Bachmann 4-4-0: An American Classic

[@asteroidrules]

Just as the EMD SD40 would almost a century later, the 4-4-0 truly defined an era of American railroading, and models of it will likely be a staple of layouts for as long as model trains exist.

[@danconlin3456]

Great video. Your model cinematography is a joy to watch. Love that opening shot of the newer 2-8-0 overtaking the old 4-4-0 and how it matches your narration and fun to see Buster Keaton and his 4-4-0 on the drive-in drive by. Gotta love your line "looks like it's made of cheese"!

[@sebastianmarconi2855]

I love your videos! Honestly people don't give the Bachmann 4-4-0 enough credit that it deserves, thanks for reviewing it! I'm currently kitbashing my PRR one with a scale pilot and a real coal load and light weathering

[@MikeJenner-Jones]

This is one of my favourite locomotives as it also appears in the Wild West! The music towards the end is totally reminiscent of Two Mules for Sister Sara and Gunfight at the OK Corral.

[@Alerrecks]

You nailed it again, Michael! This has definitely been my favorite model of recent years. I've been working with 4-4-0's all my life, so once the retool was undergone in 2016, I was ecstatic! I've built my Blaxland #1 twice (and now undergoing another rebuild as we speak!) And I've had a blast exploring all the various new brass, plastic, and 3D printed pieces many people and manufacturers have to offer. These are super fun engines to personalize! I've produced a video on my channel chronicling the 1at and 2nd build of the locomotive, and you can catch a WIP shit of the latest rebuild on my community tab. The overall proportions are bang on, but as you said, the plow is terrible along with the smokebox front and domes. I definitely recommend finding alternatives for those pieces in particular if you can. I'd be more than happy to help you with this project regardless! Thanks for another great video on my favorite type of locomotive, I look forward to more!

[@michaelramsey81]

Thanks - I've seen that video! It was actually part of what inspired me to finally get one of these. I'll probably be revisiting it soon to get some pointers on swapping out the cowcatcher.

[@michaelsmith441]

If the details aren’t up to your standards there are plenty of parts you can add/replace from precisionscaleparts. I recently cut out the fake wood load and added real pieces of wood 👌

[@chasesrailwaylinesrr6447]

4-4-0s Are my favorite engine I have lots of the older 4-4-0s Only because they had my Favorite paint colors like the royal blue or the Disney land locomotive. I also have a new version with the new tooling of the jupiter. Also great movie playing in the background (Great locomotive chase)

[@hartleymartin]

Try replacing that coupler with a Kadee 156 (long shank) or 158 (medium shank). These are a scale-size for HO and will at least look more proportional with this small loco. Of course, if you don't need functional front couplers, you can replace the pilot and have only a small cosmetic coupler or the older style coupler bar, which would be correct for the 1870s era.

[@STho205]

There are link and pin sets that fit into those kadee pockets. Makes for a very good look on the old models...especially if you use the string of cars only on this locomotive...or if you do the era exclusively.

[@keepamericayisraelgreat5708]

I have one and like the look as well as your video,. I really enjoyed this presentation.

[@MiniModellingOfficial]

Hi Michael! Recently you released a video on a smoke unit for g scale, you replied to one of my comments and said that you couldn’t fit the smoke unit in the tiny smoke stacks of ho scale, I was thinking that since the 4-4-0 has a large diamond smoke stack you may be able to fit it in there, may not work, just an idea! Great video as always!

[@michaelramsey81]

I have thought of that, and I do plan to experiment with it at some point. It wouldn't hold much water, but I think I could just barely fit the disc in the top of a large HO balloon stack. I'll be sure post a video if I get it to work!

[@MiniModellingOfficial]

I have always been a fan of westerns and the era in general but i never figured out what type of train they used, until i got into model railroading. Great video as always!

[@darscustoms]

This is my favorite little engine! I enjoyed your video review and dig your layout! I'm a big fan of these locos and repainting them into V&T engines. They take a little work, but they become VERY reliable when you put the work into em.

