I bought this 2-4-2 T a few years ago & am very unhappy with its performance. It barely pulls itself up my 3% grade on my garden RR. My Lehman Porter makes it up with no trouble with 3 all metal cars, as does my Hartford Mack switcher. Is there room inside for more weight or do I have a more serious problem? I use a Star Tech Hogger & a MRC 20 which provide enough power. Any help will be appreciated. Jerry
Jerry,
As I recall the Bachmann 2-4-2 T has always been a very poor performer and was never in the Spectrum class of quality. I had purchased the tender version off ebay and all it’s turned out to be is a small supply of parts for some other projects. I think adding more weight to it may help but you have to be careful in the amounts since frim what I’ve seen of the drive system it’s very weak and to much weight could cause it to destroy itself. I’M sure some others with more hands on experience with this loco will also reply.
Jack
Thanks, I know what you mean about drive train problems. I had to pin the gear to the axle in my other 2 Bach. engines. Thought I was gettiin some quality because it was in the Spectrum line. Jerry
The 2-4-2T has been long out of production.
ZERO parts interchange with the 2-4-2 tender version.
Any weight and it’s gears, then motor.
Just be careful.
TOC
I had the same problem with the 2-4-2 Columbia version, so this is what I did to mine…
Heres more on it:
Great looking Loco…but will it go up a grade? Sounds like I’m stuck with a display model…Jerry
Two Aristo drive blocks each w/ 2lbs of weight and add the boiler weight from the Columbia, so, yes, it will pull up a grade.
The Bachmann Southern 2-4-2T was an early loco designed over in England. It was part of the Spectrum line, but not Spectrum quality. I heard somewhere that it was Silver line quality (if that ever even existed). A very poor hauler. The best it will probably do is to pull itself and one very light car up 1% grade. 2% just itself. 3% stall.
The Bachmann Coal Creek 2-4-2T was a redesign here in America. It is a little bit better, but not much, than the Southern 2-4-2T.
The Bachmann 2-4-2 with tender was a spin off from the Coal Creek version. It is not any better than the other two.
While were here. The Bachmann 2-6-0 Indy Mogel is just a 2-4-2 boiler/cab with new running gear. It can’t haul much either.
If you want a small Bachmann loco that can haul, a 0-4-0 Porter or 0-4-0 Tank would be your best choice.
Well, no good news yet .
You could use it to:
Model a wash track next to an eninge house.
Hold papers from flying around on your workbench.
Model a train wreck at the base of a tall trestle.
Lots of ideas can be thought of.
In the old days, some folks re-powered with an ex-lgb Stainz drive.
Another idea is a powered boxcar and yank the motor out of the engine (like a TYCO Chattanooga Choo-Choo).
Someone HERE did this, its in the Scratchbuilding forum somewhere, Bob Grosh I think did it
Stainz/Lyn conversion, here it is…
Thanks for the reply, this is a little more than i planned to do right now. I do have a Lehman porter that is probably the same as the german 0-4-0. Will keep that conversion in mind… Thanks again. If anyone would like pictures of my metal scratch built cars & detailed locos contact me with your email adddess. I’ve not figured out how to post pictures yet. Jerry
Jerry, Check the top of the forum - rene locked a post of mine on how to post pictures it is easy and you can even COPY AND PASTE some
Dave
“Metal cars”??? No wonder the 2-4-2T can’t pull. Then again, it can’t pull any cars to begin with[#dots].
Can’t see why your 2-4-2T won’t pull a half decent load. I have one here in NZ and it will quite easily pull 4 box cars and a Caboose up a 3% grade. Does it have the weights in the Water Tanks?
I haven’t taken it apart, but it’s pretty heavy. I guess that’s my next step. They probably sent the good ones to NZ. Jerry
Will one of you fine gentlemen post a pic of this poor performing Bachmann loco so I will know for sure which one to avoid? Thanks.
Here is a better picture: “ANY Bachmann 2-4-2 (tank or tender) is crap as a hauler”. There are some factory Bach 2-4-2s out there that are actually good. But a lot of them have been modified by previous owners to actually pull some cars.