Bachmann Supreme H-4 2-6-6-2 articulated

[trailrider]

Opps! I meant Bachmann Spectrum. Anyone have any experience with this hog? Will it handle 18" radius curves? How about 22"?

 

[Motley]

The Bachmann Supremes are better than Nachos Supreme

Oh heck no it will not work on 18" radius. Minimum is 22", but thats even pushing it. Meaning, you must have perfect trackwork, and may have modify the draw bar wires, sometimes they get in the way on sharp curves.

I have an Bachmann Spectrum EM-1 (very similar to this H-4. And when I had 24" curves, the wires got snagged on the draw bar, had to do some wire tweaking.

Now I'm re-working my layout, and getting rid of the 24" radius, for now 30" min radius.

 

[jayl1]

I run on 22" radius. It will work but might also look a bit strange as it turns. 24 or larger is much better. I have a sound unit and a silent unit. I love them both.

 

[trailrider]

Thanks, anyway. Just a thought. Trainworld has them for sale on closeout for $149.99, DCC (but apparently NOT sound) equipped. I don't really need one, and I'd have to change the lettering on the tender to either Northern Pacific or Great Northern (have to look up which had a Mallet like the C&O H-4). The Burlington didn't use articulateds much, and I have my kitbashed Mantua 2-10-2's and 2-10-4's that will handle 18"R on my layout (or the 20"R on the main).

 

[Cjcrescent]

While the CB&Q didn't use articulateds much, weren't most of them 2-6-6-2's?

 

[trailrider]

True, but the T-1's and T-2's were hand-me-downs from the GN, and were a lot lighter than the H-4. They looked more like a Mantua 2-6-6-2, except the T-1 and T-2 were compounds. The Q also had one T-3 2-8-8-2, but it didn't last long and was rebuilt as an 0-8-0.

 

[bnsf971]

I have one of these engines, and it will grudgingly go around the single 18" curve on a branch line. Just make sure the tender pin is in the outer hole in the drawbar, and the footplate between the engine and tender is lowered.

 

[dinwitty]

hah? I had mine on 15" 18" should be fine

not that you want to do it all the time, but I tested it on my yard where its really restricted for smaller engines.

btw, I recall repairing a friends Rivarrossi big boy, tenderless it took 15" HAR!

 

[trailrider]

Is the rear engine fixed under the boiler, or does it pivot the way some of the old AHM articulateds do?

 

[bnsf971]

Is the rear engine fixed under the boiler, or does it pivot the way some of the old AHM articulateds do?

They pivot.

 

[trailrider]

Thanks! Well, just had to have a gas leak repaired in my house. I could have bought about 9 or 10 of those 2-6-6-2's for what it cost me! Guess I'll have to pass!