[@jasonanderson6583]

i recognize the coaches, there the ones from the repaint video you did back in the red oak days. can wait to see what you do with the paint scheme and other mods

[@michaelramsey81]

Good eye! They've been repainted a couple more times since then, but they are indeed the same coaches.

[@spencercorby4571]

Honestly the big one for me is probably the wood load in the tender. It looks like someone neatly stacked some kraft Mac n cheese in there lol. If you want to try and make it look less cheesy (pun not quite intended) maybe try a black paint wash on the wood load. Just thin out some black paint a ton and it should look ok, and if you want more, paint some different shades of brown to represent tree bark. I'd imagine it'd look good that way.

[@the101stdalmatian8]

So, little correction. The NT 4-4-0 is not fully based on the Inyo. It's actually based on the Baldwin 8/26 C, which was a catalog locomotive available throughout the 1870s and used by a number of railroads. Three them survive today, and one is operating. The 8/26 C was an adjustable design, and the NT likewise has a few small adjustments, such as the tender trucks, to accommodate that. It's still an incorrect representation of the prototype paint liveries, as only the V&T Genoa model that is supposedly in development at the moment is a true 8/26 C . (Although the AT&SF version you were tossing around is based on a stock Baldwin paint scheme that could have been used by the ATS&F or similar railroads) The rest of the models are attempting to represent Schenectady, Rogers, and Mason builds. Funny enough for a "western" icon....the 8/26 C was more popular back east. Primarily on northern railroads. It's only thanks to the V&T RR that the locomotive has gained that sort of image representation. It’s an understandable mistake. A lot of model stores and pages make the claim that the old Bachmann ‘old time’ Americans are a "Virginia & Truckee prototype" but the V&T was merely perusing the Baldwin catalog and ordering straight from its pages of standard offerings. So the locomotive is actually just a "Baldwin prototype" that V&T happened to own one of. Model railroaders assume that rolling stock and locomotives were always 100% unique to a particular railroad. But that's just not true. Problem is that hobby research in this field is so niche that it's difficult to find the bigger picture. We're rooting around on the bottom shelves of our chosen subject piecing together short stories when if we went upstairs and looked at the room as a whole we'd discover much broader connections to the encyclopedia of railroading in general.

[@michaelramsey81]

Interesting. It does make sense that Bachmann would just go straight to the Baldwin catalog. I believe they did the same thing for the Spectrum 2-8-0 - a lot of people think it's an Illinois Central 900 class, and it sort of is, but only because the IC ordered those straight out of the catalog.

[@jayo1212]

I think that is also the case with the Rivarossi/AHM/IHC 4-4-0's as well as the Atlas N scale ones...

[@michaelramsey81]

@@jayo1212 Yep - in fact, I believe all of those are based on the same Baldwin prototype as the Bachmann model. Those 1870s Baldwins, and the Inyo in particular, seem to be the go-to blueprint for a generic "Wild West" 4-4-0 in the model railroad industry. To be fair, it's a good choice for that, as it's generic enough to plausibly stand in for most American locos of that era.

[@jayo1212]

@@michaelramsey81 when I think about it, the Bachmann 4-4-0 was essentially based on the Genoa portraying the Jupiter, as it had for the 1969 Golden Spike Centennial. The livery of the original model lines up quite well with the Genoa's 1969-78 appearance...

[@michaelramsey81]

@@jayo1212 I think that's very likely. The Jupiter livery on the Bachmann has since been revised to better represent what we know about the Jupiter's original paint scheme, but the old red version was a near-perfect match for the 1969 version.

[@Harrisonidk]

This version and the og spectrum 4-4-0’s are some of the good models Bachmann has made

[@evangaines2303]

Awesome video, you nailed it Michael.

[@Frisco4524-z8z]

You should get a Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire. I’ve got two of them (one operational) and I love em.

[@markwilliams2620]

OK. I'm not gonna buy one... I'm not gonna buy one... I'm not gonna buy one.... Yeah, I'm gonna buy one. Beautiful track work!

