# Bachmann 2-8-0 outside frame, 1:20.3?



## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

Don't seem to find a lot of info on these, a few videos on YouTube. When were they made? Pros and Cons? Thinking I want one to go with my Shay and Climax. Bill


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, 

I'm sure you could do a search of this forum and find quite a bit of discussion on the Bachmann 1/20.3 outside frame 2-8-0. BOTH pro and con. I'm not exactly sure when this loco was introduced, but I do remember seeing it at a few shows about eight years ago. I bought mine about three and a half years ago.....new from Gold Coast for about $150 IIRC. They have gear problems and if you find one, you will have to replace the gears OR purchase a Barry's Big Trains new drive. I purchased a BBT drive and will install this fall as a project. It already has Airwire/Phoenix sound installed. I have run it sparsely and seems to be a great little locomotive. I am still in the process of adding Trackside Details parts to make it unique. Hope you find one. Good luck.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, its pretty unlikely you bought one new for $150.. 
the lowest they got was $250!  
I know because I watched the prices for years..finally bought one when the price hit $250 in 2009. 
now they are about $275. 

Annies you can get for $150, but Connie's lowest was $250. 

Scot


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Scottychaos on 02 Oct 2011 03:59 PM 
Gary, its pretty unlikely you bought one new for $150.. 
the lowest they got was $250!  
I know because I watched the prices for years..finally bought one when the price hit $250 in 2009. 
now they are about $275. 

Annies you can get for $150, but Connie's lowest was $250. 

Scot 
No Scotty, you are WRONG. I paid about $150 for my Connie in early 2008, either February or March. This price was give or take $10. You weren't watching those prices close enough. I personally called Hans and this was the price he quoted me. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Chris Walas about getting a Connie at that time and he was the one that steered me to Hans and Gold Coast Station. If I can find the sales slip, I'll scan it and send to you!







I certainly don't want to get into a pissin' match over this.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

geez gary, lighten up man.. 
if there is a pissin' match going on, you are the only one 'pissin..  

and you said "IIRC"..which suggested to me that you werent sure, and you perhaps didnt RRC.. 

might have been confusing it with something else..
NOW you magically are absolutely certain..funny how that works. 


Well I must have missed the $150 then! 
must have been a very short-lived deal..never saw it in Garden Railways mag either..you lucked out! 

Scot


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

No pissin' match! Lately man, you have been on the case of Barry about the so-called generations of Annie's. In that instance, I stayed out of that because I believe you two were talking about "apples and oranges"....a point of view. When I said IIRC was because I wasn't really sure about EXACTLY $150. Could have been $160 or whatever. WHAT I am saying is it was NOWHERE near $250-$275 as you remarked. Man this was over three and a half years ago and at 68 years old, I'm lucky to remember six months ago. Jeeeezh! If you recall, I said I made a personal call to Hans to get a price. He sold a lot of stuff pretty much how he felt that day. Howard Sheldon, Chris Walas, John Coradini and I would go up to Ventura and he would make very cool deals at the drop of a hat. Next day, not so much. 

Now that you seem to be the expert on all things Bachmann, how about getting this back on track and giving Bill what he asked for in the first place and not going after my recollection. OK? 

Your reaction and those of many of the old timers on this site, have made it damn near impossible to post anything without reprecussions or inuendo. Everybody knows everthing there is to know, then why in the **** even have a forum for discussion?


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

I've had this one for years, it is battery power and has somewhere around 200 or 300 hours on it with (knock on wood) the original gears, is a great runner and is still going strong.....










for more on my* 2-8-0 "Connie"* click here


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, 
sorry you are having a bad night..but I refuse to take responsibility for your cranky mood. 
the other thread has absolutely nothing to do with this one..if you want to make them somehow connected, you will have to do it without me. 
im not going to play your little game. 
Scot


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, 
there have been issues with the Connie motor coming loose, and has to be tightened back down.. 
some people have reported having had loose motors right from the start, 
when the locomotive was brand-new! there was a thread about it, but sadly its now gone.. 
I will see if I can dig up some info on that.. 

I bought a Connie to use a bash..still not done! but I hope to have it done this winter: 










Havent run it yet, so I cant comment on that..but from most reports, apart from the loose motor issue, it seems to be well liked locomotive.. 
(and the motor issue probably only effects a small percentage of Connies, and wouldn't necessarily be a problem with yours, if you bought one..my motor seems fine.) 

