that being picked up via contacts on each of the wheels. These contacts are thin strips of spring copper that bear directly on the flanges of the wheels. While they conduct the electricity just fine, they also cause considerable drag on the wheels, causing the cars not to be free rolling. If you’re pulling a relatively short train with a strong engine, this may pose no difficulty.
However, a longer train and/or weaker engine could cause problems. One solution, which would also provide constant lighting, would be to convert the lighting to battery power and eliminate the wheel contacts.
These cars, with their attractive paint and ornate lettering and lining, definitely look the part. They are well proportioned and reasonably well detailed, and would make up an authentic narrow-gauge train.
My newest use of these cars was to kitbash a diner from a combine and a coach. I cut the seats off the floor, reversed them and installed small tables between them. Now, I’d probably 3D print the tables, but then I used roofing nails and scrap plastic. I then put LEDs in the car, added Kadee #1 couplers and painted it dark blue and silver with silver trucks.
I’ve got about half a dozen of these cars. No three of them wer exactly alike when I got them. Now they all have Kadee #1 couplers, track powered LED lights, and custom paint and lettering. I even put together printed circuit boards to take variable track power and convert it to constant dc voltage. Also put large capacitors to hold the voltage while running over dirty track. The kits are hard to find, as I’m sure they are out of production. I find them and used ones at my garden rr club, swap meets, shows, etc.
Loved Bachmann’s kits and most all of my rolling stock was built around them. These passenger cars were available as kits but I can’t find them any where now.
Always wondered about the “pink” plastic. I have replaced the lights with yellow LED lamps + condenser module for stopped lighting. To me, yellow is more indicative of old oil lamps in the cars. Also switched the clerestory pink with frosted Plexiglas just because of my own distaste for the pink.
Bachmann trucks are identical to LGB and you can install the LGB power pick ups. The stock Bachmann pick ups also are unreliable eventually you will get arcing that will burn out the all lights in the car. They are still great cars but you need to do some retrofitting if you want the lights to work.