B&O 2-8-0 Consolidation Kitbash Complete

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

Sorry! Thought I showed a pic of the camelback completed a long time ago. Well here she is.

[SteamGene]

I didn't realize that B&O ever had any Camelbacks
Gene

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

They had a good bit of em. But none looked like that....they had 2-8-0 Camel Backs but they were built using 2-8-0's built around 1905-1911, not the one bachmann makes.

[lanny]

Nice work! Nice model! Thanks for posting the photo

lanny nicolet

[Bojangle]

Nice job. I plan to get a BAchmann 2 8 0 Conso..I do have one question, I assume the 8 are not articulated,  do they run ok on 18" radius?   I know Bachmann supplies 22" with their sets.
Bo

[Orsonroy]

They had a good bit of em. But none looked like that....they had 2-8-0 Camel Backs but they were built using 2-8-0's built around 1905-1911, not the one bachmann makes.

Ah, but the Bachmann 2-8-0 IS a 1911-built engine! The model is just of one with a 1943 rebuild.

But the 'bash looks good!

[ebtnut]

The B&O Camelbacks were class E-19, and were nicknamed "Snappers" for some reason.  Here's a link to a photo of one of the last, taken in 1931.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo1846s.jpg

[SteamGene]

Well, I learned something.  Nice job, btw. 
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Bo,

The 2-8-0 will not only run on 18" radius, it will do it better and look better than those big modern diesels you have been talking about. what you have to keep in mind is not the number of wheels, but the wheel base of the driving wheels, or rigid wheelbase. because freight locos like 2-8-0's and 2-8-2's had relatively small drivers, their rigid wheelbase was typically only 16 to 17 feet or less. More modern steam (those locos designed and built from the late thirties on) like 4-8-4's, had larger drivers and therefore much larger rigid wheelbases which will effect how they run and look on sharp curves.

Unless you get into very big modern steam, the older eras lend themselves to our selectively compresed curves and turnouts. 2-8-0's, 2-8-2's, 4-6-0's, 4-6-2's and even 4-8-2's generally run well and look fine on model curves in 22" range and above.

And, freight cars from those times where generally 50" or less. also an advantage for modelers with space restrictions. Modern freight cars are nearly twice as long at 60 to 90 feet and require much larger curves for good appearance and operation.

Sheldon

[Bojangle]

I thought it would run ok on 18, just observed that Bachmann supplied 22 with their set.  I am mostly debating whether to get the one with sound or the single mode DCC.   Do  you think the sound is worth the extra $60?
Thanks
Bo

[SteamGene]

Sheldon doesn't think the sound is worth an extra $1!    OTOH, I think it is.  Of course a love affair with 105 and 155 mm howitzers have done strange things to my hearing.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene is right, I personally don't care for sound in small scales like HO, but if you like it, only $60 more is the right price, but I don't do DCC either.

For me the hearing damage was rock concerts, open headers on hot rods, and construction tools, but played at sufficient volume I can still pick out all the instruments in a piece of music and I can tell you how many rooftop units are running in the those echo chambers known as Best Buy or Home Depot, so my wife's opinion not withstanding, my hearing can't be too bad.

I will admitt some of the sound systems sound OK, but after designing HiFi speakers as a second hobby and business, anything playing from a 1" speaker lacks real sound quality to me.

I think sound is much more impressive in the larger scales for several reasons. One you are closer to the train in "scale" terms and two, the speakers and enclosures are much bigger and sound much better, even just by moving up to On30.

If the volume is turned down low enough in HO its OK, not great, but OK. Think about this - If you are 3 actual feet from an HO loco, you are 261 scale feet from it. At that distance how loud is a locomotive? And how quickly does the sound diminish as it gets further away? But even at the loweest setting I can set in the analog mode, I can hear my BLI N&W class A everywhere in my layout room which is 23 x 40.

Not to mention six or eght of those things going at once - I build model trains to get away from the noise and commotion of the world. But thats just me.

And, what do I know, I'm just a hick with a pickup and a.....

Sheldon

[Atlantic Central]

BaltoOhioRRfan,

Nice job by the way. It looks great even if its not an exact prototype.

Sheldon