[@Iwanna_review]

Almost every railroad had these. The Virginia & Truckee, The central pacific, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific. Even the narrow gauge!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@michaelramsey81 >>> How main railroad cars did the real 4-4-0 locomotives usually pull? I am a fan of *THE WILD WILD WEST* 1960s TV show, and a few years ago I purchased a DVD box set of it. It later occurred to me that the train in that show should have carried at least one more car for the train crew. I then began to wonder if 4-4-0s were limited to only two rail passenger cars, or that is just how they made the TV show?

[@michaelramsey81]

I don't know exactly how many cars they could pull, but it was definitely more than two. I've seen photos of them pulling 5 or 6 passenger cars in normal service, and they could probably handle more than that on level track.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@michaelramsey81 >>> Okay, Thanks...👍

[@jayo1212]

I have 5 Bachmann 4-4-0's, 2 of which are the new tooling ones.

[@trainboy7812]

Kinda wish u got the central pacific 60 livery but this one will do

[@TGM_2018_III]

Way back in the like the first episode of W&SC you said you’d make a video on how you do the lettering with clear decal paper; are you still planning on doing that?

[@michaelramsey81]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I do plan to make a video on it at some point, but I actually haven't used that technique in a long time.

[@modelrailfan37]

Nice little model there! It’s personally not for me, as I’m more interested in the transition and preservation eras (yeah, I know two completely different time periods), but if one is ever going for a really good price, it probably would make a good model to get, just to have something different. In the case of the Westport & Shelter Cove, I think that it would make a good locomotive to be numbered 1, since it’s unlikely that a modern model of any locomotive older than this would be made. The lore I’ve come up with for this (this is all only suggestions, don’t feel you have to at all, it’s always fun to come up with your own idea, which is why I’m coming up with an idea myself) is that No. 1 was bought to run the W&SC as the only engine originally. It was based off a classic American 4-4-0 design, as the builder of the railway thought it would be unnecessary to have a larger engine since the railway only served a few small towns. Eventually though, it was found that both passenger and goods work was too much for the one little engine, so another 4-4-0 (No. 2, now scrapped) was built. For years, these two engines ran the line with ease, but with more people moving to the area, and many people coming to the seaside for trips, it was decided that more engines would be needed, and this time much larger ones as well. Just some ideas, but if you want to use any of this for your lore of the engine, feel free! Great video as always!

[@scrailwaylines8535]

For Bachman's older 4-4-0 For more detail that could have done similarly to what rivarossi did with open cab

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

Mike! Bachmann said that their making N 19th century 4-60 in a scale! I’m sooo excited

[@michaelramsey81]

I saw that! I'm hyped for it as well. Time to finish my N scale layout so I have somewhere to run it!

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

@@michaelramsey81 ps sorry about the way my comment turned out it this darn spell check

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Bricks]

Awesome. 👍 I had one of the N scale models in the early 1990s. It ran… lol

[@NWRJ_WStudios]

Great Video I absolutely love the bachmann 4-4-0, I actually a blue version of one of these ;) Cheers Jasper & Willow

[@davidwhite1864]

Ok maybe not perfect but still an awesome model and at least the driver and fireman wont go hungry with all that cheese in the tender😂Thanks again Michael for another great video.Reminded me of all those westerns I would watch as a boy on a Saturday morning👍

[@FuelFire]

I need a Eureka H0 model in my life now (I have an H0 model railroad)

[@railroadproductions2756]

How did you take apart Westport & Shelter cover NO. 22? Thanks

[@michaelramsey81]

Those Bachmann Moguls have a hidden screw holding the shell on. You need to pop the top of the sand dome off to access it. I think there are also screws under the cab (it's been a while since I took it apart).

[@railroadproductions2756]

Thanks

[@seymoarsalvage]

As for the N scale version (which ARE bad, but fun for us kitbashers lol) Bchmann is coming out with a N scale new release 19th century 4-6-0 with DCC. I got one pre-ordered lol

[@DeclineofJehovah]

What black and white movie was that playin on the screen in your layout?

