Buffers and Shiny Pipes, Bachmann’s Preserved 4MT

Entry posted by Silver Sidelines in Blog entry August 8

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I do like the Bachmann 4MTs, that is the post 2009 versions that are DCC ready.

Bachmann 75029 (31-116A) from 2021

By and large they look good and run very well. I did have one issue with 75029 which out of the box rather limped along. It seems to be a known issue where the pipework under the cab is not seated properly and catches the coupling rods. The picture below shows the underside of the fixing bracket with the locating hole for the pipework.

Bachmann 75029 Pipework Locating bracket

Back in 2021 I didn’t purchase 75014 because it was modelled ‘as preserved’. More recently I have come across pictures on Flickr showing 75014 in its last years with British Railways working on the Cambrian.

75014 at Talerdigg Courtesy Phil Waterfield https://www.flickr.com/photos/124047467@N05/

I would think again about buying. I didn’t have to think very long before a ‘new’ and cheap model appeared.

Bachmann 75014 (31-117) - Preserved

Only after purchase did I realise that in preservation the engine was given oval buffers. Why? There is a web site devoted to the preserved engine with picture of it in Barry with no buffers. But nowhere have I found any explanation as to why it was fitted with oval pattern buffers.

Bachmann 75014 with no buffers

It was surprisingly easy to gently pull out the oval buffers and to replace them with Bachmann round buffers.

The oval buffers

Bachmann round buffers (36-032)

The Bachmann spares are unpainted. My Humbrol buffer beam red had become contaminated so I used some orange lining as a basis and added some old ‘pillar box red’ from the past. To paint the replacement buffers prior to fitting I fixed them to a piece of scrap paper with double sided tape.

Painting prior to fitting

A good outcome

It was nearly very good but I thought the model still a bit bright and shiny.

Bachmann 75014 (31-117) with replacement round buffers

It is very rare that I mess with the appearance of Mr Bachmann’s models. However if 75014 was to blend in with my other 1960s models I would have to tone the copper pipe work down. I could have used enamel paint but in the event I chose to use water based black acrylic paint (borrowed from my wife). I had a size ‘0’ brush and this worked very well for me.