Scot


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's my Connie sitting on one of four arch bridge spans. Need to go over a large garden area. BTW, bridges are made of ABS and cut by numerical control routers. 

Scot,

I apologize for taking this conversation off track. NOT for the 150 bucks for the loco. By gones, be bygones. Life is too short for this. Peace.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Gary Armitstead on 02 Oct 2011 09:08 PM 

Scot,

I apologize for taking this conversation off track. NOT for the 150 bucks for the loco. By gones, be bygones. Life is too short for this. Peace.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

The # TEN-LOC installation kit I make has instructions written especially for the CONNIE.

It shows *HOW TO FIX LOOSE CONNIE MOTORS*.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Found it! 
I thought it disappeared with the lost archive, but its still here afterall..
here is the thread about the loose motor screws, and how to fix them..
then thread then goes on to offer much more connie goodness:

Bachmann Connie thread from 2009

Scot


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

As others have mentioned with the outside-frame 2-8-0, it's not a matter of _if_ the main gear is going to fail, but _when._ However, don't let that be a deterrent. (Mine lasted 7 years of fairly heavy service before it finally gave up.) They're phenomenal locomotives, and the gears are easy-ish to replace. If you want a low-cost replacement, Northwest ShortLine makes a Delrin replacement gear (Part #2226-6) that sells for $12.95 I think. I've had other locos with NWSL's delrin gears in them in long-term service, and the gears have proven very robust. They "should" give you good, long service without worries. The "fix it right and forget it" solution is a Barry's Big Trains motor and gearbox kit. That'll set you back $200, but considering the low cost of the loco for what you get, where else are you going to get that combination of good looks and smooth running for under $500? And with a little work here and there, the loco can take on completely different appearances. Here are three that I've done: 




























One more thing to keep in mind--you'll want to make tightening the screws that hold the counterweights in place part of your regular maintenance on the loco. You could use Loc-Tite, too, but I like being able to unscrew screws when necessary, too. A once-over with a small phillips-head screwdriver once every few runs is more than sufficient to keep things in check. 

Later, 

K


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## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

Thanks for the info, references, and pics, Guys! Just one of those engines that captures my imagination. I can see the Shay, or Climax, hauling a load of logs out of the woods, and the 'Connie' hauling the load with some box cars/freight out to the mainline. I found a Y.Pines on Trainworld for $275 which I've put in my order.....so waiting now, seems like the price was all over the map. I've got to learn weathering! Seems this one begs for the appearance of age and heavy use. Bill


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## GnTRailroad (Apr 3, 2009)

I really like this engine but have not got one due to the tight radius turns I have. Is a 5' radius required for this engine?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

A 5' radius (10' diameter) is not required. It will fit around an LGB 1600 curve (just under 4' radius/8' diameter) without trouble. Folks have reported getting it around a curve as tight as 2.5' radius (5' diameter), but it looks ridiculous doing so. 

Later, 

K


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## GnTRailroad (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for the help!


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 

Wish I had your talent for photography. Great shots of the loco! 

Best, 
TJ


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Kevin, 
The connie you did for your dad. Did you extend the smoke box or did you just shorten the front deck? I cant remember if you ever did a builders log of it..


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Gary Armitstead on 02 Oct 2011 03:22 PM 
Bill, 

They have gear problems and if you find one, you will have to replace the gears OR purchase a Barry's Big Trains new drive. 



I had mine for a number of years, but it never would pull anything. It has a weak motor and it finally split the main drive gear. I recently bought a BBT replacement motor and drive train as mentioned above and installed it. This completely transforms the locomotive into a nice smooth running and powerful engine. But, the replacement kit costs as much as the locomotive, at $250. However, I would not get the locomotive unless you plan on making this change. During the installation I got a good look at how the engine is constructed and it is a well engineered unit except for the drive train. The other chronic problem as mentioned above somewhere is the counter weight screws coming loose. I finally put some loctite on mine and hopefully it will hold as I got tired of continually having to tighten them. The BBT replacement kit contains stainless steel replacement screws for these counter weight screws as he recognizes them as a problem.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Jake, yes. The smokebox is extended. There's a PVC plumbing fixture that's almost perfectly the right diameter. It's got a threaded end that goes inside the smokebox, then the outside is rounded. I forget what it is, but take the smokebox door with you to Home Depot and just start comparing it to all the fittings. 

Later, 

K


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks Kevin, 

I think I know what it is. I'll have to look for it.


