new locomotive suggestion

[pdlethbridge]

 Now if everybody was clamouring for a Pacific, then one of these would fill the bill. This loco is currently at Steamtown being overhauled.

[Pacific Northern]

I have been waiting for the re-release of the 4-6-2 by Roundhouse of the Athearn Genesis 4-6-2. I am sure I am not alone.

[J3a-614]

Athearn once made a model of just that very Boston & Maine engine; the prototypes were a bit unusual for being built by Lima in 1937 (late for a 4-6-2 in the United States), and were intended as dual service engines.  I believe they also carried names in their glory days.

If I were at Athearn, I would also consider making models of C&O F-18s and F-19s and Southern Ps-4s on this USRA light 4-6-2 mechanism.  The reason for this is that all of these engines shared a 73-inch or so driver size, and in the case of the PS-4, the same overall wheelbase.  All carried Baker valve gear (although the Southern engines would be converted to Walscharts by the late 1930s), and most of the Southern engines used tenders similar to Bachmann's (and Athearn's) USRA tenders.  The C&O engines carried a number of different tenders over the years, but the F-19s are best remembered for pulling a long Vanderbilt tank in the 1930s, which happens to be the same one Bachmann makes to go with the C&O J-2.  If these engines were to come out, I wonder if Athearn would be interested in buying tenders to avoid some tooling costs; it seems to be something that could make sense.  It would be prototypical, too; Lima built a number of replacement tenders over the years for different roads, and built the tenders for the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie's last 2-8-4s.  (Alco built the engines, but had to contract out the tenders to Lima; the tender shop was being used to build Diesels.)

http://www.srha.net/public/photos/photo_detail.asp?ID=30051

http://www.srha.net/public/photos/photo_detail.asp?ID=51513

Check out the smoke duct on this one, for running in the tunnels of the "Rat Hole Division:"

http://www.srha.net/public/photos/photo_detail.asp?ID=25669

C&O F-19s, ca. 1930:

http://www.columbusrailroads.com/photogallery-4/COHS-3796-1200.jpg

http://www.columbusrailroads.com/photogallery-4/COHS-5187-1200.jpg

Have fun.

[pdlethbridge]

yes they carried names. 3713 was Constitution. The 4100's were named as well. They were submitted by school kids in a 193(4)0's  contest. The athearn model was from the 60's. What a piece of junk.

[ryeguyisme]

yes they carried names. 3713 was Constitution. The 4100's were named as well. They were submitted by school kids in a 193(4)0's  contest. The athearn model was from the 60's. What a piece of junk.

haha, rubber-band drive

[Bill Miller]

 I have always thought that the PRR H-3 class 2-8-0 as built by Baldwin would make a good selling model. Ma & Pa 23-26 and a series of small 2-8-0's on the Southern and WM look all alike. I am sure other roads had these 1890's built locomotives. There is a proto-type in the collection at Strasburg PA.

[J3a-614]

Speaking of the Constitution:

http://rypn.sunserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28923

http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/46660482/m/149109043

One could make the case for a variety of 2-8-0s; my choice would be a combination of a PRR H-6-sb and a C&O G-7/9.  Both of these engines had 57" drivers and a driver axle spacing that had a slightly longer distance between the first and second axles (originally to accommodate the rocker shaft from Stephenson valve gear), a minimal spacing between the second and third axles, and a longer spacing between the third and fourth for the firebox.  Both engine series were in the 100-ton range, and the C&O engine seems to have become the basis of a stock Alco locomotive used by a number of roads, among them a West Virginia shortline called the Kellys Creek & Northwestern.  This engine, their No. 6, would be sold to another road, the Buffalo Creek & Gauley, where it became that road's No. 13.  That engine is still with us, and ran in tourist service until just a few years ago on the Ohio Central. 

This is a neat site on the BC&G:

http://www.buffalocreekandgauley.com/

The left-side view below illustrates the driver axle spacing mentioned above:

http://www.buffalocreekandgauley.com/LOCOMOTIVES/No13/Loco13.html

A C&O G7, from the image gallery of the C&OHS; this engine illustrates a rebuilt version with a short, "sports model" cab:

http://www.cohs.org/repository/Archives/cohs/web/cohs-23890.jpg

A G9, still with its original cab:

http://www.cohs.org/repository/Archives/cohs/web/cohs-23910.jpg

Not shown are some 2-8-0s that got the tender Bachmann is bringing out with the H-4 2-6-6-2.

For comparison, a PRR H6:

http://www.biocrawler.com/w/images/5/5d/PRR_H6b_2837.jpg

http://www.biocrawler.com/w/images/1/1a/PRR_H6b_7758.jpg

[ryeguyisme]

I have always thought that the PRR H-3 class 2-8-0 as built by Baldwin would make a good selling model. Ma & Pa 23-26 and a series of small 2-8-0's on the Southern and WM look all alike. I am sure other roads had these 1890's built locomotives. There is a proto-type in the collection at Strasburg PA.

too much PRR on the market -_-

[RAM]

How about an 0-8-0.

[ryeguyisme]

How about an 0-8-0.

or a 0-10-0? :p

[J3a-614]

Should have remembered this.

B&O, early in the 20th century, was controlled by the Pennsylvania system.  Among other things, two engine series were built for B&O to contemporary PRR design standards, the E-24 2-8-0s (based on the H-6), and an Atlantic series based on Pennsy's E-3.  As noted above, the running gear seems similar between the Pennsy engines and the C&O's--and now we have similar engines on the B&O (and at least one such series from the Nickel Plate).

B&O's Pennsy copies had the Belpaire firebox, of course. . .

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo2200s.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo2257s.jpg

The B&O, always revenue challenged, made 0-8-0 switchers by amputating the lead truck on a number of 2-8-0s, including a good number of E-24s.
 
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo1504s.jpg

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo-s1517.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo1026s.jpg

The point behind these comments isn't just to get someone to make me an Alco G7 or G9, but to pick prototypes that can at least use a lot of common parts, spread out over serveral prototypes to help amortize tooling costs.  I seem to recall that the cost of tooling for a new locomotive is on the order of $250,000.00 or more; it makes sense to pick engines with as wide purchase base if possible.  This can be done by picking engines used in some form by several railroads (stock Shays, USRA engines, the 2-8-0s under discussion, most diesels), or by picking a prototype that is extremely popular, perhaps by running in excursion service or by reputation (Big Boys, PRR K4s, Daylight 4-8-4s).

[pdlethbridge]

The usra's are a good choice as a light 2-8-2 would use a heavy 4-6-2 boiler