Fleet Review: Bachmann 2-6-6-2 USRA mallet

 This locomotive gives me all kinds of feelings. I wanna love it, but Bachmann just makes it so hard for this particular model. I bought this brand new from a show having really caught my eye. partly because of the big ole steamer factor and because it is of the same type of mallet that is currently under restoration not too far from me, Western Maryland's newly acquired  #1309.

At first sight this is truly a pretty model, and having messed with Bachmann stuff (the american stuff atleast) I was surprised at the level of detail they managed to squeeze into this little beast.  Its got a lot of nice separately applied parts and the white walls on the wheels are pretty cool to boot. Its got a dummy knuckle on front, and initially came with a rapido coupler on the back(which I replaced). The head light is low mounted on the pilot and when in operation can be disappointingly dim at the lower end speeds. There is also no back up light as per the prototype.

 It pronounced 'mal-ay' its a french thing

Under the hood its got what I though was a 5-pole motor, but is according to the internet is a 3-poler. All the tender wheels and all 12 drivers pickup power so there's no problems with stalling. the middle 2 drivers on each engine are geared, and the rest is turned by the cranks. Operation is over all, ok. Definitely not amazing, but it looks good with all the drivers pumping and the little 3-pole motor its got is surprisingly responsive. But there lies a dark side to this model, a secret so dark that...well ok, its not that bad, but its not great either.

the soft unprotected underbelly

This is the bottom. At first glance its nothing too noticeable, and it wouldn't be a problem if the engine itself wasn't a feather weight. not having traction tires is a big problem for this thing. If you like to run long trains, then this isn't for you. I can pull at most on my flat layout maybe 14-15 assorted freight cars. That and what ever Bachmann used for the boiler long weight isn't particularly...weighty. 

Perhaps slathering on some Bull Frog Snot to the geared drivers or somehow figuring out how to add more weight to the boiler you could get more out of it. But for me pulling a 15 car train with a mighty mallet that isn't so mighty, well, just doesn't do it. 

Like I said in the beginning of this review, I wanna love it, Its a beautiful model, and as long as you don't mind short trains, its a respectable one at that, but until I figure out how to make it heavier or get some traction tires on it, she'll be a shelf queen until then.

It really is pretty though...