Bachmann - 51351 - Locomotive, Steam, 2-8-0 Consolidation - Western Pacific - 35

Model Information: Bachmann first introduced this model in 1980 and it was a bit of a dog, so they improved it in 1983 (introducing a higher quality motor) though it was still a bit of a dog. Bachmann overhauled this model in 2001 with tender pickup and made it DCC-Friendly. Later, in 2010, they added a DCC version. The 2001 model is Bachmann's first 'modern' steam locomotive model. It shares nothing in common with the earlier 1980s vintage 2-8-0. The improvements have made a fair amount of difference

For the early models they don't look too bad for 80's vintage product. The paint schemes in particular stand out as being eye-catching. This doesn't offset the relative low running quality but does help a little. For the 2001 and later models, the detail work is superior to the Kato Mikado. There are more detail parts and they seem to be better designed to withstand handling. I have lost *multiple* parts from my Kato's whereas everything seems really well glued on with the Bachmann units. Pickup comes from the 8 driver wheels on the loco (though not the pilot) as well as the front truck on the tender. It runs smoothly and can pull a lot of cars. It is quiet and runs well at low speeds.

DCC Information: The 1980s version is not DCC-anything. I have read that the 2001 version is DCC-Friendly, but to be honest I don't see it on my early version. The later version stores the decoder in the tender and is connected with wires to the locomotive. An odd-design, but I am assuming this is due to cramped quarters in the loco shell.

Prototype History: Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no trailing wheels. In the United States and elsewhere, this wheel arrangement is commonly known as a Consolidation.

Of all the locomotive types that were created and experimented with in the 19th century, the 2-8-0 was a relative latecomer. From its introduction in 1866 and well into the early 20th century, the 2-8-0 design was considered to be the ultimate heavy-freight locomotive. The 2-8-0's forte was starting and moving "impressive loads at unimpressive speeds" and its versatility gave the type its longevity. The practical limit of the design was reached in 1915, when it was realized that no further development was possible with a locomotive of this wheel arrangement.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The Western Pacific Railroad (reporting mark WP) was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California. WP's Feather River Route directly competed with SP's portion of the Overland Route for rail traffic between Salt Lake City/Ogden, Utah and Oakland, California for nearly 80 years. In 1983 the Western Pacific was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad. The Western Pacific was one of the original operators of the California Zephyr.

The original Western Pacific Railroad was established in 1865 to build the westernmost portion of the Transcontinental Railroad between San Jose, California (later Oakland, California), and Sacramento, California. This company was absorbed into the Central Pacific Railroad in 1870.

The second company to use the name Western Pacific Railroad was founded in 1903. Under the direction of George Jay Gould I, the Western Pacific was founded to provide a standard gauge track connection to the Pacific Coast for his aspiring Gould transcontinental system. The construction was financed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, a company in the Gould system, which lost access to California due to the attempted acquisition of the Southern Pacific Railroad by the Rio Grande's main rival, the Union Pacific Railroad. The Western Pacific Railroad acquired the Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad and began construction on what would become the Feather River Route. In 1909 it became the last major railroad completed into California. It used 85-lb rail on untreated ties, with no tie plates except on curves over one degree; in 1935 more than half of the main line still had its original rail, most of it having carried 150 million gross tons.

The Western Pacific was acquired in 1983 by Union Pacific Corporation, which in 1996 would purchase its long-time rival, the Southern Pacific Railroad. In July 2005 Union Pacific unveiled a brand new EMD SD70ACe locomotive, Union Pacific 1983, painted as an homage to the Western Pacific.

Brand/Importer Information: Bachmann Industries (Bachmann Brothers, Inc.) is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally headquartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading.

Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the home of its North American headquarters, Bachmann is today part of the Kader group, who model products are made at a Chinese Government joint-venture plant in Dongguan, China. Bachmann's brand is the largest seller, in terms of volume, of model trains in the world. Bachmann primarily specializes in entry level train sets, and premium offerings in many scales. The Spectrum line is the high quality, model railroad product line, offered in N, HO, Large Scale, On30, and Williams O gauge all aimed for the hobbyist market. Bachmann is the producer of the famous railroad village product line known as "Plasticville." The turnover for Bachmann model trains for the year ended 31 December 2006 was approximately $46.87 million, a slight increase of 3.36% as compared to 2005.