Strasburg 89 from a Bachmann 2-6-0

[Ed Kapuscinski]

After this exchange in the weekend update thread a few weeks ago I decided it was time to actually Just Do It.

Ok, this is absolutely making want to do Strasburg 89 even more.

Do it.

Seriously, the Bachmann mogul is a very good starting point. I had mine done in a few nights of work. You just need to add/move a few key details to be really close, was not a difficult bash at all. The big ones are relocating the headlight to the front of the smokebox (it works because the LED is behind the smokebox door anyways, so you just drill through the back of the light housing and door), add triangular number boards and brass number plate (made of styrene), add steps from the running boards down to an extended step plate under the smokebox (styrene plate and GMM steps), and detailing up the tender (styrene, pb wire, etc). Mine is an E-7-a so the coal bunker needed some addition choping, 89 is from a slightly different class and has a bit of a larger bunker, which is even closer to the Bmann. The last big thing is simplifying the side rods to simulate inside valve gear, basically cut off the eccentric rod and eccentric crank, etc. I also changed the tender truck frames for archbar frames that I 3d printed... but thats because Im a glutton for punishement. Decals by micro scale or black cat...

So... that got me looking for the Bachmann engine. Thanks to my dad one recently arrived in the mail, so it's time to get to work!

I already have 90 in a more 80s scheme and arrangement to run with my vintage red cars so I I've decided I'm going to do 89 in her last pure Strasburg livery before she was made to look more like she did when working for CN.



This will allow me to recreate scenes like this with my Athearn brown cars.



Starting off, I have one question to get started: has anyone gotten sound into one of these small Bachmann tenders? I feel like it should be doable, but I'd love to see some inspiration.

In the meantime, I guess I need to go find myself those GMM ladders and figure out how I'm going to do that backup light.

[peteski]

Doesn't that model come with a ginormous unprototypical tender?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Doesn't that model come with a ginormous unprototypical tender?

No that's the 4-6-0.

There's a solution to that though too: https://conrail1285.com/fitting-a-minitrix-old-timer-tender-to-a-bachmann-4-6-0/

That reminds me, @Chris333 , you still have the engine that's going to be mated with, right?

[CNR5529]

I decided it was time to actually Just Do It.

YES!!! And doing the earlier version means less details to move around (the headlight being a major one).

I forgot to add in my previous post that I also replaced the front coupler with a z scale coupler to improve the looks.

[randgust]

Looking at that Bachmann tender and frame I was instantly caught by how much it resembled a Kato caboose frame in there, 8x8 pickup and wipers, which are a good thing.   You can splice and shorten a Kato caboose frame if you can't find the Bachmann tender, that's what's under three locomotives I've redone; the Rapido 2-6-0, the Atlas 2-6-0, and the PRR D16 4-4-0.   Do whatever you have to do to get 8x8 pickup with end-axles, that's worth the fight.

[R L Smith]

After this exchange in the weekend update thread a few weeks ago I decided it was time to actually Just Do It.

Yes, please do it. Because I need to modify a 2-6-0 to model Everett RR # 11 (formerly Bath & Hammondsport #11). I will need to add a third dome as well as sound and a backup light, so watching you do it may get me off my sorry tailfeathers and actually try it after watching what works - and what doesn't work - for you.

(Experience is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from someone else's experience...)   


Ron

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yes, please do it. Because I need to modify a 2-6-0 to model Everett RR # 11 (formerly Bath & Hammondsport #11). I will need to add a third dome as well as sound and a backup light, so watching you do it may get me off my sorry tailfeathers and actually try it after watching what works - and what doesn't work - for you.

(Experience is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from someone else's experience...)   


Ron

Hahahaha. Nice.

Have you seen the 11 in person? I think she's even smaller than 89 is. But like in this case "close enough is good enough" might apply.

She is a sweet engine though.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I currently have two big unresolved challenges:
1. Decals. All that striping sucks, as will spelling out Strasburg. I don't have a solution for that yet, but I'm working on it.
2. The steps at the front of the walkways. I don't love the idea of just using ladders and my dad started raiding his parts box and found the part from a Kato Mike that looks like it has possibilities.

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[garethashenden]

If you can find the GMM steam detail etch there are two different length steps on there.

[Hedron]

Watching this thread with interest as I have a set of Athearn Strasburg coaches. I probably would not go so far as to modify the boiler's physical details, but I'd like to at least get the livery to match the prototype.

[Dave V]

Yessssss!!!!!

Strasburg in the late 80s... Such great memories. And PRR 1223 and 7002 were still running. Man... Strasburg is still my happy place. Perhaps more than any other place on Earth. Since my parents left Lancaster a few years back, I haven't been. I need an excuse to go!

Ed, that's gonna be a sweet build. Is the Bachmann a better starting point than then Model Power/MRC 2-6-0?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yessssss!!!!!

Strasburg in the late 80s... Such great memories. And PRR 1223 and 7002 were still running. Man... Strasburg is still my happy place. Perhaps more than any other place on Earth. Since my parents left Lancaster a few years back, I haven't been. I need an excuse to go!

Ed, that's gonna be a sweet build. Is the Bachmann a better starting point than then Model Power/MRC 2-6-0?

Oh yeah, the Bachmann one is so close it's almost as if Bachmann looked at 89 and said "Lets do that, but make it simpler". The amount of stuff I have to do to make it correct is scarily little and, honestly, not all even that necessary if I didn't want to. Everything from air pump location to dome arrangement is pretty damn close. Now that I think about it, it's as close to a model of SRC 89 as their 44 tonners are to actual 44 tonners, lol.

I do not know why they HAVEN'T done a run painted up as 89. You'd think that'd be a money printer for them.

It's WAY closer than the MRC model (which I had originally really thought about using as a starting point for a while). The MRC model is a much beefier engine. It's pretty close to a Pennsy F3 (some of you may have seen my dad's quite credible rendition done by swapping in @PiperguyUMD 's PRR cab).

[CNR5529]

2. The steps at the front of the walkways. I don't love the idea of just using ladders and my dad started raiding his parts box and found the part from a Kato Mike that looks like it has possibilities.

For your reference, here are a few closeup shots of 674. I had to install a plate of styrene under the smokebox which the ladders rest on, it has held up pretty well. The z scale coupler fit in the coupler box with minimal effort. You can see the siderod mod too. I also included a closeup of the tender if anyone else wants to do their own smaller bunker conversion...

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[mu26aeh]

Yessssss!!!!!

Strasburg in the late 80s... Such great memories. And PRR 1223 and 7002 were still running. Man... Strasburg is still my happy place. Perhaps more than any other place on Earth. Since my parents left Lancaster a few years back, I haven't been. I need an excuse to go!

Ed, that's gonna be a sweet build. Is the Bachmann a better starting point than then Model Power/MRC 2-6-0?

Railfanning trip that includes ops sessions at @Ed Kapuscinski Northern Central, @DeltaBravo WM East Sub and my CSX Hanover Subdivision/YorkRail layouts.  We can probably find a few more local layouts to add if it's not enough.  Ah, Steve Johnson's Union Railroad in HO too !

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Well I've gotten to work tonight. Valve gear has been modified. Lettering removal has begun.

Trying to decide if I should change the drip rails on the cab roof to get the paint separation closer.

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