As probably quite a few others have, I started G scale with a Bachmann Big Hauler set. I still have quite a few pieces of equipment, but with all of the great modern stuff that I have my eyes and money set on, the Big Haulers are pretty much out of use. With the exception of the 3-bay hopper car it seems. I've got a few and they make a very nice train not to mention they were a great deal. They're quite a bit more modern, but still look like they belong in the 30's-50's time period. I dont mind running them behind my NW-2, but I'm fairly sure that no railroads today use this type of car. Are there any tricks out there to modernizing this model to look more at home with present day rolling stock? (I'm also aware that the scale conflict might hinder this)
Mobius1, I also started out with a small Bachman big hauler set which originally ran on a wall mounted track system around whats now my yards room. It was a great set to start out with, there is even a vendor out there who converts the big hauler locomotives to a more longer lasting drive train. Unfortunately, the big Bachman hauer took a one way nose dive off the 5ft high wall mouted track system, thus ending the one great set in a million pieces which then ended up getting me into Aristocraft, then eventually into USA trains and running trains on the floor where it's safe and sound As far as the Bachman 3 bay hopper, it looks great as is I think, it looks pretty up to date, at least next to a USA trains 70 ton hopper which by the way is also a 3 bay hopper car. You still see many 3 bay hopper cars used on short lines. My short line runs them here where ancient trains are like new here, they run all EMD GP-9 locomotives which are from the 50's Anyway, if you really want to spruce it up, you can ditch the shiny silver metal wheels and get black ones and either use the Aristocraft or USA trucks with rotating bearing caps. I personlly like the USA ones better because they come standard with black metal wheels which you can buy seperatly. Some people like Aristocraft because the have brake shoes on them, just preference. Yes there are alot of choices when modeling a railroad, do you model a short line, do you model a certain era of trains, what era of trains do you model? Thats just a start. I myself just decided to run a collection of Rio Grande trains. This gives me a choice of anything I want instead of running a certain era. But I do keep certain era rolling stock with certain era locomotives. For example, my USA F3 ABBA units pull 40ft box cars, 40ft reefer cars and 40ft tank cars, everything goes together here for about the 50's era. Then I run USA SD40-2 locomotives with 50ft box cars and 50ft reefer cars, again, everything goes together for the mid 70's, Then I run USA SD-70MAC locomotives with 55ft tank cars and 55ft center flow cars, everything goes together for the late 90's and up. I have 3 seperate tracks and just run the trains down different tracks and just run it as a collection, it's just fun that way, so don't worry yourself about staying in a certain era, just have fun with what you like.
Thanks for another very helpful response, EMD! I usually have no problem mixing up some of my older cars with my FA, say 40' wood reeefers and boxcars, but those somehow look out of place with the GP40. Though it's true that when you have multiple trains and ones from different eras, it looks a bit more appealing. Especially since that 4-4-2 is calling to me as well, and I might coax my girlfriend into getting it for me as a 21st birthday present. Back to the hoppers though, what originally threw me off was that they did have a very modern design to them, but the brake wheel standing vertically instead of pinned to the car's end tends to throw off some of that appearance. The trucks themselves look fine as I have the plastic wheelsets on all my bachmann freight cars. I might just end up doing some minor splicing and changing the location of the braking gear for a more modern look. And sorry to hear about the nosedive. I've had that happen to a cast iron lionel steamer i had as a kid. The wooden floor actually received more damage : )
That's probobly because the FA's were produced around 1948-1952ish and older cars then would look better behind them. Very few FA/FB Models survive today. Those that do are tourist line models. Though I have seen FPA/FPB's in New York pulling modern freight cars on a museum line and they look good with that. The GP40 wouldn't has it's got a more modern look to it. But if that doesn't bother you, go for it~ pull what you like~ Just be wary of the varying scales of G is all I'd say.
Here is a quick reference chart I made up that is in my EMD Trainman G scale section, I copied and pasted it here it order to help you out Here is a list of G scale manufacturers and the scale ratios they make there models in USA Trains Ultimate Series 1:29 scale ratio USA Trains American Series 1:24 scale ratio Aristocraft 1:29 scale ratio Aristocraft Delton series 1:24 scale ratio Hartland Locomotive works 1:24 scale ratio Accucraft AMS products 1:32 scale ratio Accucraft AML products 1:29 scale ratio Accucraft Narrow gauge products 1.20.3 scale ratio (Other wise known as F scale) Bachman Narrow gauge products 1.20.3 scale ratio Marklin Trains 1:32 scale ratio MTH Trains 1:32 scale ratio LGB - 1:22.5 scale ratio If you do choose a 1:29 scale ratio G scale train to run which is probably your best bet unless you are a narrow gauge G scaler, here is a list of minimum diameter curves for Aristocraft Trains and USA Trains. Aristocraft Locomotives Lil Critter 4ft dia Center Cab Diesel 4ft dia Alco PA 4ft dia U25B 5ft dia 2-8-0 Consolidation 5ft dia 0-4-0 Rogers 4ft dia 2-8-2 Mikado 8ft dia SD-45 8ft dia USA Trains F3-A 5ft dia GP-30 5ft dia GP-9 5ft dia GP38-2 5ft dia NW-2 4ft dia SD40-2 8ft dia SD-50 8ft dia You will notice I only listed USA and Aristocraft trains for minimum diameter curves, this is due to that is what I'm 100% sure on as far as specifications, I don't like to state something unless I'm pretty sure about it.
Yeah, the scale difference is there, but since the older cars are physically a bit smaller than the modern ones, it balances the overall view out a bit. When I receive all of my models and finish my christmas layout I'll try to get some pics. I just won a bid on a PRR E6 Atlantic as well (it was gorgeous, I just had to) so that can be my motive power for the older era cars. I remember at the Illinois Railway Museum they were using a WC SD-45 to pull a freight consisting of many older pieces of rolling stock, and I instantly imagined it being just a bigger version of a G scale layout.
