# Bachmann 4-6-0 Anniversary Edition "ANNIE"



## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

I managed to trade for a Bachmann 4-6-0 Anniversary edition bottom, which is described by Bachmann as: 

With its operating headlight, smoke, and speed-synchronized sound, the 4-6-0 has long served as the backbone of our Large Scale line, providing motive power to Bachmann Big Haulers® sets for over two decades. With more than 1 million sold, the 4-6-0 has helped bring the hobby of model railroading to people around the world. Nicknamed the “Annie” by posters on the “Ask the Bach-Man” message board at www.bachmanntrains.com, we’re happy to offer this improved anniversary edition of the 4-6-0 Steam Locomotive with new metal gears and an updated lead truck. Combining these new features with metal siderods, separate piping, and all metal handrails, this 4-6-0 is a locomotive that Mr. Baldwin & Company would be proud to call their own.

All those improvements are great. The one I have is the yellow bumblebee. I have 12 or so cars for it to pull but I have no idea how to wire it. The bottom has 2 switches but the top only has one in the front under the front plate. 

1-Do both switches go in there? So I'll have to cut another hole? 
2-How do I connect the wires from the bottom to the top so I can put the top on? 

Like I said, the bottom has two switches wired and ready to go but the top has two black, one red wire, and one switch. I'll be glad to take a few photos if needed.

I have 4 or more yellow Bachmann 4-6-0 locos to pick parts from but none have metal gears, metal siderods, and handrails. This one will be the nicest one fer shure, just help me wire it and put it together.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Festus, the Annie 4-6-0 chassis part I ordered from Bachmann is already completely wired up.
It has two unmounted slide switches that go in the smokebox. One is for running direction polarity, the other for smoke. The two loose wires with tabs coming off the smoke switch go to the smoker. If you have given up smoking then those two dangling bits can be just cut off! 
The only other issue is the front headlight and a diode for directional running which I am not sure where Bachmann usually does that but power can be taken off the back of the smoke switch. 
You must have an earlier version or a plain Big Hauler 4-6-0 if the switches are in a different location. 

Did you ever do anything with your BuddyL 2-6-2 locomotives? This chassis can work well with them after some modification. 

Andrew


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Festus,

As I read this you are retrofitting an old locomotive with only one slot for a switch. You can cut another hole or just tuck the polarity switch inside the shell if you are happy with the polarity selection. I mounted the smoke switch in the smoke box like the original.

As for the wires the wires I'm guessing you mean for the headlight? Those should be soldered to the smoke unit switch just matching the poles that are already soldered from the power pick ups. Check your polarity first so that the light will still go on for the right direction.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

I will never care about smoke, so I can just forget about that switch right now. The other one?? Polarity? Doesn't my power supply handle that? None of my other locos have a switch like that for polarity but all my huge Aristo-Craft (well, SD-45??? I think) I haven't even looked yet because my new fence must go in before I can finish my main line/loop. It'll just be a big oval with 3-4 sidings but I'm excited to finally get the big stuff on the tracks. 

Nothing done with Buddy L because I'm laying the mainline and dealing with my pain which stops my work shift at about 30 minutes.

I have wires coming out of the top that concern me. Here's what I have: Black & white from the front lite to the front on/off switch. Then coming out of the switch, 3 black wires and one red wire. No smoker but I've never seen one, I just assume it should be under the smoke stack and it ain't. 

I guess I'll put the bottom on the track and see what it does (Both switches off???) then I'll know. 

What I like about this new Annie bottom is the metal parts. I am SO TIRED of the plastic parts breaking. If this loco gets put together right, it'll bee the bell of the ball with 10-12 cars behind it/all new w/metal wheels. 

Now, where is the smoker to put the switches?

You know, I have like 5-6 of these yellow bumblebee Bachmann 4-6-0 locos to choose from so I ought to find one that is nearly perfect. And I thought I did, then I reckon th smoker is missing. Or is it attached to the bottom?

Not knowing the wiring drives me to drink (Mt Dew of course). Once that's done, I just fit it on, screw it down and away we go. Oh yeah, and pick a tender. DOH!!!!!


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

*Old 4-6-0 top*

Here's the old top I'm trying to put on. Hope it works.


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

The polarity switch is to switch between NMRA or Large Scale standards. Double check how it's set before closing it in or your engine will run in the opposite direction as your other engines. That may not be a problem if you never doublehead.

The bare red and black wires are for the headlight just solder those to the same switch used to for the smoke unit except wire them in parallel. The black wires with the terminals are from the smoke unit and I believe that that is the end that actually connects to the unit. It seems in your write up that it's already removed. Bachmann uses a funny ceramic crucible with a heater coil. If there is not ceramic piece it's gone.

It seems like you still have the original switch mounted in the smoke box. I've taken that out during my rebuilds and used the one that came with the "Annie" chassis. I recommend taking the old switch out so you have more room to solder and not worry about melting the plastic.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks. Lotta help. Hope I know what I'm doing now. That switch doesn't look like it's easy to get to. Is it? And should I try & put BOTH switches up front? Never made square hole before. The thing is, once this loco is done, it will pull the nicest looking passenger train I've ever seen. I have 12 or more cars but will only run 6 or 8.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Festus, if you never intend to run smoke just tape up that switch and terminal ends so they won't short out, bundle and stuff it in the boiler. The existing headlight wires can first be soldered to the back of the smoke switch, the terminals which are the common power source. Alternately you could cut the wires at the back of the smoke switch, removing the switch entirely and connect the headlight wires to them. You can then remove the existing fitted switch and fit the polarity switch in it's place.
To cut a square hole? Start with a regular round hole and use a square needle file to put four corners in it. 

Andrew


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

8 cars for the Annie is way too many.
I would limit it to 4 passenger or 5 freight cars.


