Author Topic: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I  (Read 1553 times)

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One of One-Sixty

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Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« on: June 13, 2013, 01:14:13 PM »
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A year or two maybe more there was a company working on making adapters for the Bachmann Amfleet couplers.  Did these ever come to fruition?

Has anybody been able to get these to roll as good as the kato ones?

Anybody had any luck stripping off the Amtrak Livery without messing up the rest of the paint?
“My deeds must be my life. When I am gone, they will speak for me.”- Stephen Girard

Modeling a modern Pennsylvania Railroad 1996-Present

trainforfun

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2013, 03:52:56 PM »
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I sent that guy money to buy some sets and never got anything in return , he was also the maker of box to put in pick up trucks in N scale , it was all in the same order never got anything . I don't remember his name or company name ( senior moment here ..)
The thing is now Bman cars are made with the MT compatble couplers already installed , I tried to contach them to get replacement ( not for free ) and they told me the parts were not available ...
Whatever you do they will still roll like a ton of bricks on "rough" asphalt unless you remove the power pick up and even then ...
Side by side with KATO they are not on par .
Thanks ,
Louis



u18b

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2013, 04:29:08 PM »
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My Kato F40PH can pull eight cars.

 :D

Working on article.
Ron Bearden
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"All get what they want-- not all like what they get."  Aslan the Lion in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis.

u18b

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2013, 05:39:11 PM »
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Here is a 5 1/2 minute video proving it.

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See also my web page:   http://u18b.com

Ron Bearden
CSX N scale Archivist
http://u18b.com

"All get what they want-- not all like what they get."  Aslan the Lion in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis.

One of One-Sixty

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2013, 07:55:53 AM »
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Thanks for the info about them retrofitting the Amfleets once again so that MT couplers already installed.  Headed over to the B-Mann websiite and it seems that while there is some, trying to find them is the key. All my AmCafe Cars and HHPs have their specially designed Rapido style couplers.  I'll keep an out out for them. 

Was thinking about trying to swap the undersides and trucks of Bachmann ones with Kato in hopes of better running and appearances.

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Modeling a modern Pennsylvania Railroad 1996-Present

peteski

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2013, 01:02:38 PM »
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The thing is now Bman cars are made with the MT compatble couplers already installed , I tried to contach them to get replacement ( not for free ) and they told me the parts were not available ...
Whatever you do they will still roll like a ton of bricks on "rough" asphalt unless you remove the power pick up and even then ...
Side by side with KATO they are not on par .

I did not know that the new B-mann Amfleets have their "new" giant knuckle couplers. Myst be even newer run than the ones I have.  The cars I have are the new style but they still have body mounted Rapido couplers on very long pivoting shanks.

The new trucks roll better than ten the original ones and have more details.  U have tried to make them more free rolling but I achieved only marginal improvement.  But even Kato trucks don't roll all that well. It is the inside bearing design that causes the problem.

The way I see it, the only way to make these roll more freely would be to use very small diameter axles made from hardened steel (for rigidity).  Something like 0.010" would most likely roll much better (if thin brass sheet with a hole in it was used for a bearing).

For a simple fix, replacing the trucks using Kato's might work.
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Ike the BN Freak

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Re: Couple of Questions About B-mann Retooled Amfleet I
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2013, 06:22:59 PM »
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I sent that guy money to buy some sets and never got anything in return , he was also the maker of box to put in pick up trucks in N scale , it was all in the same order never got anything . I don't remember his name or company name ( senior moment here ..)

Sounds like Mocolova works parts.  Saw some of their stuff, they had some cool stuff, just never ordered from them.