New Bachman 4-6-2 Streamlined K4 steam engine coal tender combo

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I just took delivery on the new Bachmann strealined 4-6-2 steam engine with DCC and TCS WOW sound .

Here’s my problem, I have never seen a coupling device like this and so far I can not figure out how to couple the tender to the engine.

Has anyone else purchased one of these engines and figured out how to couple the tender to the engine?

There are no directions in the box describing how to couple the two units together.

The engine uses a “Y” shaped yoke coupler, but I cannot see how it couples to the tender

It is now early AM Saturday morning, so I imagine I will not be able to contact Bachmann until sometime Monday.

If anyone can help, or show with drwaings or pictures, it would be appreciated.

For now I am stuck with a $400 paper weight!

The K4Kid

2

Does this help? Off bachmann’s web site.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/HOStreamlinedK4TenderAttachmentIS.pdf

Mike.

3

The response should work. I agree, not a very good design and no instructions.

I also saw an answer in the Bachmann HO forum. There are company reps there also with a lot of info. Bachmann has a very good site. Just Google Bachmann forums.

Edit.

This was from the Bach-man back in January. “Remove the screw under the front tender truck.
This will allow you to gently pry up the shell to slip the yoke between the body and the shell”.

Rich

4

Mike,

Thanks, I saw the instructions about removing or loosening the tender truck screws.

Seems like a lot of work to couple the tender to the engine.

I looked back through all the instructions that came with the engine, and this was not part of them.

I’ll take a look at the Bachmann forums.

I don’t know if I could modify this to a conventional draw bar without voiding the warranty.

I have never seen this kind of a draw bar setup before on any HO steam engine and tender.

I feel it is a very poor design.

This is a very nice steam engine otherwise.

Thanks for the help.

The K4Kid

5

Mike found the diagram at the Bachmann site on the Parts, Service and Information page. Also a Quick Start page for the K4. The Parts page shows different parts.

It appears the loco and tender are close coupled compared to the other K4’s. Might be the reason. Be carefull unpluging the connectors. Some have pulled out a wire.

I use a foam lined cradle when working on locos.

Good luck.

I see the Bachmann set up at a local train show once a year. Nice display.

I have some Bachmann HO locos.

Rich

6

Thanks Rich,

I also spoke with a LHS, and they too were mystified as how to couple the engine and tender.

They told me they lost three sales because of the issue.

They too had no instructions with the engines as to coupling them.

Bachmann needs to adress the issue.

How many hobbyists will purchase this engine and run into the same issue?

I am considering returning the engine.

I’ll buy one from some company other than Bachmann

Perhaps not the streamlined K4, but something else I won’t have to hassle partially disassembling to couple and engine to a tender.

Ed

7

I would join the Bachmann forums and address this to the Bach-Man, a Bachmann rep, but I know these are made in China so I doubt any changes will be made. Maybe better documentation with the loco.

Many modelers do not even know the Bachmann site, forums exist.

Bad that even a train shop was not made aware. Bachmann company should know that right from the train shop.

Rich

8

I went to the Bachmann Forums, and they requested that if I join the forums, I must submit a credit card number to them to join.

No thankyou!!!

They have no need for any credit card number from me!

Their wording is I would not be charged.

Sorry Charlie, Bachmann can go pound sand!

9

You must have had a hacked link. No one including me has ever been asked to use a credit card number to join.

There is a way to check out a site URL.

Some searches can bring up a valid and hacked site I found out.

I will not post my link because some here do not like it and the powers that be will delete it. They did once. Some Troll must have complained.

I have belonged for quite a few years. You better check your anti virus.

There are some here who belong to the forums.

Rich

10

I agree with Rich, you definetly had a bad link.

Here’s the main page.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/

Top of the page, look for “Ask The Bach Man Forum”

Get rid of what ever link you tried.

Mike.

11

From what I recall, https. not http. I saw discussions sometime ago. Not quite sure now.

Thanks Mike. He should get it. It worked fine for me. I signed in ok.

Rich

12

Ditto that, no fee to be on the Bachmann forum, the OP was on a scam site.

A few more thoughts:

Bachmann has used this drawbar design on a number of different locos over the last 20 years. Most did come with the tender attached in long skinny boxes - like the N&W J.

Maybe they decided this time a more normal box shape was desirable…?

But any hobby shop that could not fiqure it out is not some place I am going to rely on for information about his hobby…

Sure, Bachmann should have had that instruction sheet in the box, did you look under all the packaging? They did that once or twice before…

I don’t have the new streamlined K4, it is unlikely I would buy one (unless I decide to paint one up in my ATLANTIC CENTRAL colors, which I have considered), but I have a lot of Bachmann locos, and I am very happy with them.

Go ahead, send it back, do whatever makes you happy. But it seems pretty silly to miss out on this loco if you model PRR just because they left a piece of paper out of the box.

But what do I know, I’m one of those old guys who actually works on my model trains…

Sheldon

13

I’ve used the Bachmann forums for years, very helpful.

Your opinion seems to be different.

Happy Model Railroading, Ed

14

Yes. That new decoder is top of the line for running and sound. If you do not like sound, just turn off the sound. Some do not like sound.

Rich

15

You do not loosen the tender truck screws, there are screws in the floor that hold the tender body on. You loosen/remove them.

You think it’s a bad design? Well it allows the loco and tender to stay close coupled for better appearance and still go around sharper curves. It works very well, it’s not a new idea, you just never owned any of the other engines it has been used on.

Sheldon

16

At one time I spent a lot of time on the Bachmann forum, it has always been a great forum. I simply cut back on all online forums.

I just went on the Bachmann forum and logged in with no problems?

Sheldon

17

My password program thinks I registered, but Bachmann says I did not. I tried forgotted password and re-registrering and I can’t get a confirmation email out of them.

But at no time was I asked for a credit card. It was good you didn’t register at whatever that site was.

18

I had that, I emailed the on-line store, explained things and got an email back right away saying it would be taked care of, which it was.

Mike.

19

I used the Bachmann link that was shown here.

Since this afternoon, 3 times they have failed to send an actiavtion link to my email. I checked to make sure I gave them the proper email. LIke I said 3 times and it is a NO GO.

POssibly they don’t send out emails on the weekend.

As far as I am concerned I am DONE fooling with Bachmann, they can go pound sand!!! :frowning:

20

I removed the screws from the bottom of the tender.

It is so tight that I cannot get it to pop off , and Iam afraid I may break something.

It’s going back to Bachmann and they can keep their piece of junk!

I’ll buy a BLI steam engine instead