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 Posted - December 23 2023 : 6:18:49 PM
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My set of the week is appropriate to the Christmas holiday. This set was apparently called the North Pole Express, by Bachmann. But the other sets I've seen online in boxes only have two cars plus caboose. I bought mine as rolling stock only, with no track or power pack. It doesn't matter, as I already have those. But I got an extra two cars apparently from another set, all for about $55, Not a bad deal.
[url=https://imgur.com/9K8nMdv]  [/url]
[url=https://imgur.com/oZ1Ufzp]  [/url]
Here is the set I have. It has an EMD FT, 4 freight cars and a caboose.
[url=https://imgur.com/magAwkz]  [/url]
The locomotive is lettered for the fictitious North Pole & SOuthern, and is based on the Santa Fe warbonnet with dark green replacing the silver. All in all, it's an attractive variation on an old favourite. The locomotive is one of the newer FTs with 8 wheel drive, and fully capable of pulling this train and then some up my 4% grades. Make no mistake about it, These upgraded Bachmanns are well worth buying when you find them, but you have to be careful because there are older Pancake motored versions out there that do not run as well, but are similar in price.
[url=https://imgur.com/YAmzBwo]  [/url]
North Pole & SOuthern 50 foot boxcar. This car is in the boxed sets I've seen on Ebay. This car, and the others that came with it, are SIlver Series cars not normally found in train sets, with metal wheels, and cars weighted to NMRA specs. Normally Bachmann train set cars have plastic wheels and are a little lighter but still good running cars.
[url=https://imgur.com/qNxM6pj]  [/url]
NP&S 40 foot hopper car. This one is also found in the boxed sets.
[url=https://imgur.com/NHaCA6w]  [/url]
This 40 foot boxcar does not appear in the boxed sets, nor does it appear in current Bachmann production. I'm going to have to look through old Bachmann catalogs to find out more about it.
[url=https://imgur.com/4X400zV]  [/url]
Likewise, this Noel gondola does not appear to be part of the original set, nor is it current production.
[url=https://imgur.com/nTPksVM]  [/url]
The caboose is part of the boxed sets. Note the gold railings and ladders.
I am guessing this set dates to the late 1990s/early 2000s. The couplers are the first generation knuckle couplers with the plastic knuckle spring that was prone to failure. Upon receipt of this set I had to replace several of these couplers, but Kadee #148s are a drop in replacement. I will replace the rest of them as they fail. The locomotive was a little balky at first, due to dirty wheels, but with a little run time on my test track it has smoothed out and runs as expected. I should note the train is on my layout for illustration purposes only. The layout is DCC, while the test track on my kitchen table is DC. Once I add a decoder to the locomotive I will be able to run it on the layout.
Merry Christmas everybody, from the friendly folks at the Cumberland Terminal RR, and its parent , the Alleghany Railway.
Edited by - jward on December 23 2023 9:17:07 PM
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Posted - December 23 2023 : 7:42:58 PM
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nice one
I wanna do a opposite railroad
South Pole & Northern RR 
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Posted - December 23 2023 : 9:18:42 PM
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quote:nice one
I wanna do a opposite railroad
South Pole & Northern RR
Originally posted by microbusss - December 23 2023 : 7:42:58 PM
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South Pole & Northern? I wonder if it would run the tracks in the opposite direction since it's in the southern hemisphere.
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Posted - December 24 2023 : 07:03:40 AM
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Good information about the guts. Didn't realize Bachmann was hawking a PT and
and an upgraded version under the same sheep's clothing. Interesting set, Happy
Holidays!
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Posted - December 24 2023 : 11:26:37 AM
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quote: quote:nice one
I wanna do a opposite railroad
South Pole & Northern RR
Originally posted by microbusss - December 23 2023 : 7:42:58 PM
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South Pole & Northern? I wonder if it would run the tracks in the opposite direction since it's in the southern hemisphere.
Originally posted by jward - December 23 2023 : 9:18:42 PM
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yeah they'd go NORTH
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Posted - December 25 2023 : 12:44:14 AM
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I got my set new, probably in 2000, since the paperwork includes an order form for Bachmann’s 2001 catalog. I also remember operating it in late 2001. It does not have Silver Series cars.
Hey Chops, if you’ll notice, you can see the large silver frame through the portholes in the sides of the locomotive. That’s an easy way to tell if a Bachmann F has 8-wheel drive.
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - December 26 2023 : 12:49:23 PM
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That's useful to know. Bachmann makes a large array of British range HO, and some of it
is exquisitely detailed and have motors and transmissions that would make the lowest
PT motor of a Tyco look good, by comparison. And then, they have also produced some
brilliant locomotives with completely reliable gearing and motors.
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Posted - December 27 2023 : 06:28:23 AM
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quote:That's useful to know. Bachmann makes a large array of British range HO, and some of it
is exquisitely detailed and have motors and transmissions that would make the lowest
PT motor of a Tyco look good, by comparison. And then, they have also produced some
brilliant locomotives with completely reliable gearing and motors.
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â December 26 2023Â :Â 12:49:23 PM
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yeah they did those in the 1980s or so
1 I wanted was the orange TGV in HO
that I had in N scale but someone wanted it here
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