NYC 4-8-4 Bachman

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dmb3006

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May 22, 2002
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:cool: Train show in Syracuse this weekend,if I see a Bachman NYC 4-8-4 It will be coming home .I've had 2 of them in the past.Some of the things I didn't like about the engine were it's pulling power,small almost invisable headlight,and tender or pilot wheel derailment thru switches.I don't sleep well unless there's a Niagara in the house.It will be mainly a main line runner. Has anyone had any luck improving the tracking of this model? I think I may get a Sunbeam style headlight to replace the duel Pyle H/Light that comes with the model.:cool:
 
Hi David, if you don't mind spending $70.00 dollars take a look at "bowser-trains.com", on their home page the have a category -mechanisms for Bachmann locos. I know of a few people who have used these repower kits on their 4-8-4 Northerns and GS-4's
and claim that they work excellent. You have to convert the original valve assemblies over but they supply the new kit with weights that the stock loco never came with. They claim (loosely) that the 4-8-4 repower kits can pull a brick out of the wall.:p :D Anyway hope this was helpful
 
NYC 4-8-4 Bachmann

I recieved a e-mail from Bowser.They said they don't make a kit that will work with the Niagara.I guess its for the big Sante Fe 4-8-4 or the N&W J class 4-8-4 my bad luck.There is a didicated NYC model as well as historical YAHOO group,and from it I recieved a very detailed account of what a gentle has done to upgrade his NYC steam roster (80) engines.This site has quite a few good pic's of NYC locomotives and cars.:cool:
 
Hi, I just joined, and bought a Bachmann Niagara. My layout is not up yet, so I can just run it on my test track (Life-Like circle with 3 straights). I noticed two things with the engine. The pilot trucks hang up (18 inch radius) going from straight to curved. I filed the underside of the engine smooth just over the wheels, and that totally corrected the problem. The tender needs a lot of weight to track properly, but I haven't done that yet. Also the tender pulls on the back frame of the loco on curves which makes the front of the loco turn to the outside (contributing to the pilot trucks jumping the tracks). When I am up and running, I will experiment with a longer drawbar by moving the pivot point under the loco towards the front.

I had the same questions you did about the loco, which is one of the reasons I joined the forum.

Thanks
 
I have the Bachmann Santa Fe northern. I found that bachmann uses such strong springs on the lead and trailing trucks that they actually lift the drivers off of the track! That is why they don't pull very well, and I think the springs also contribute to derailing tendencies. Take the trucks off the model, remove and discard the spring, and put some weight on the truck before you reinstall it.
 
There is good news.Bowser now has a REPOWER kit for the NYC 4-8-4 I saw it on their site about a month ago.I've been so bogged down with the after effects of some high water in my basement that I have not done any engine work for awhile.Also with spring the old 79 vette comes out of the garage; and that takes up a lot of sunny day time.Rifle range and Honry do's the rest of the time. I guess I'm a winter time rain day model railroader.
 
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