Bachmann Black Powder

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi, I just purchased a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 with decoder. The doc
is EXTREMELY sparce in the box (yes, it is new). My question is about
a little sealed plastic bag, maybe 1 1/2 x 1 1/2. It contains
what looks like a black powder. Does anyone have any idea what this
stuff is? A general lubricant or for something specific? A weathering
agent? Something to put over the coal in the tender?

I tried the Bachmann/Rivarossi remotoring user group and their archives as well, but no response yet. I tried a search on this forum with zero hits. So, I’m still at a loss as to what this stuff is.
Thanks for your help. Ken

2

Extra loose coal to sprinkle on the tender deck.

3

Great! Thanks for the quick feedback. Ken

4

Could it be desiccant to absorb moisture from the package durning shipping.? You may want to E-mail Bachmann for more information on this mysterious “black powder”.
Good luck on your quest for an explaination.

Will

5

As noted, loose coal and/or soot.

Bob Boudreau

6

Kenkal,

I bought 2 Bachman Specturm 2-8-0 locos and neither of them had the black pouch in the box. I sent one of them back because it started squealing and acting irratic.

I just bought a Bachman Specturm USRA Heavy Mountain 4-8-2 and it came with the small packet of black powder. I think it may be graphite to keep the drive train dry lubed. I haven’t had a chance to read through everything yet to see if it tells you what that packet is for.

Bill

7

By the title, I thought maybe it was a method of dealing with one of the not-so-good Bachmann units that get out from time to time! Makes me wonder what black powder would do to one of their locos…

8

According to the Bachmann website, it’s coal. Any moisture absorbing stuff comes in a white paper packet. This is a clear plastic packet of scale coal, to put on the deck of the engine or on the tender etc.

9

p.s. this packet of coal is mentioned in the review of the Bachmann On30 2-8-0 in the new March-April 2006 Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette.

10

While the “coal” provided in the packages may be to scale I decided it looked rather wimpy, so I’ve opted to use plastic granules that probably equate to 2-3 inch lumps on my eight coal fired locos. It looks more impressive. I tell any “rivet counters” that the Grizzly Northern fireman prefer large lump coal since it lets them fire at the rate of 3 tons per hour when fighting up grades with a drag freight.
[:)]