REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

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Adi.p
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Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:15 pm
Location: Peterborough

REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Adi.p »

From the outset, Bachmanns K3 is a superb representation of the class with evidence of Bachmann doing their homework all over the model.

First Impressions
The 00 model arrives in Bachmanns newer style box with a clear glazed hole showing almost all the locomotive. It is packaged well and you can remove it from its box easily without damaging the model. Appearing also in the box is an instruction page and extra detailing parts including steps, vacuum pipes, e.t.c First impressions are brilliant with medium weathering applied through out, cab glazing, sprung buffers and seperatley fitted handrails. The cab interior lacks a crew and paint but has all the moulded details their and some seperatley fitted items so painting and adding a crew is easy and effective in the exposed cab. The model is numbered 61869 and lettering and lining is applied perfectly with no fuzzy paint edges. The model boasts a eight pin DCC socket and body access is via screws underneath the body. The model comes well oiled but an hour period of 'bedding in' is recommended. For those new to the hobby this consists of running the model for an hour on a rolling road or circular track in both directions.

Performance
After bedding in the locomotive showed its paces easily pulling a 6 coach rake of Bachmann's Mk1's which is plenty for most layouts. It succeeded in pulling two of these up a very steep curved incline, the result of a lack of space. The K3 struggles over point work at low speeds because of the 2-6-0 pickup configuration in addition to the light weight tender occasionally derailing. I recommend you add some ballast in the tender as it has nothing in there. Works equally well in either direction and looks the part on any 1945-1968 layout.

Overall
This model is of Bachmann's usual standard of fine detailing and fresh, crisp colours that retails at around £65-£80 and is worth the money as it captures the look of an extinct class with its massive boiler and unbalanced look. With some detailing and painting it turns into a first class model of something different to the striking A4's or the humble 45xx.
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image.jpg (16.85 KiB) Viewed 6820 times
Good Points

Great finish
Additional detail parts
DCC ready
Good traction

Bad Points

Light tender that is prone to derailing
Struggles slowly on points
Pickups on only the driving wheels
The young railway enthusiast, an endangered species
burnie
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Joined: Thu May 03, 2018 9:18 pm

Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by burnie »

I know this an old post, but can anyone tell me what the durability of this loco is like, are the wheels and chassis trouble free?
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D605Eagle
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by D605Eagle »

The only issue I've ever heard with these locos is the wiring can be a little suspect and wires can break, requiring resoldering. However its not happened on either of mine. The chassis and drivetrain are very durable, far more so than the old split chassis set up.
Bigmet
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Bigmet »

Seconded. Mine are all from the first release group and in continuous service since, so that's well over a dozen years in operation on the layout. If the running goes jerky check lubrication of the crankpins and outside gear joints.

One trouble in service after some years in operation, the flanges of the pony truck run very close to the underside of the metal footplate, and eventually wore though the paint by contact on gradient transitions. I use DCC, and with the paint worn away, short circuits caused the controller to trip, I have cut wheelarches in the metal above the flanges, eliminated this problem.

On one only - so far! - a motor bearing went dry and started screaming a couple of years back, the usual tiny drop of light oil on the motor shaft cured that instantly.

I did have to work on them all when received though. The soldering on the first batch was poor, believed to be due to lead free solder which was 'in vogue' at the time, and has not reoccurred since to the best of my knowledge. While I was resoldering throughout, I bent all the pick up wipers for really positive wheelback contact and that cured the slight hesitancy that some had shown.

The tender connection needed a little adjustment to eliminate derailments especially when running in reverse, just file a little off the top and bottom of the slot in the tender front to ensure that the drawbar always clears.

You can couple the tender on at scale distance if the intermediate buffers on the tender front are filed down a little. I made a new locator for the drawbar on the tender, by taking off the plastic locator, and instead screwing in a self tapper a little inboard. (Had to slacken off the weight securing screw in the tender to enable this.) A fall plate can then be added in the cab to bridge the gap to the tender which improves appearance.