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## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

Got mine from Trainworld the other day. Turned out to be a' hog' of an engine, I'm quite pleased. Tested it on 2' section of track just to make sure it ran, seems quite smooth. Seems like this crys out for a sound system. What have you guys used, or tried, in this? Buying the engine blew my meager budget, so I'll have to save my pennies! Bill


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Cap'nBill on 13 Oct 2011 06:02 PM 
Got mine from Trainworld the other day. Turned out to be a' hog' of an engine, I'm quite pleased. Tested it on 2' section of track just to make sure it ran, seems quite smooth. Seems like this crys out for a sound system. What have you guys used, or tried, in this? Buying the engine blew my meager budget, so I'll have to save my pennies! Bill

It IS a beefy engine! After I bought mine, I waited a few months and purchased a Phoenix P5 sound card and had Airwire installed. It does sound very nice. I just have to get my BBT new drive installed now and this thing will be bullet-proof!


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Mine has a Sierra Sound System (no longer made). Sounds great, I have not yet converted it over to battery power, so I use it mostly for the Railroad Museum display. 

You've got a lot of options. Look in the sound forums and you will definately get some answers and opinions.


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## BarrysBigTrains (Sep 4, 2008)

Just a little note on Loctite. Especially 222, it is not classed as permanent, but is "adjustable", which means it can be removed easily and reused.

Each Loctitie type has it's own set of applications, 222 is for small nuts and bolts and is the only one offered for them.

Barry - BBT


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I work in the optical industry. We use some stuff called "Threadlocker" (Blue bottle, Red liquid) it is sold by NAPA. It has always worked better than loctite on eyeglass screws. It is not permanent either but holds the screws better. You need to heat up the screw for it to come out easily after putting Threadlocker on it.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Another thing you can do that will give your Connie a new "dimension" is to add a snowplow to it! Here's a shot of my Connie with an Accucraft C&S #60 "butterfly" plow added. It has been modified with an Accucraft rounded sand dome from a DRGW #346 (it was still brand spank'n new in this picture) along with a modified tender using real coal and an Accucraft C-16 air tank (if I had to do it over again, I would have used the C-19 tank.) Since this picture, I have added classification lamps to the front. The unit is r/c battery controlled with an RCS Elite 3 and Sierra digital sound. The engine is one of my favorites:


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## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

That plow does look cool! Not sure where you're at, but up here, a plow is needed in winter. I built a 'Westside Lumber' plow I push around after a snow.


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## Cooke (Aug 26, 2012)

Steve Stockham said:


> Another thing you can do that will give your Connie a new "dimension" is to add a snowplow to it! Here's a shot of my Connie with an Accucraft C&S #60 "butterfly" plow added. It has been modified with an Accucraft rounded sand dome from a DRGW #346 (it was still brand spank'n new in this picture) along with a modified tender using real coal and an Accucraft C-16 air tank (if I had to do it over again, I would have used the C-19 tank.) Since this picture, I have added classification lamps to the front. The unit is r/c battery controlled with an RCS Elite 3 and Sierra digital sound. The engine is one of my favorites:


I have an Accucraft plow to add to my Connie but can not figure out how to get it over the ends of the pilot beam without cutting it. Anyone besides Steve added this plow or know how to do it?
Thanks in advance.

Patrick


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

If I may add: Mine had been on the shelf for a few years. It had already been converted to battery and Loco Link, and after a short run the gears gave out. . Purchased replacements from NWSL and it still runs great. Easily pulls 3 Bachmann wood side passenger cars. LG


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I bought 5 of them, 3 of which had split gears as they came new in box. The other two still unused. I think some vendors in the USA send all their returned rejects overseas because they are unlikely to be shipped back. The vendor is no longer in business. 

Andrew


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

The prototype still exists, although she's not running at present. She is 30" gauge.

There was a great article, I believe here, on converting her to a D&RGW C-25...

Robert


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I believe it ran on the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico.
The 'Baker' valve gear and unusual headlight mounting is a dead givaway.
I think FCM No. 12 was much the same.










Andrew


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

Alder Gulch Railroad

"Engine No.12 was one of four 30-inch gauge outside-frame consolidations (2-8-0's) built by Baldwin for the Ferrocarril Mexicano in 1910. These were class E-2 engines rated at 134 tons for use on the Zacatlan Branch."

http://aldergulch.com/

Robert


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