[@michaelramsey81]

The General (1926), starring Buster Keaton. You can watch the whole thing for free on KZbin.

[@VintageRoadRail]

Fun video, I enjoyed that and hit the subscribe button. I dont have any of those 4-4-0 locomotives, but I have tons of Bachmann's 0-6-0 locomotives.

[@michaelramsey81]

I've had a lot of those 0-6-0s over the years too - I think I've lost count at this point. I'm looking forward to trying the new sound-equipped version, if they ever actually get around to shipping them.

[@modelrailfan37]

Hi Michael, sorry for the confusion of this comment being on this video, I was going to leave it on your W&SC Update 6 video but the comments are disabled on that video. I’ve recently been ballasting my layout, and I’ve had some issues. The first is quite minor in my opinion, as I can fix it, and that’s that the ballast has been going everywhere after I lay the water/glue mix over it (I’ve also been including dish soap in the mixture and spraying the ballast with water beforehand, so this shouldn’t be an issue.). The main problem I have been having though is that glue has somehow been flowing into my rail joiners, and is causing power to not get through the rails correctly. Do you know of any way to fix this, or did it happen to you when you ballasted your track?

[@michaelramsey81]

You may want to try a thicker glue/water mixture. Too much water can cause it to flow where it shouldn't and carry the ballast with it. This is more of an issue with finer grades of ballast. As for the rail joiners, I was lucky enough for it not to be a huge issue for me (although there are one or two joints that I need to jiggle occasionally to keep them working), but the only foolproof way around it is to solder the rail joints before ballasting (which is what I should have done).

[@modelrailfan37]

@@michaelramsey81 Good idea, I’ll try that!

[@jurgenihlau4052]

Beautiful video, where did you find the right music?

[@michaelramsey81]

Thanks! The music is licensed from Epidemic Sound, a paid subscription service that provides royalty-free music and sound effects for KZbin videos.

[@samfirn495]

Hay, I just bought a bachmann spectrum 2-10-2 and I'm having trouble with the locomotive gears making noise and preforming poorly, I think the gears are near the end of there life. I know you have alot of experience with spectrum models and was wondering if you have a good place to go to find new gears?

[@michaelramsey81]

Unless they're cracked (in which case you'd get a loud clunking noise with each turn of the wheels), I think the gears themselves are probably fine. More likely, they're jammed up with old congealed grease, which is a common issue with older locos, especially those that sat without running for many years. Almost every time I've had an old Spectrum loco that ran poorly, a thorough cleaning and re-lubrication has improved it enormously. Take the loco apart down to individual gears, clean them thoroughly (I use rubbing alcohol and an old toothbrush), and apply some fresh grease to the gear teeth and light oil to all pivot points (including the motor bearings). Be sure to use oil that's safe for plastics. While you have the loco apart, it's also good idea to clean the motor commutator (I use rubbing alcohol for this as well, but contact cleaner would probably be better). Unfortunately, as I don't have a 2-10-2, I don't know the exact disassembly and reassembly process, but I can't imagine it's too different from other Spectrum locos. Of course, while it's apart, you'll also be able to examine the gears and see if they're damaged or just dirty. If the gears do need to be replaced, you have a few options. The first place I'd try is the Bachmann parts department. The 2-10-2 is no longer in production, so any replacement parts you find there will be new old stock. If they're out of stock, they're probably not coming back. The next best option is to look for a cheap parts loco with intact gears (which can also be a good thing to have on hand in case other parts break). If all else fails, it may be possible to fabricate new gears with a resin 3D printer, but if you're going to that much effort and expense, you might as well just buy another loco (and even if you do go that route, resin gears will be more brittle than the original nylon gears). Gears in model locomotives don't tend to wear down much, but some early Spectrum models did have issues with the gears shrinking and cracking over time. Thankfully, only one of mine (the Shay) has had this problem, but I've dealt with quite a few of them at the shop. Sadly, since most of the Spectrum line is no longer manufactured, parts are getting harder to come by. Hope that helps!

