Large scale, gauge-1 4-6-0
Bachmann Industries
1400 East Erie Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19124
Price: $300
Website: www.bachmanntrains.com
All-plastic representation of James from the Thomas-the-Tank series; moving eyes; blackened, metal, spoked wheels on locomotive and tender; plastic side rods; hook-and-loop couplers; unsprung buffers; molded-in handrails; polarity switch (NMRA/large scale) on engine. Dimensions: Length (locomotive and tender), 20 ¾”; width, 4¼”; height, 6½”
Pros: Big, colorful engine; good likeness of the popular character; well made, durable constructed; few extraneous bits to get knocked off; will negotiate R1 curves; smooth, quiet operation
Cons: No backhead detail at all
Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, developed by the late Rev. W. Awdry, may ultimately prove to be the savior of the model-train hobby. The following amongst the young is immense. Bachmann, among others, has been riding the Thomas wave for a while now, with no end in sight.
James the Red Engine is the third large-scale offering from Bachmann, along with Thomas and Percy. The latter were both packaged with sets (but are available separately). James is only available as a separate-sale item.
This engine is everything a young Thomas enthusiast would want. It is big, really red, and bears a close likeness to the storybook and TV character. It is basic in the extreme—no DCC, no lighting, no sound system, and almost no detail. It just goes, forward and backward. The only extra, which really it must have, is moving eyes that scan the track ahead as James travels. The eyes are powered, through a gear train, by the same motor that powers the engine. It is a simple system that should last.
The locomotive and tender are fitted with cast-metal wheels. These are preblackened and look very good. I find it interesting that an engine like this, designed explicitly as a toy, would not have over-deep flanges. The nicely proportioned flanges supplied are all that is required to keep the engine on the rails.
The pilot truck has a great deal of swing, which, with the aid of the blind center drivers, allows the engine to negotiate even the tightest of curves. The tender’s wheels have plenty of lateral slop for the same purpose. Oversize LGB style, hook-and-loop couplers are provided fore and aft. The engine and tender are easily coupled. There’s a single dummy headlamp on the pilot beam, unsprung buffers on engine and tender, and dummy air hoses on the front and rear beams.
Including the molded-in handrail on the boiler, that’s about all the detail included. I would like to have seen some backhead detail, even if molded in. As a child, I always found that sort of thing mysterious and fascinating.
This simple engine runs well, smoothly and quietly. Slow-speed operation is excellent. Top speed at 24V is a little alarming—what child could want more? There’s a polarity switch on the underside of the locomotive. This can be ignored unless you want to operate James with other engines and find that he wants to travel in the wrong direction when power is applied. Also, the engine is fitted with a thermal circuit breaker. If the motor heats up from misuse, too heavy a load, etc., the breaker will trip, temporarily shutting the engine down and preventing permanent damage. This is a good idea for a product that may well be harshly treated.
As this model is basically a caricature, there is, I feel, limited modeling potential for those wishing to kitbash it into more of a scale model. This is not a criticism, just an observation. The engine is designed as a child’s toy and, in that, it succeeds admirably. It is big, bright, and robust, and is a welcome addition to the Thomas line. What we need now from Bachmann are some nice, large coaches for James to haul.
