Bachmann - 53456 - Locomotive, Steam, 4-8-2 Mountain - Frisco - 1501

Specific Item Information: Bachmann is delighted to offer this N scale 4-8-2 Light Mountain equipped with an Econami™ SoundTraxx® steam package. Factory-set for 4-8-2 realism, the steam package offers a choice of 16 whistles, multiple variations of 6 bell types, 4 prototypical chuffs, 5 airpumps, and 4 dynamos plus cylinder cocks, grade crossing signal, blowdown, brake squeal/release, coupling/uncoupling, water stop, and "All aboard"/coach doors—all in 16-bit polyphonic sound. Performs best on 11.25" radius curves or greater. Features include:

• DCC Econami™ sound-equipped dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder
• precision motor
• operating headlight
• completely hidden drive train
• separate detail parts, including bell, whistle, pop valves, and handrails
• builder’s plate
• E-Z Mate® Mark II coupler, rear; dummy coupler, front
• traction tires
• die-cast chassis
• metal driver axle bearings

Model Information: Bachmann introduced this model in 2003. They revised it in 2012. The early version runs a bit sketchy. The later version runs better. The early version has a split frame chassis with a skew-wound 5-pole motor. It does have traction tires. The later version has a 3-pole motor.

DCC Information: The 2003 version allows installation of a decoder in the tender with all wires for control of motor, power leads and lights terminating somewhere in the tender. A basic decoder with some soldering skills will likely do the trick. The 2012 redo is much easier but I am not sure if there is a factory decoder for this model.

Prototype History: Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. This type of steam locomotive is commonly known as the Mountain type.

The 4-8-2 was most popular on the North American continent. When the 4-6-2 Pacific fleets were becoming over-burdened as passenger trains grew in length and weight, the first North American 4-8-2 locomotives were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1911. It is possible that the "Mountain" name was originated by C&O, after the Allegheny Mountains where their first 4-8-2 locomotives were built to work. ALCO combined the traction of the eight-coupled 2-8-2 Mikado with the excellent tracking qualities of the Pacific's four-wheel leading truck. Although C&O intended their new Mountains for passenger service, the type also proved ideal for the new, faster freight services that railroads in the United States were introducing. Many 4-8-2 locomotives were therefore built for dual service.

The New York Central Railroad (NYC) called the 4-8-2 type of steam locomotive the Mohawk type. It was known as the Mountain type on other roads, but the mighty New York Central didn't see the name to be fitting on its famous Water Level Route, so it instead picked the name of one of those rivers its rails followed, the Mohawk River, to name its newest type of locomotive. Despite the more common name, the 4-8-2 was actually suited in many ways more to flatland running than slow mountain slogging, with its 4-wheel leading truck for stability at speed.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The St. Louis - San Francisco Railway (reporting mark SLSF), also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to April 17, 1980. At the end of 1970 it operated 4,547 miles (7,318 km) of road on 6,574 miles (10,580 km) miles of track, not including subsidiaries Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway or the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad; that year it reported 12,795 million ton-miles of revenue freight and no passengers. It was purchased and absorbed into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1980.

The St. Louis - San Francisco Railway was incorporated in Missouri on September 7, 1876. It was formed from the Missouri Division and Central Division of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. This land grant line was one of two railroads (the other being the M-K-T) authorized to build across Indian Territory. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, ATSF, interested in the A & P right of way across the Mojave Desert to California, took the road over until the larger road went bankrupt in 1893; the receivers retained the western right of way but divested the ATSF of the St. Louis-San Francisco mileage on the great plains. After bankruptcy the Frisco emerged as the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, incorporated on June 29, 1896, which also went bankrupt. On August 24, 1916 the company was reorganized as the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway, though the line never went west of Texas, being more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from San Francisco.

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Bachmann Industries (Bachmann Brothers, Inc.) is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally headquartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading.

Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the home of its North American headquarters, Bachmann is today part of the Kader group, who model products are made at a Chinese Government joint-venture plant in Dongguan, China. Bachmann's brand is the largest seller, in terms of volume, of model trains in the world. Bachmann primarily specializes in entry level train sets, and premium offerings in many scales. The Spectrum line is the high quality, model railroad product line, offered in N, HO, Large Scale, On30, and Williams O gauge all aimed for the hobbyist market. Bachmann is the producer of the famous railroad village product line known as "Plasticville." The turnover for Bachmann model trains for the year ended 31 December 2006 was approximately $46.87 million, a slight increase of 3.36% as compared to 2005.