Bachmann Baldwin ’10-12-D’
It sounds somewhat insulting to say it, but very few of the new ready-to-run models that cross our desks every month really leap out and grab our attention. It’s not meant to be an insult – it actually speaks volumes about the quality of new models that they’re all at a consistently high standard, in terms of looks, decoration and performance. But Bachmann Narrow Gauge’s first locomotive, the WDLR Baldwin ‘10-12-D’ 4-6-0PT, is a real showstopper. The Baldwin impresses on many different levels, from the way it looks down to the striking levels of engineering involved. It’s a work of art, and testament to the skills that this industry boasts, from the engineers who designed it to those in the factory who have the job of putting it together. It was only a matter of time before a mainstream manufacturer moved into the world of ‘OO9’ narrow gauge. Bachmann has gone one stage further and now has a dedicated ‘OO9’ brand – Narrow Gauge – and has even shunned its famous blue box colour for green. Bachmann unveiled Narrow Gauge at its July 2014 summer open event. It even brought surviving Baldwin 4-6-0PT No. 778 to its Barwell HQ. The choice of locomotive was a good one, given that the nation was about to commemorate the start of the First World War. Baldwin’s design is probably the locomotive everyone thinks of in relation to the railways and that conflict.
PIPE DREAM
It’s the amount of daylight visible through the locomotive that grabs your attention first. There’s plenty under the smokebox and between the frames and the water tanks. The fact that the tanks don’t reach back to the cab means that the model features this wonderful area with just the boiler barrel surrounded by a mass of pipework.
The model really captures the North American look of the prototype. The smokebox door is much smaller than the diameter of the smokebox itself and is secured with dog clips. The box that contains the geartrain does a decent job of replicating the bar frames of the real thing. Overall dimensions match drawings published in W.J. Milner’s and K.P. Plant’s
Tramway The Ashover Light Railway
photographs. The tops of the dome and sandbox are perhaps not to the correct profile but they still look the part. The tiny wheels and delicate valve gear suggest that Bachmann is really breaking new ground, but it has to be remembered that the company has considerable experience both in ‘N’ gauge (Graham Farish) and ‘HOE’ (Liliput). There is a wealth of superb detail
and delicate pipework, yet the Baldwin feels nice and sturdy. What really impresses, however, is how Bachmann’s design team have managed to squeeze all the features one would expect from a much larger model into such a small space. Dismantling the model is surprisingly easy given the amount of delicate pipework. You have to prise a couple of pipes away from the cab/tanks and then remove two screws to release the tanks/boiler top/smokebox. Underneath is the Next18 decoder socket. You can then see the coreless motor nestling inside the boiler barrel. Somewhere in this model is a sound speaker, probably under the bunker. There are NEM pockets in pivoting mounts at either end too. Outside, there’s little to liven up the plain black livery. Everything is black, while photographs show the locomotive with the number on the side. You do get etched builder’s plates in a bag though. It’s inside the cab where you get a bit of colour. There is a mixture of copper and brass fittings, with two gauge glasses (white). The only issue here is the plastic glazing piece that’s glued to the front spectacle. The glue is visible, but it’s difficult to see how else the spectacle glasses could be glazed. What’s most surprising about Bachmann’s Baldwin 4-6-0PT is the price. Heljan’s ‘OO9’ Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2T has a full retail price of over £200, which is not surprising given the technology involved in making a model for what is, still, somewhat a niche market. But Bachmann’s Baldwin retails for just £149.95. This is fantastic value. This truly is ‘OO9’ for the masses!
STICKING POINT