Bachmann 0n30 Whitcomb Diesel

At long last the Bachmann On30 Whitcomb bogie diesel has arrived so I guess its time for a bit of a review.

29203Yellow

The first thing you will notice is the weight with it tipping the scales at 700grams.  Once you have got it out of the box, which is a new variation of the clam shell packaging that removes the lid section totally allowing you to lift the loco out, you will be struck by what a solid and chunky model this is.

Also in the packaging are additional details of bells and horns but more of these later. The documentation is under a false cover in the base of the box.

I suppose the first thing to do is Side3to place it on the track and try it and this is where you encounter your first bit of fun. The heading photo shows all the details of the trucks rods and so on but the reality is a little different. In anything other than studio lighting the trucks exist in a gloom of blackness and its hard to spot the flycranks and rods let alone the other fine detail. Getting all the wheels on the track can be a challenge unless you have one of those re-railing ramp tools.

Once its on the track and on a DC power supply the loco runs very smoothly but with quite a slow acceleration but it will do it whilst pulling a house down. Like most recent Bachmann models the default appears to be to have both headlights on with DC. On DCC it comes with its ID set at 3 as usual and you can alter the headlights in the settings of the decoder.  I have only run mine a little bit but I am impressed with it.

Underside1_600To return inspecting the model turning it over reveals the bogies are powered on each axle so the rods are cosmetic and along for the ride. You can also see that the cosmetic sides were fitted before the rods and cranks as the axles poke through solid holes.

The sideframes also extend well beyond the bogies towards the centre of the loco. Also on the underside are two almost low relief air tanks. These clip off to reveal the four screws that hold the body on.

Top Off600To gain access to the inner workings take the four screws out and ease the four handrails out the the holes in the cab front and back (which is which?)

As you lift the body away it come off with the headlight wires twisted around. Spinning the body untangles them and gives a bit more slack.

SocketOne end of the circuit board has the multi pin connector for the sound module on it. This should be a simple press fit but the dedicated Whitcomb sound modules haven’t arrived at the time of writing this.

Speakers are built in to each end of the model placing them just behind the grilles. Without a sound module I can’t really report on how they sound.

I have already gone further with taking mine apart and I will report on what is happening to it later but for now I can say that the chassis is very well engineered with separate brass bearings at each end of the worms, good quality gears and bearings on each axle.

If you want to delve further into the model the cab interior and cab roof can be removed. (I have done that already)

Additional Details

I nearly forgot these but they are a little unusual with this model. Bells and Air Horns are provided to mount on the bonnets but unusually you have to drill holes in the metal body to fit them. The instructions do guide you as how and where to do this but its not the straightforward clip fit.

Liveries

Four liveries are available. Initial sales suggest that the all yellow model [29203] is the favourite and will be the hardest to find.

All700

 

Conclusion

Well I guess the first question is “would I buy one?”  The answer to that is a resounding yes. You are getting a lot of loco here for your £230 as its very well detailed and a super runner with a well engineered chassis.

Its a bit disappointing that they couldn’t arrange for the sound modules to arrive at the same time as the loco but that is typical of Bachmann. If you want one of these diesels buy it now don’t wait until the sound modules arrive as the chances are the loco’s will have sold out by then.

Simple Mods

Truck_weathered2The simplest things you can do to make a model “your” model is a simple bit of weathering. The very simplest I have done here is with a white weathering powder on a stiff brush which is worked until nearly empty and then just flicked in the edges of the cranks and rods to add a little highlight. I did the springs as well. A bit more time with a range of coloured weathering powders would make all the details stand up a little. If you want a more British approach then get the paint out as red rods and cranks would look smart

Major Mods

I suppose the sky is the limit. My loco is in bits so you’ll have to wait and see what I come up with. Definite is that this loco will be converted to On3. I fancy different shape flycranks and a curved rather than peaked cab roof. I am also thinking of shortening the bogie frames to leave the centre under the loco clear so that I can fit a fuel tank and some larger air receivers.

Action at last?

Don’t get too excited, not a lot has happened. However, I was asked for dimensions so here is a plan view

whitcomb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

whitcomb-rods-and-cranks

 

The only real action with the Whitcomb has been the 3D CAD model of rods and cranks.

I did this as an aside to some other CAD work I was doing for another project which needed bulking out a bit when I got to point of ordering the castings.

 

 

 

brass-casting-whitcomb-rodsThe 3D CAD was then 3D printed as a wax. The wax was then used as you normally would to produce a casting in bronze. I could have had it done in brass but I was hoping for a more steel like finish.

Trouble is this casting supplier thinks we all want shiny and insist on a coat of lacquer so this will get abrasive blasted before I use it on the loco

 

 

 

Update:27th November 2020: Well nothing happened for four years! That isn’t unusual when its a personal rather than business project. I got so far with it then customers work got in the way so I put it all back in a box. Next time I wanted to do a bit of “me” modelling I picked something else up and forgot this one. 

This was true up to about 2 weeks ago when the Whitcomb box came to the top of the pile. Some work is now in progress. Due to an enquiry about some rods I looked at finally fitting a set to my loco and discovered that due to some shrinkage in the casting process ( I had allowed for some but more than was quoted happened)

  • New Rod & Crank Patterns have been printed on my 3D printer (didn’t have that back in 2016). On these I have only printed a hole at one end of the rods.
  • They’ve been sent to my current brass caster and the first sets will probably here in about three weeks
  • I have part built a fixture to hold the rods on the table of my small mill so the second hole can be drilled accurately
  • I am currently building an extractor tool to remove the flycranks off. They are a very tight press fit on to a splined axle end and as the hole is blind a standard extractor doesn’t work. Without an extractor there is a tendency to bend the axle end.
  • I have designed a quartering jig that not only add the cranks correctly quartered but does it relative to gear tooth position.
  • I no longer model 0n30 so my pair of locos will be converted to 0n3 to run on my Brymston RR. This looks to be just a case of some spacers behind the wheels. Space doesn’t appear to be a problem

Further instalments will be added when I get the new rods back from the casters. Meanwhile if anyone has prototype photos they’d like to share I’d love to see them

 

PIchost

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13 thoughts on “Bachmann 0n30 Whitcomb Diesel

  1. Could you supply the dimensions of the hood and cab? I’m particularly interested in the length from the back of the cab to the front of the hood, width of the cab and width of the hood. Thanks!

    • Haven’t done a thing to it beyond designing some new flycranks and rods in CAD and having them done in brass.
      The body dimensions are in a drawing I have added to the post.

  2. Love this article , this is a great model , but I agree the rods and cranks need a spot of colour because they are quite mesmerising to watch !

  3. No spacers required. Just move the wheels out on the axle ( I used the NWSL wheel puller) but be careful to move the plastic sleeve that holds the wheel on the axle out with the wheel itself. I also installed Kadee #807 couplers. A fairly easy conversion.

    • Good to know. I have done other models like that but as I have this one in bits now and have some washers/bushes made for the job I will probably use them. Hadn’t got as far as thinking about the couplings yet. Last few models I have done have had San Juan EVO couplers fitted (often using a Kadee box)

    • I just regauged mine to On3 as well, slid the wheels out on the splines and secured with CA. I’d be interested to hear your suggestions about converting to Kadee 803’s if you would be willing to share some hints, either here or by direct email. Thanks from snowy Colorado!
      normacker (at) yahoo (dot) com

  4. Hi Paul,

    just discovered this thread – if you like I can provide you with some high res images of the Whitcomb that Roaring Camp and Bigtree originally used on the standard gauge into Santa Cruz via a Drop Box link.

    Would be interested in your replacement cranks and puller if you have got around to making them.

    • I never turn down detail photos so yes please. The Rods & Cranks plan got as far as my having some castings ready to drill and assemble but as is often the case other things got in the way and there has been no further progress. Customers stuff take priority and the limiting time/inclination I have for personal projects has seen other things get progressed instead.

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