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Festus,

I never worried about putting both switches in I just left the one switch in. You could just do as suggested in keeping the switch mounted but it's not hard to remove, the entire front face of the smoke box should just slide out of the smoke box mine have never been glued in and they have just been press fit. It you aren't comfortable pulling that off that is OK. Its probably easiest to cut out the new smoke switch as suggested and then just solder red to red and black to black. Tape up any bare wires or terminals and it should work. I usually tuck the polarity switch towards the back away from anything that moves. Feel free to tape that down and call it good since you don't need it.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

I want to get this right so pardon me if I repeat myself or ask dumb questions. This loco will pull the best looking yellow passenger train, including a yellow LGB caboose to match (either DOTS or #40755 D&RGW DROVER'S
CABOOSE or perhaps even both. I will never use or want a smoke unit, so that can get thrown away. But if it's easier, then lets just hook up all the black wires together and all the red wires together and we're good? Maybe try to be certain I have access to both switches through the front hatch, eh? Once I find the best top for the really cool bottom with all those metal parts, then I oughta be good, yeah?

One more..............if I want a 2nd yellow Bachmann 4-6-0, powered or dummy, just for looks, is there anything difficult to do? Except for a knuckle coupler up front on #2? Would you rather make #2 powered or a dummy?

Limiting my passenger cars to 4 or 5 would allow me to run two yellow passenger trains; one with a yellow Annie and one with Black. I like that just as much, or better. Many of the cars are dupes anyway, like the mail/freight (???)

Okay #3.............I have like 10 or more Bachmann 4-6-0's including 2 circus, about 5 yellow, a red, 2 green 2 blue, and 2 black. I'm sure I missed few. I want to put them all in a pile. Once that is done, then I look for parts and tenders, then assemble as many as I can? Perhaps advertise the rest as spare parts somewhere? BEST OFFER?

PLEASE ADVISE


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The Bachmann big haulers with plastic side rods are weak pulling engines, esp the older ones. I would limit the cars to 4.
The Annie (10th anniversary with metal side rods) is much better , but still I would limit the number of cars to no more than 6.

My Annie ran on 8 foot curves and only lasted 4 hours pulling what my LGB mogul has been pulling for 10 years. 8 4 axle cars with metal wheels outdoors.


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Festus,

I may have been too simple in my description. Just tape up the black wires with the terminals on the ends. You don't need those and soldering all black together will cause a short. Just solder the remaining black wire to the black wire on the smoke unit switch and red wire to red.

Hope that helps.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

Your wiring info was helpful thanks. The info on how crappy Bachmann Annie's are is very disappointing. It's too bad I couldn't find a Bachmann fan here in Utah with an extra mogul that would trade straight across for ALL my Bachmann 4-6-0 stuff. I'd gladly do it just to get my yellow passenger set with a dependable loco. 

I have a couple of contacts locally I'll put them on the project & see what they can find. 

Now I'm REALLY DEPRESSED. I suspected it all along but you confirmed it. 

How much is an LGB mogul worth these days?

I'll still draw a wiring diagram before I do anything if you don't mind just so I'm certain my Annie doesn't get killed before she has a chance to pull any cars at all.


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Festus,

Don't get discouraged. For the price the Annie is a great engine. LGB Moguls depending on condition of the locomotive and mental condition of the seller can range from $300ish to $700. The Bumblebee models tend to go for a bit more when I saw them listed. The Annie is half the price and well much less if you are taking the old body and just slapping a $50 chassis on.

I have a couple old ten wheelers that I rebuilt with the Annie chassis and for what I run them with it's more than adequate and much higher quality than the original chassis.

Your train will still look great and 8 cars seems pretty prototypical for that size of engine. Your train will look and run great.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

You can get LGB moguls for less than $200 if you look around.
I got a almost new repainted LGB mogul for $90.00 with the old analog sound.
Got a second one for $200.00.

both of these in the last 2 years!!


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Interesting point Dan and yeah just saw this listed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2119D-LGB-L...445?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1a027bd475

Pray the bidding stays low.

As I said a lot of it will depend on the condition of the loco AND the seller's mental condition.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

20% buyers premium doesn't sound right. Plus shipping. It'll cost the winner $300+ I bet. I prefer the Bachmann tender with the LGB Mogul though. I also wonder, if I owned this Mogul, what it would look like if I put 4 wheels on the front, then modeled the extension from the body to the cow catcher after the 2-8-8-2? Would that be too much?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

A 4-#-# type loco would have the pilot wheels under the cylinders, with one in front and one behind the cylinders, not both in front of them. If you wanted to add a 4-wheel pilot, you'd have to extend the boiler and cylinders forward to make room for the rear pilot wheel between the front driver and cylinders. While not implausible, definitely not a light task. 

I wouldn't give up on the "Annie" by any means. They're good runners. Dan's experience with his seems to be more of an outlier to many. The ones I've had cross my workbench for this or that have given me nothing to worry about in terms of performance, and run well for their owners. If I ever finish my 2-6-2 project, I'll have one in regular service on my own roster. 

Having said that, there are some considerations, and train length is one of them. In Dan's example, 8 cars going around an 8' diameter curve is a whole lot of drag. There's no debate that the LGB mogul motor is far stronger than the stock Bachmann motor, so it will be able to handle the significant drag much better. I've got 5' radius (10' diameter) curves on my line, and some of my locos slow bog down even on that with a train in tow. 

Fortunately, when it comes to narrow gauge passenger trains, they were almost always rather short affairs, rarely exceeding 4 or 5 cars (even the D&RGW's famed San Juan), with many being only being 2 or 3 cars long. You'd find longer trains for special events like railfan excursions or community picnics, but not on the daily trains. 

Later,

K


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