Bachmann 1:20.3 88996: 2-bay steel hopper.
Even though these are not European, I thought you might like to read my thoughts on these wagons. In my quest for greater realism, I’ve recently bought a pair of these hoppers. I possibly paid slightly over the odds for them, but they are worth it. They are a huge step forward in quality compared with the Big Hauler range.
I’ve not been in the Garden Train game very long, and have flitted between various manufacturers. But when I opened the boxes with these vehicles inside, I knew in which direction I was going. The very presence of one sitting on the track is amazing.
I got into the “collection game” a couple of years ago, buying stuff up without much thought, but, with this size stock, just a few wagons is enough for my small railway.
After removing the coupling locks, a small piece of plastic clipped under the coupler shank, they easily go round 8 foot (2438mm) diameter curves, which happily is the minimum on my layout. They run freely and seemingly without the oval wheel syndrome of some of the earlier Big Hauler cars. Of course, they have metal wheels from the factory; you don’t have to find another forty-odd quid to get good running. The detail is totally absorbing; there is an awful lot of rivet action going on, but I have neglected to count them. The die-cast bogies are sprung, with opening axlebox/journal covers. These covers, unlike some of the Spectrum range seem to be a bit more substantial, and therefore less prone to loss. I glued them shut anyway. Most of the visible brake rigging, control valves and pipe work is present too. Grab irons are made of stiff wire of suitable thickness, with correct simulated mounting bolts. The paintwork is flawless as is the printing of the road name. The buffing/draw gear is a diecast version of the Bachmann Knuckle. It has proved reliable so far and comes with the little chain and the lift bar arrangement all modelled. It is at the correct height, mounted underneath the solebar and not on the bogie. This has caused problems with Big Hauler stock and locos. Whereby you have different wagons with different height couplers. There is an offset coupler available for the 1:20.3 scale wagons, but then you’ll be in the territory of wagons with different height couplers at each end! Add to this my LGB/HLW vehicles with hook and loop couplings, confusion reigns!
Overall, approximate, dimensions,
Weight: 1265g
Length, over couplers: 400mm
Height, from railhead to top of wagon: 130mm
Width, over grab irons: 125mm
Here’s a couple of un-flattering photos of one:-