[@Hendo56]

I have an older Bachmann 4-4-0. It's junk. It sits in my railyard as a display queen. I tried getting one of the new ones, but found it could not pull at all, so I returned it. Basically if it's "Bachmannn", I "Bach off"... I'm using older AHM/IHC/Mehano 4-4-0s. They run like a swiss watch.

[@michaelramsey81]

I do want to get one of the older IHC ones at some point, and compare it to the newer Bachmann. I've seen videos of them and they seem to run really smooth. The old Bachmann ones are definitely junk - the one I showed in this video doesn't run, and I plan on repainting it and putting it on the layout as a static display.

[@TheBerkshireMainline]

I see you’ve got a sierra no.3 over there 👀 2:22 maybe gonna be a back to the future CPR 131???

[@michaelramsey81]

That's the plan!

[@TheBerkshireMainline]

@@michaelramsey81 AWESOME DUDE!!! 😎

[@BattleshipOrion]

The 4-4-0 may be the most iconic, but let's not skimp on it's two sister configurations. The 2-6-0, and the 4-6-0. Both of which can also be traced to the 4-4-0 as modifications.

[@michaelramsey81]

I'm a big fan of both of those as well. Wish someone would make decent 19th century versions in HO.

[@greatsmokymtnsrailfan]

Another great review! 👏

[@platterhof]

Great video and the history😀

[@TGM_2018_III]

What’s the 96 locomotive near the turntable?

[@michaelramsey81]

It's a Rivarossi 0-4-0 Docksider that I'm working on restoring. It will most likely be the subject of the next video.

[@TRAINBUILDER]

Great video! 🚂😊

[@trainboy7812]

Did u get this engine from Tony’s trains because it’s pretty much the only place to get one with that livery at a lower cost expect maybe ebay

[@michaelramsey81]

@@trainboy7812 I actually got this one on special order through BC Hobbies, where I worked at the time. It was backordered for several months before it finally showed up.

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

Mike you plan on getting a rapido 4-6-0 and which class. And will you do a video comparing it to bachmanns 4-6-0 even though we both who’d win. Ps I’m going to a train show should I go early and later

[@michaelramsey81]

I'd love to get the Rapido D-10 4-6-0, but it's been like 2 years since it was supposed to be available, so I have no idea when. As for the train show, I'd go as early as you can, before the vendors start to run out of stuff.

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

@@michaelramsey81 they just released a video on the d10 but me personally I like the other class of ten wheeler

[@michaelramsey81]

@@TheTransportationFanfromCA Ohh, that's cool! Watching the video now. I know BC Hobbies has a few of them on order. I don't know if I'll actually buy one - money's a little tight right now, since I'm in the middle of buying a 1:1 scale car - but I'll definitely make a video about it on the BC Hobbies channel.

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

@@michaelramsey81 also the train show was today and I got an n scale station and water tower for 17 buckees

[@gageblymyer]

Personally, I like the Rivarossi 4-4-0s better (mostly because they don't cost $250! 😅) but Bachmann's locomotive is still amazing.

[@michaelramsey81]

I really want to get one of the Rivarossi ones and compare it. I believe they're based on the same prototype.

[@HarryWarren1223]

3:18 cheese tender

[@trainboy7812]

Moon cheese tender

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

I like 4-4-0s in western but Sierra 3 is just built for them, and I really wish a company made a retooled version of 3

[@michaelramsey81]

Me too. I would love to see a correctly scaled model of #3 produced.

[@Cyber_Horse_Studios87]

1:45 It’s not SO bad… my grandpa has a n scale 4-4-0 and I’m Pretty sure it’s that exact model. Or at least an older version of it.

[@michaelramsey81]

@@Cyber_Horse_Studios87 Some of them may run well. I've had two and they were both awful. Electrical pickup was spotty, and they were far too light to pull anything, even with traction tires. It's possible his may be the Atlas N scale 4-4-0. It was based on the same prototype and looked very similar to the Bachmann one, but was much better designed and ran quite well.

