Bachmann 93433, G-Scale Tidewater tank car

While purchasing my last batch of N-scale wagons at the Hattons online store, I've also noticed they carried some G-scale products. I was not aware of that fact before and was even more surprised when I noticed some real bargains on their offer. One of the items that caught my interest was an American tank car from the Bachmann Big Haulers line.

The model looked nice and shiny and at a very attractive price of 43 British pounds I could not let it pass. I've ordered it and a few days later it arrived at my door. Packaged in the standard red Bachmann box it looked very promising at first sight.

Let's take a look inside. Unboxing the product reveals a standard G-scale packaging. Polystyrene foam protects the model from any damage. The car arrived intact.

The content of the box is not very rich. We only get the tank car itself and a set of replacement couplers.

By default American knuckle couplers are installed on the model.

A set of LGB-style couplers is included for users who need them. A manual is provided to explain the installation process but any modeller should be able to do this without even looking at the diagram.

I don't use knuckle couplers on my G-scale models at all. So exchanging them was the first thing I've done.

The model (almost) fits into the box with the longer hook-and-loop couplers.

Since the set did not include an additional elements to describe, let's just take a look at the tank car itself.

It's difficult not to like the model. It has a very reasonable amount of details, including several handrails, ladders, platforms and a well-modeled dome. I like the silver painting with the smooth and shiny look which makes the red text labels stand out nicely.

The main handrail surrounding the top area of the car is made of metal which is a nice surprise. Wheels are of course steel and that seems to be a pattern on all Bachmann products. The underframe is nicely detailed, although I have to admit it's just the "usual American type" without any special touch.

For the most part the car feels like a quality product. Unfortunately it seems the tank element is not made of the best possible plastic material. This results in its surface not being perfectly round and reveals a few defects where one would expect a perfect finishing. That particular part does feel cheap which is a small disappointment.

With the metal wheels the car has a decent weight and rides nicely on the track. The couplers attach perfectly to other rolling stock pieces and provide a reliable connection.

Summary

Considering its price, buying the car was a very good deal. I really like the way it looks and I'm happy with the model overall. The usage of cheap plastic for the tank element is a disappointment but it does not destroy the fun and hopefully will not affect model's longevity. The small defects in the details I found prove it's a rather budget product, but it was cheap after all. The car is not bad by any means but it could be making a slightly better impression. Is it good enough for you? You'll have to decide yourself.