I recently checked the Bachmann website for heavyweight passenger cars and found they weren’t listed. Has Bachmann stopped marketing these?
The goat
I had my LHS order me a four-car set of Spectrum Heavyweights for the PRR about 13 months ago or so, and I had them within a few weeks. I do see them for sale on the odd retailer’s website, so some are still around. I suspect they have not done well against the Walthers ones, and they may be out of production. But I don’t really know.
-Crandell
There was a comment on the Bachmann site that there was a problem with the molds.
Also a comment by the Bachmann rep that they hoped the Heavyweights would be back but there was not definite answer.
One of the larger Internet vendors was recently selling the Spectrum Heavyweight 4 car sets for $39.00 a set, quite a drop from the usual pricing.
My LHS says he can no longer get them from Bachmann.
If there is to be another release, i would hope they do a better job of installing the couplers this time. Owners of these cars know what I mean.
Hi!
I have several of the Spectrum ATSF cars, and they are still often available from Ebay.
Mobilman44
I hope they don’t quit making them. I had my eye on a B&O set.[:(]
Yessirreee. I had to change all of mine. Not only did they not fit as packaged, but the plastic bags that contained the couplers and assorted gear in each car’s box were missing the screws in every single case. So, I just used Kadee items all around.
-Crandell
Which model number of Kadee’s did you use?
I have a set of four NYC Spectrums, and I’m happy with them. They come with interiors and lights. Got mine from Trainworld. What’s not to like. Haven’t had any problems with the couplers either.
What’s not to like about the Spectrum passenger cars? How about:
1). Horrible coupler mounts
2). Thick rivets on some of the cars (specifcally the coach and the combine)
3). Weak lighting system
4). Flexible floor frames on the Pullmans
5). Inaccurate paint schemes (especially for the New Haven ones)
That being said, they aren’t bad cars if you can get them cheap and paint 'em yourself, if you cut out the lighting, and if you replace those awful coupler mounts with a Jay-Bee mounting pad. That’s what I did to the 12 or so that I have. They do make a handsome looking train…much better than any Rivarossi or Con-Cor train, that’s for sure.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Don, all I have is #5’s, but I think I may have had a long-shank one, and I think in one case I may have used the overhung model, whichever one that is…the knuckle seems suspended from the shank, because that was what worked best between the two cars involved.
I didn’t feel confident with the cheaper plastic couplers they provided, but someone had removed items from each of the little bags, so I got something plundered. It made sense to just deal with it myself, and Kadees are my default.
-Crandell
The Rivarossi cars can be improved with a little work. [:-^]
CNR mountain observation car - from a Rivarossi coach:
Free-lanced 56 seat coach, from a Pullman:
Free-lanced diner, from the Rivarossi diner:
Solarium/observation, from a Pullman:
A 28 seat combine, from the Rivarossi diner:
A modified Rivarossi combine:
Another modified combine (powered):
And finally, another Rivarossi coach, rebuilt as a 73’ wood-sided CNR Horse Express car:
The “shorty” Athearn heavyweights also can be converted into many types of wooden baggage/express cars. [swg]
Wayne
Nice work,doctorwayne,nice work
Steve[bow]
…um…er… WOW! … Dr. Wayne, you certainly made your point. Excellent work.
I didn’t have any problems with mine; either the couplers or the paint schemes or what have you. I’m thoroughly satisfied (although I wish the interior lighting was LED so it would be brighter).
doctorwayne,
While Rivarossi cars can be “improved”, the Spectrums are still a better, more accurate model.
http://home.att.net/~pullmanproject/Riv_Bach_BL_compared.htm
As you can see in the link above, the Rivarossi cars are out of proportion by a significant degree. And while the Spectrums aren’t perfect, they are a lot closer to the prototype.
BTW, this does not touch on the roof problems with Rivarossi. The center section is too narrow. IMHO, doing all that work to a Rivarossi these days with Branchline kits available is inadvisable.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Personally, I find the over-size rivets on the Bachmann cars more disconcerting than the 4" height discrepancy (of which I was not previously aware) of the Rivarossi cars. As noted, the Bachmann cars may be a more accurate model of their prototype, but not much use unless you’re modelling that prototype or free-lancing.
As for the Branchline cars, I bought one but wasn’t too impressed, especially considering the price - nice enough if you just want to build a kit, but not something that I’d care to hack-up, then spend extra money to re-detail to match what I want. I can pick up three used Rivarossis, plus all the detail parts required, for about the same money as one Branchline kit, and I also get the enjoyment of doing the work. I also wasn’t impressed with the underbody details on the Branchline car: they’re generally nicely rendered, but I am not a fan of acetal plastic for detail parts. As for the height discrepancy, in a train the Branchline car is distinguishable from the Rivarossis only by the window arrangement. The difference in the clerestory widths, at .038", is about 3 1/2" in HO scale, hardly anything to get
I have a set from the late 80’s (PRR) and the swivel coupler design was a real problem.
Another thing I hope they improve is the trucks. They may look good, but I’ve had to replace all the 4 wheel trucks, the axle ends wore through the top of the truck frame, letting the frame hit the railhead.
Nope, actually I don’t. What’s wong with the coupler? Of the ~14 (George Washington, Daylight, one UP so far) I;ve had one of the GW’s coupler mount pull out of the connector arm,due to a three foot drop. but all the others have been fine. The UP had a cloned version of the Athearn Snap Lock box, the only one I’ve seen with that, and it’s a tad low when holding a Kadee, though the McHenry is fine at height. I will third (fourth?) the lighting comment. They don’t last very long at shows. but no coupler issues. I changed to 148s because people wouldn’t leave me alone about them.