Bachmann catalogs a U33B diesel model for a time in the 1970s. The U33B featured the same shell used by Bachmann for its U36B offering. General Electric’s U33B and U36B diesels do share outward body style appearances, so this was not a misleading label for the model.
Bachmann’s U36B is introduced in the company’s 1973 product catalog and the model featured an all-wheel powered drive. The U33B is first cataloged in 1976 and returns again in 1977. The U33B had a single-powered truck drive, which is what made the difference between it and Bachmann’s U36B will all-wheel drive. The U33B is shown with a retail price of $18 in the 1976 catalog. The model is gone as of the 1978 catalog. Bachmann began using the single powered truck drive in its diesel offerings by the late 1970s, thus negating the need to differentiate two U-boat offerings.
Bachmann U33B Locomotive Roster
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy U33B Locomotive
No. 0721 -1976 release
Norfolk & Western (Bicentennial) U33B Locomotive
No. 0726 -1976 release
Santa Fe (Freight Warbonnet) U33B Locomotive
No. 0722 -1976 release
The red-and-silver passenger Warbonnet decorated U36B was a long time offering in Bachmann’s line, this blue-and-yellow Warbonnet Santa Fe U-boat was unique to the U33B offering of 1976 and 1977.
Seaboard Coast Line U33B Locomotive
No. 0720 -1976 release
Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) was a buyer of General Electric’s U33B and rostered nearly 30 examples. SCL also owned the most of the similar looking U36B diesels with more than a hundred. The Bachmann example carries road number 1734, which was accurate for an SCL U33B.
