New Locomotive Suggestions

[RAM]

 decent American mikado.  Yes, but not a USRA design.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

After the Mogul, how about a smallish Consolidation, one appropriate in size and detail to the same era as Spectrum 4-6-0 and the 4-4-0s? Yes, MDC/Roundhouse has done a small Consolidation for years, but for my money--literally--the Bachmann Spectrum engines look nicer.

[ryeguyisme]

decent American mikado.  Yes, but not a USRA design.

definitely and not pennsy either

I think bachmann might go larger with steam if the EM-1 proves to be a success

[ebtbob]

Ram,

       I have a question for you and it is definetly not meant to be confrontational.   You said you would like to see an American mikado,  not of USRA design.
       Was there any other type made other than USRA that was not specific to any certain railroad such as a Pennsy L-1?

[Doneldon]

ebt-

Prior to the USRA, all locomotives were built to specifications set by the railroads. The various builders had "catalogs," but they weren't like a Sears catalog where you could order an already constructed item. They were more general in nature and the designs would be modified to satisfy the buyers' requirements (things like power needed, limits on wheel loadings, system pressure, types of appliances, fuel, speed requirements, cab style, locomotive's intended use and many others though these are pretty much the major considerations). None of this was centralized prior to the USRA. A couple of thousand steam engines were built under the USRA but the manufacturers and railroads were left to their own devices after the USRA was folded in 1920 or something like that. Essentially that meant that the situation was the same as before World War I with one big difference: the railroads found that the USRA designs were pretty good and a bit cheaper to build since they weren't one-of-a-kind items any longer. That meant that more steamers were built more-or-less to USRA standards after 1920. In fact, more locomotives were built to roughly USRA standards after the USRA was abolished than were built under the USRA. There were also lots of locos built to non-USRA standards, too, but the USRA designs endured. In fact, the last steam engines to be built (some 0-6-0s for the N&W I think) were built to USRA standards in the early 1950s. I may have the details mixed up on the last part of that but it's absolutely true that the last steam engines built in the US were basically USRA designs. That's quite a tribute to the USRA's work if you ask me.
                                                                                                    -- D

[RAM]

I think you will find that they were 0-8-0s

[ryeguyisme]

the valley railroad's mikado here in Connecticut along with the engine used in Emperor of the north would be an interesting mikado just a nice chunk harriman type. do something that's only been done in brass or not done at all.

I am  surprised bachmann didn't go with their own heavy USRA 2-10-2(one of the few USRA engines i do actually like, I just don't like w**t**rs version, the drawbar makes things difficult)

you also have the  NYC mikes with elesco's, LNE with franklin booster trucks on the rear of the tender, and the erie and lackawanna  mikes, there's a ton of non-USRA engines to be done, another USRA mike or pennsy mike would just make  me unimpressed


New haven and Boston & Maine 2-10-2's would be awesome!!!


norfolk and western 2-6-6-2's would  be pretty cool too, the DRGW had them too


or maybe DRGW m-78's or  M-75's? but i already have both in brass(yep you guessed it I got another brass engine on top of the one I own(it's addicting ))

[ryeguyisme]

to add to my comment on brass, the only reason I'm buying brass is because there isn't anything unique anywhere else, but I'd still use bachmann mechanisms to power my brass regardless

[J3a-614]

Among 2-8-2s, the Harriman engine (and its passenger-service 4-6-2 counterpart) would fill in gaps in the model roster; both were used on roads beyond their immediate Harriman orbit.  As I recall, roads that used variations of both included UP, SP, IC, and the Alton.  There were some second-hand sales to short roads, too.  At least some of the Alton's engines may have worn B&O lettering for a while when that road controlled it.   A number of them survived into the merger with the Mobile & Ohio to become GM&O locomotives; there is at least one photograph, in color, of one of the 4-6-2s in a bright red paint scheme.

The Oregon, Pacific & Eastern engine from "Emperor of the North Pole" is actually a Baldwin logging mike, and would be another good choice.  An interesting aspect of these smaller logging mikes was that they usually had drivers in the 44-to-48 inch range; if I measured things right, a set of 44-inch drivers is what is under the Bachmann 0-6-0T.  They certainly are smaller than the 50-inch drivers used under USRA 0-8-0s made by Walthers and the 0-6-0s by Walthers and Bachmann.

The N&W 2-6-6-2s were copies of early C&O engines; the first fifteen even duplicated the valve gear (later engines had Baker).  The big difference was that the C&O later rebuilt virtually all their 2-6-6-2s with the "flying pump" look.  To get a pre-1930 2-6-6-2 on the C&O, and the engines used by several other roads as well, Bachmann could move the air compressors and associated plumbing to the left side (along with suitably modified running boards to accommodate this), and use a plain boiler front forward. 


http://www.railarchive.net/gmogallery/alton_steam.htm#selections

[ryeguyisme]

didn't someone kitbash a 2-6-6-2 into a norfolk and western engine on this forum?

[J3a-614]

That was GN 2-6-8-0; he made up a Southern Pacific MM-3.  These were two engines that originally had been owned by a company called La Verde Mining and Smelting, if my memory is right.  One of the two prototypes, late in its life, got a big 12-wheel SP semi-Vanderbilt tank, which also happens to be something Bachmann has, or at least used to have; don't know if they are still using it on certain engines.

[Pacific Northern]

Ram,

       I have a question for you and it is definetly not meant to be confrontational.   You said you would like to see an American mikado,  not of USRA design.
       Was there any other type made other than USRA that was not specific to any certain railroad such as a Pennsy L-1?

The Great Northern 2-8-2 was quite distinct, having said that I think the USRA version would be a better choice as it would have the potential to cover far more railroads.

[RAM]

The USRA version would not be a better choice.  Sure a lot of railroads used them, but the market is already flooded with them. 

[Pacific Northern]

After the Mogul, how about a smallish Consolidation, one appropriate in size and detail to the same era as Spectrum 4-6-0 and the 4-4-0s? Yes, MDC/Roundhouse has done a small Consolidation for years, but for my money--literally--the Bachmann Spectrum engines look nicer.

I was looking forward to a connie to add to my 4-6-0 and 4-4-0 roster.

I gave up on waiting and found there are plenty of the old early MA & PA Consolidation engines available in brass. I bought a couple, updated their open core motors to can motors and added DCC.

It was quite an easy job and now I have two connies with fantastic detail added to my small steam roster. I look forward to finding some early 2-6-2's and 4-4-2's to my steam roster as well.

[RAM]

How about this little guy?  http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=5374&ppid=1122&image=502827322&images=502827322,502827374&formats=0,0&format=0