Overall, well pleased with my K3s.
burnie
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by burnie »

Thanks for the replies guys, this loco is on my wish list.
Bigmet
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Bigmet »

Good as the K3 was when released, if you want a Doncaster design 2-6-0 for use in the BR period, you might want to make a comparison to the Hornby K1 before purchase. Standards have risen in the roughly ten years elapsed between these two introductions and it shows in the K1. Very refined indeed, especially in the quantity of applied detail.

To add temptation, Hattons (quite possibly other retailers too) currently have the K1 on offer about £35 cheaper than the K3...
burnie
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by burnie »

Bigmet wrote:Good as the K3 was when released, if you want a Doncaster design 2-6-0 for use in the BR period, you might want to make a comparison to the Hornby K1 before purchase. Standards have risen in the roughly ten years elapsed between these two introductions and it shows in the K1. Very refined indeed, especially in the quantity of applied detail.

To add temptation, Hattons (quite possibly other retailers too) currently have the K1 on offer about £35 cheaper than the K3...
Thanks, I've seen images of K1's on the GC around Leicester, but they were rarer than the K3, Annesley had locations of K3's, I don't think they had K1's
Bigmet
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Bigmet »

Good plan, I would always advocate going for the most commonly seen 'home team' loco first, and add the occasional visitors later.

Annesley (38B) is well provided for in RTR traction in BR(ER) operation isn't it: B1, J11, J50, K3, O1, O4, all of which have good models.
burnie
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by burnie »

Bigmet wrote:Good plan, I would always advocate going for the most commonly seen 'home team' loco first, and add the occasional visitors later.

Annesley (38B) is well provided for in RTR traction in BR(ER) operation isn't it: B1, J11, J50, K3, O1, O4, all of which have good models.
They did indeed, however not all made it down to Leicester, I have a B1 out of that list and will be getting an O1 and K3, Annesley also had a lot of 9f's after 1958 and 8f's too, both of which I have. Ex WD Austerity 2-8-0 is another on my list. The Great Central after "midlandisation" in '58 had all sorts of locos "dumped on it"(quoting a couple of ex drivers here) I am now adding carriages and wagons, most of which were 16 ton mineral wagons that seem to be as rare as hens teeth and as expensive as some locos!!
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D605Eagle
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by D605Eagle »

burnie wrote:
Bigmet wrote: The Great Central after "midlandisation" in '58 had all sorts of locos "dumped on it"(quoting a couple of ex drivers here) I am now adding carriages and wagons, most of which were 16 ton mineral wagons that seem to be as rare as hens teeth and as expensive as some locos!!
I heard the same. The guy said to me any engine that was disliked, poor performer or just utterly clapped out got sent there. In effect the London Extension was doomed the day it was transferred to the LMR.
burnie
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by burnie »

Perfect from a modelling point of view, I can run pretty much run anything and be accurate(ish)
Bigmet
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Bigmet »

D605Eagle wrote:...any engine that was disliked, poor performer or just utterly clapped out got sent there...
This was a long established notorious practise across the railway from before BR, when loco reallocations were made. If local staff were allowed influence over the choice of what was to be transferred, you bet they hung on to the proven most reliable class members and preferably those that were fairly recently ex-works overhaul.
Ex-Pat
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Ex-Pat »

That practice perpetuated through diesel days, with the Inverness Foreman once telling me that they received all the cr*p from the South!
Bigmet
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Bigmet »

As long as he acknowledged that some of it was authentic Scottish origin crap, the NBL DE type 2 (later class 21/29) which were intended for Scotland from new but were redeployed to the London area short term as they came out of NBL's works, before returning to the orignally intended service locations in Scotland. Shockingly bad wherever they were!
Ex-Pat
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Re: REVIEW Bachmann 'K3'

Post by Ex-Pat »

This was in the 1980's so they were no longer the whipping boys, although I do recall seeing flames shooting from the roof of a Class 21 at Perth in the 1960's.
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