[@Cyber_Horse_Studios87]

@@michaelramsey81 ooooooooh maybe that’s it then cause he got it long before I was ever born. Also dang the pickups are that bad? Sheesh… though the pulling power isn’t too shocking, the HO version isn’t all that great at it either. At least the older version isn’t. I don’t know about the new version’s limits.

[@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards]

Super cool! BTW- where did you get your wallpaper? I love it too. What's wrong with cheese? 😂

[@michaelramsey81]

Thanks! The background is from TrainJunkies.com

[@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards]

@@michaelramsey81 Thanks, I need to get me some of that!

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

The only nit pick I have with the overall looks is the smoke box door, i looks a bit too conical in my opinion

[@michaelramsey81]

The conical shape is quite pronounced, but it's pretty extreme on the real one as well.

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

@@michaelramsey81 another thing I kinda want to be sold, is a 3d printed steel cab for the 4-4-0, so it would look similar to the 4-4-0 that represented the Texas in the general, and the 4-4-0 in travel town at Griffith park

[@modelrailfan37]

What’s the story behind the Union Pacific Diesel?

[@michaelramsey81]

It's a Proto 2000 model that I bought at a train show. It will be the subject of its own video eventually.

[@modelrailfan37]

@@michaelramsey81 oh cool!

[@cindykerr-friberg5284]

This model comes with a DCC decoder right?

[@michaelramsey81]

There are two versions. The Sound Value version comes with a basic DCC sound decoder. The plain version (which I have) does not come with a DCC decoder, only a quick plug to install one. I installed a Digitrax decoder in mine.

[@cindykerr-friberg5284]

@@michaelramsey81 Thanks so much for answering my question! Loved your video btw!

[@franzh2403]

A wonderful Loco

[@razvanvacariu3152]

👍👍👍

[@noahseverything4505]

where do you get your model trains form

[@michaelramsey81]

I work at a hobby shop, so I mostly buy them through there.

[@t-12productions15]

0:33 The Brave Locomotive be like

[@rapcreeperproductions3269]

I got me one of them cheese burners for my rails.

[@w.rustylane5650]

You cannot run one of those Bachmann 4-4-0's very long or the drive shaft will melt. Ask me how I know this. Yeah, I've got the one with the motor in the tender. Cheers from eastern TN

[@TheTransportationFanfromCA]

I thought the model was based on the Reno

[@michaelramsey81]

The Reno and Inyo are almost identical, but in the small details that are different between them (such as the builder's crest on the side between the driving wheels), the model is closer to the Inyo. However, since they are so similar (and dimensionally identical), the model could easily be turned into an accurate Reno with some minor cosmetic changes.

[@trainboy7812]

Is that a tyco model? 2:20

[@michaelramsey81]

Yes, it's the old Tyco/Mantua 4-6-0.

[@alexjones4249]

i own one of the airfix ones

[@klobiforpresident2254]

Wait, that's supposed to be wood? I figured this train, in true Western fashion, openly hauled gold to a bank, just waiting to be robbed.

[@michaelramsey81]

Lol... yes, it's a rather feeble attempt to represent wood.

[@jasonanderson6583]

Ok I just number 40 is gone an instead I see a Union Pacific engine. Let me guess 40 is getting an upgrade

[@michaelramsey81]

I removed 40 from the layout temporarily because I simply ran out of room. The UP engine will be the subject of an upcoming review. After that, I'll probably put 40 back where it was.

[@jasonanderson6583]

@@michaelramsey81 ah ok. also ive really wanted to ask this but will 40 get its own video at some point,

[@michaelramsey81]

@@jasonanderson6583 I honestly never thought about it. Maybe I should do one. I've had that loco forever - it's been such a fixture of this layout and my previous layout that it never occurred to me to make a dedicated video on it.

[@jasonanderson6583]

@@michaelramsey81 i think its time it got some time in the spot light.

[@robertterrell2447]

Bachmann has always been the worst and nothing is changed. No parts no service, all my rivarossi 440s run rings around bachman and don't need a pinion every three times around.,.. bachman's the worst in any scale