Date back a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0

Hi Jürgen, I don't have any personal aquaintance with this model other than the Model Railroader review. From memory, the model has a high mounted motor in the boiler driving to a layshaft and gears through a rubber belt so it cannot readily be altered to an oldtimer with a low boiler.
I tried the MDC oldtimer 2-8-0 but the mechanisim needs a lot of hand work before it runs adequately. I now have the Fratischi (Brazil) 2-8-0 which has the, shall we say 'basic', mechanisim in the tender. This has become a European Baldwin export loco and makes a fair representation and runs adequately. The mechanisim is such that a motor replacement will be a simple task. I think this Fratischi model is sold as "Modelpower" in the USa.
Greg.P. NewZealand.

Locos as big as the Bachmann 2-8-0 were being built in the 190X's and 191X's. In the 190x's, these locos would have been among the heaviest, first line freight power on the road. Builders photos and in-service photos of the period show a notably "clean" appearance, and a lack of latter efficiency improving accessories. I'd suggest the following: 1) Remove the generator, and replace the headlight with an acetylene or oil type (square or round body with a square chimney on top). 2) Remove the power reverse, and run a bar directly from the cab to the valve gear, simulating a manual "Johnson Bar". 3) Replace the cross compound air compressor under the running boards with a "one-lung" compressor mounted above the running board directly in front of the engineer's side of the cab. 4) Keep the air tanks, but simplify the air piping, removing the cooling coil pipes. 5) Remove the air-operated sander valves, and run pipes straight down from the sand dome. For extra detail, add a small rod from the cab to the base of the sand dome on each side simulating the operator for mechanical sanding valves. If the loco is to be first line road power on your line, consider only running a sand line to the first driver, as the loco would not be expected to spend much time backing up and switching. 6) Remove the lifting injectors outside the cab, and run the feed water lines from about 2/3 of the way up the front of the cab forward, then sloped down, then forward again to the boiler check valves, simulating smaller injectors mounted inside the cab. 7) Replace the solid pilot wheels with spoked ones. 8) Replace the pilot with a moderated sloped wooden one appropriate for main line service. 9) Research your favorite RR and use an appropriate period paint and lettering scheme. 10) Don't weather the loco. This was still the time that locos were still assigned to a specific engineer, who would take pride in keeping his loco clean and polished. If he was a member of a fraternal lodge, he might place the organization's crest below the headlight on the smokebox front. Hope these ideas help. Gary Q

Jürgen, the Bachmann loco is based on an Illinois Central 900 class engine, which were built between 1909 and 1911. They were built to a common design used by the Harriman-owned railroads. I don't have a photo to hand of these engines as built, but the Southern Pacific loco shown is similar, except for having smaller diameter coupled wheels.
Geezer's suggested modifications are all very appropriate for your epoch, the only thing I'd add is to remove the Baker valve gear, just leaving the connecting rod, to simulate the appearance of Stephenson valve gear.
If you need it, I can find further images later today and post them.
All the best,
Mark.

That's interesting, I thought it looked like an IC 2-8-0 I had seen a pic of once. What has been previously stated is correct. The SP had lots of acyetaline head lamps on their steam until about mid WW1, in fact a lot of the SP 2-8-0's burned coal even on the west coast until the early teens. I don't model the SP anymore, so I put a Bachmann Vanderbuilt coal tender behind my 2-8-0, it really changes the looks. I have the flexibility to use whatever I like as I model a "What if" railroad. As long as I like it, and it burned coal, it gets incorperated into my roster.
John

Thank you all Thank you Geezer, i think this good suggestions Thank you John, the Vanderbuilt Tender is a good option Greetings from Germany Juergen

Juergen, perhaps you can answer a question or two for me. What part of Germany are you in? When did the railroad in your area stop using steam?
John

I'd leave the cooling coils on as these have been a part of the air plumbing since the early days of train brakes. The lifting injectors have also been around for a long time and were in common use at the turn of the century. The usage of non-lifting injectors vs. lifting injectors is more a railroad practice than era. Some railroads prefered one over the other. Rotary pumps are more a modern device than the injectors were.
The rest of the advice is good as things like the solid steel pilot was also a modern thing.
-- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

"John Franklin" schrieb ... Niedersachsen, near Wolfsburg, the Home of Volkswagen Automobile
Upps.. i am born 1947 in my Hometown (Triangel / Niedersachsen) the last regular Steam ~~~ i think 1965 / 1966 ~~ Triangel is on the Railroad-Route Braunschweig / Gifhorn / Uelzen I hope this Help
greetings Juergen

Thank you. :-)

Am Mon, 07 Feb 2005 21:12:19 GMT schrieb John Franklin:
"TenYears Later" regular steam in Germany was gone....... :-((
Micha

"Michael Hirschler" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net... OK, OK Ten Years later in Germany In my Hometown at 1965 foreward Dieselcars (Passenger) and Diesel (V200) Freight ok 1 - 2 x the week came a 2-10-0 with a freighttrain Only a factory in Triangel (My Hometown) have 2 little Steamswitcher (0-4-0 and 0-6-0)
Juergen

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 01:39:20 UTC, mark_newton wrote: 2000
Sorry Mark, but the only resemblance the Bachmann loco has to the Harriman design is the wheel arrangement. On the Espee list it was agreed that to convert a Bachmann 2-8-0 to a Harriman you must throw away everything but the pilot truck, the drawbar and the motor. I am not too sure about the pilot truck either.

It is a lot like the I.C.2-8-0's, It also is very close to the C&NW Zulu's and can be modified into a good model of one. I had an old brass I.C. model and it was close except details, especially the sand dome. Rick Larson Niagara WI

The IC 2-8-0s were received from Baldwin with the round sand dome, per the Bachmann design. The IC sent them to the Paducah, Ky. shops and put the rectangular sandboxes on.
Looking at the photo a previous poster linked to of an SP 2-8-0, I would have to agree with the statement that the only thing the Baldwin shares with it is the wheel arrangement. The cylinders, for starters, have the valve chambers mounted inboard of the crosshead, the boiler is a flat-top cylindrical design, the domes are in the wrong places, the cab is wrong, etc., etc., Furthermore, the firebox on the Harriman loco sits between the rear drivers. The Baldwin loco has a wide firebox which sits above the drivers.
Regarding lifting vs. non-lifting injectors: most railroads and loco builders switched to non-lifting injectors because they are inherently more reliable in delivering water to the boiler. They work on a lower steam pressure, as well. Trust me, you haven't lived until you've tried to get a cranky lifting injector to "pick up" when your water level in the boiler is below the lowest try cock! Very scary!
It should be noted, however, that lifting injectors were placed outside the cab as often as not (the above referenced SP loco is an example). The actuating lever on some of the later versions could be operated with a reach rod as well as directly - see the design and placement of the injectors on a USRA Light Pacific. One reason for having it in the cab, though, was to make it easier to whack it with a hammer to loosen it up when it refused to pick up. :-) It also kept them from freezing up in cold climates.