I was just given a Bachmann Turbotrain set that has obviously seen better days. Apparently whoever owned it before the person who gave it to me tried to do some sort of modification to it to try and get it to couple closer and in the process cut off the coupling tabs that held the single axle trucks in place. My question is, has anyone actually completed this modification? I've read in several places of it being done, I just have no idea how to do it or where to go from here. I'm also curious about any other modifications in general that have been made to this set. I also know this set leaves a lot to be desired anyway aside from the running issues. I plan on repainting it and adding full width diaphragms to fix the looks issues. I'm mainly trying to get this set running decently.
At this point, I think everyone who wants a Turbo and/or wants to make improvements to the set is waiting to see what Rapido's plans are for the Turbo in N scale.
I have a great idea,but Bachmann screwed it up.I was going to remove the floor sections,and cut a piece out of the middle of them to move the cabs closer together..GOOD LUCK..They glued the floors so thoroughly,I've yet to get a single car apart.
DrMb, does Rapido actually HAVE a plan ??? I haven't heard. LOU D, I am familiar with that glue !!! Removed a chassis weight from an old B-mann Full Dome. By the time I was done, chassis was in an upside-down "U" shape !!! The lady I talked to at Bachmann wouldn't tell me what kind of glue it is, but I want some !!!
Since I want to repaint mine anyway,I may just make one custom car,and then cast the whole thing in one piece.Wouldn't look any different,can't see through the windows anyway,LOL!! I'm not really that hot on a Turbo Train,I have a Bachmann,I just want it to look better..
I received one of these sets from a friend for Christmas a year or two back, which had been modified. The tabs were long gone, and the cars had two axle passenger trucks with rapido couplers attached to the bottoms of the cars (not the power units, just the cars) with screws. A couple of the two axle trucks were missing by the time I got the set. As far as I could tell, the motor unit no longer functioned by the time the set reached me either. Because of the work that had already been done to the set, and because I couldn't see any value to the set as it was, I decided to make my own modifications to it and disassembled the entire set. So far most of what I've accomplished has been strictly cosmetic. I intend to use a Tomix powered chassis to replace the original power unit and will likely be replacing the missing two axle trucks with new ones. I won't be attempting to restore the tabs between the cars nor the original wheel sets used on the set. I belong to a group that has a traveling N scale layout. We don't have a permanent location, the only time we set the layout up is at local train shows. One of the things we sometimes struggle with is keeping trains running all the time, especially when we have a smaller than usual crew. I have a single (Kato) RDC I run so that at least something is moving, but I want to use the Turbotrain instead of the RDC because it's a lot longer than the RDC and I think people (especially kids) would be more interested in the Turbotrain than the RDC. The project is relatively low priority for me though, because we don't do that many shows each year.
An idea I had was cross-breeding a Bachmann Turbo with a ConCor Aero !!! I'll admit it was a drunken idea a couple years ago, but I think it would work. Would definitely cost a few pennies, though !!!
