Bachmann MR-101

Southern Railway USA 1968 United States Army Transportation Corps Black

Contents

Tooling

Commissioned by Model Rail magazine and produced by Bachmann Branchline, the OO gauge model of the SR/USATC “USA” Class 0-6-0T arrived on the market in the summer of 2016. The project had originally been commissioned from Dapol in 2012 but was later transferred to Bachmann, who created entirely new tooling for the model. It was designed to represent both the original US Army Transportation Corps S100 locomotives and the Southern Railway (later British Railways and industrial) rebuilds, with numerous variations captured through interchangeable detail components.

Tooling Features

  • Scale & Gauge: OO scale (1:76, 16.5mm gauge).
  • Variant Tooling: two distinct cab styles (USATC round-window and SR square-window) and two smokebox door designs, along with alternate bunker, pipework, and lamp bracket arrangements to suit USATC, SR, BR, and industrial prototypes.
  • Construction: injection-moulded plastic body on a die-cast metal chassis block for strength and traction.
  • Detailing: numerous separately fitted details including metal handrails, turned safety valves and whistle, fine pipework, and full brake rigging supplied in the accessory pack.
  • Couplings: NEM coupling pockets with standard tension-lock couplers fitted.

Mechanical & Electrical

  • Motor & Drive: five-pole motor mounted in the chassis with smooth, powerful gearing giving excellent low-speed control.
  • Weight: approximately 200g, providing strong adhesion for shunting and short freight work.
  • Pickups: all-wheel electrical pickup for reliable running.
  • Minimum Radius: designed for second radius (438mm) curves; certain optional detail parts are best suited to third radius (505mm) or larger.
  • Lighting: no factory-fitted working lamps; provision for detailing or aftermarket lighting modifications.

DCC Capability

The model is factory DCC ready using a standard 6-pin (NEM651) decoder socket located beneath the removable body shell. Decoder installation requires only body removal and correct orientation of the chip according to the provided instruction leaflet. The printed circuit board also provides solder pads for hard-wiring if desired.

Liveries Produced (Overview)

The Bachmann/Model Rail USA Tank range covered a wide selection of authentic and heritage schemes, including USATC black with white lettering, Southern Railway black with shaded lettering, British Railways black with early and late crests, departmental green (DS237 “Maunsell”), industrial liveries such as NCB no. 36, and preserved examples including Keighley & Worth Valley Railway no. 72 in Golden Ochre. Catalogue numbers MR-101 to MR-111 covered these releases, with additional special editions following later.

Reviews, Media & Community Commentary

  • Model Rail Magazine: praised the model for its accuracy, breadth of tooling options, and fine detailing that captured the compact, purposeful look of the prototype.
  • Independent Reviews: online reviewers and YouTube commentators noted excellent slow-speed performance, robust haulage for its size, and high-quality finish across all liveries.
  • Modelling Community: discussion threads on enthusiast forums described the USA Tank as one of the most complete and characterful small steam locomotives of its era, with positive feedback on reliability and handling on layouts of various sizes.

Video Reviews

Other Notes & Tips

  • The accessory pack includes optional parts such as vacuum pipes, screw couplings, cab steps, and pipework that may limit operation on tight curves if fitted.
  • The manufacturer recommends a running-in period of around 30 minutes in each direction at moderate speed, along with light lubrication of axle bearings and motion components as needed.
  • Spare body shells and components were made available separately by Bachmann, allowing modellers to swap detail variants or undertake custom rebuilds.

Class & Prototype

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery