Bachmann models available for Steam/Diesel Era

[Sunshine Express]

I am looking for advice to specialise in the last of steam and the early diesel era,for my 10x5 US Small Town Layout.
I have several Bachmann steam and diesels units,but for 2014,I will downsize variety for the purchase of best suited equipment.
Could you advise on any Bachmann/Spectrum models for this project please. Happy New Year to All

[Doneldon]

Sunny-

It would help a lot if you could be more explicit about the era you want to model. The transition period started in the 1930s and extended into at least the mid-1950s. Diesels changed rapidly during that 25-year period, steamers not so much. In fact, it wasn't just or even mainly the newest and most powerful steam engines which were the last to meet the scrapper's torch. And dieselization was driven by many considerations, not just modernization or reduced maintenance costs. The western railroads, especially those in the southwest, had a greater need to dieselize because of the limited supply of water of a quality which wouldn't quickly foul steam locos while the eastern railroads, for the most part, had good water at hand.
                                                                                                                                                                      -- D

[Sunshine Express]

Thanks Sunny, I think 1940s would be a good start point. I have a Spectrum 4-6-0,a Richmond 4-4-0,and a Mogul 2-6-0.Would any of these be suitable ?.

[rogertra]

Thanks Sunny, I think 1940s would be a good start point. I have a Spectrum 4-6-0,a Richmond 4-4-0,and a Mogul 2-6-0.Would any of these be suitable ?.

Sadly, this is another of those "it depends" response.

If you are modelling a short line or a branch line set in the 1940s and possibly even into the 1950s, they would be fine.

If you are trying to model the NYC's water level route then no, they would not be seen on such a busy line.

So, what are you goals? 

Given your 5 x 10 space.

Do you want to model a branch line or short line based on a real line?

Do you want to model a prototypical freelance line which may or may not be based on a prototype?

Do you want to model a reasonably busy line, more traffic than a sleepy branch but less than a really busy main line.  A busy branch if you will?

Do you just want to run trains and are not concerned over what the prototype did?

All the above come into play when deciding on locomotive, passenger car and freight car selection and how realistic the final model railroad will appear.

[jward]

most of Bachmann's diesels are steam appropriate. the following are too modern for steam: gp30, gp35. gp38-2, gp40, gp50, sd40-2, sd45, sd70ace, b23-7, b30-7, c40-8. c40-8w, es44ac. all other Bachmann diesels made in the past 10 years or so ran with steam locomotives.

[Sunshine Express]

Thank you Jeffery, That is really what i want to know.The layout has been made  and altered many times,and if I were smart enough I could put up a photo of it. I can do photos for eBay,but cannot get them small enough for the Forum.I was not looking for exactness  in my layout,but for a small rural town,with the Grain Elevator  being the largest building,I  wanted to keep my loco collection to the limits you describe. Hence I would run the Santa Fe Super Chief around the outside track for a while,just to love watching it. My Grandchildren age from 34 to 7,and Great Grandchildren from 4 to 12 months. A 3 year old  operated my Esy DCC controller and pressed the buttons as shown.Some time later at home ,when she was being talked into going to sleep,her Grandmother asked her if she played with Grandad's trains,and she said "yes,1 for the bell and 2 for the whistle". At 83,I am still learning.Thanks again for your input

[Doneldon]

Thanks Sunny, I think 1940s would be a good start point. I have a Spectrum 4-6-0,a Richmond 4-4-0,and a Mogul 2-6-0.Would any of these be suitable ?

Owen-

Those steamers would be right at home on a smaller railroad or a branch of a larger pike. The Super was lightweight stainless steel cars by 1940, pulled by warbonnet F-units. It was one of the real classics of the time. Lionel's O-scale model of these Santa Fe locos were so popular they saved the company from bankruptcy. Watch eBay for nickel-plated brass (maybe Lambert, Balboa or Westside) models of the cars. You can frequently buy them with Central Valley trucks and Kadees for the same or less than a modern plastic car. Just be patient.
                                                                                                                                                                            -- D

[Sunshine Express]

Thanks Doneldon, When I was 17 (1947) I wrote to The Association of American Railroads,who gave my name to many great roads. The local postmaster could not believe  the amount of stuff I received. I Had a print  of the Super Chief Train, made like a large school map   about 4ftx2ft. .Wish I had it now . However I have the A and B units and some cars,lov-em. Cheers

[richg]

Thank you Jeffery, That is really what i want to know.The layout has been made  and altered many times,and if I were smart enough I could put up a photo of it. I can do photos for eBay,but cannot get them small enough for the Forum.I was not looking for exactness  in my layout,but for a small rural town,with the Grain Elevator  being the largest building,I  wanted to keep my loco collection to the limits you describe. Hence I would run the Santa Fe Super Chief around the outside track for a while,just to love watching it. My Grandchildren age from 34 to 7,and Great Grandchildren from 4 to 12 months. A 3 year old  operated my Esy DCC controller and pressed the buttons as shown.Some time later at home ,when she was being talked into going to sleep,her Grandmother asked her if she played with Grandad's trains,and she said "yes,1 for the bell and 2 for the whistle". At 83,I am still learning.Thanks again for your input

You need a account for a photo hosting site like Photo Bucket. The instructions are at the site. That is how everyone post photos here.  Photo bucket takes care of the photo size. I usually upload about 1mb size photos and let photo bucket size them.
I use us You Tube for videos.
Both are easy to do if you know how to use a PC which you do since you are in these forums.

http://photobucket.com/

Rich

[Woody Elmore]

Many years ago (1959 to be exact) Model Railroader magazine ran a 6 part series dealing with scratchbuilding a Wabash mogul. As part of the back story the magazine ran an article about how two lone Wabash moguls became the last steam on the Wabash. Apparently there was a branchline trestle that wouldn't support a loco bigger than a mogul and I suppose that, being a branch line, the company didn't want to rebuild the bridge.

This last engine, Wabash 576, engine is in a museum - I think in St. Louis.

Out here on Long Island there were Alcos switchers and FM C-liners. These new engines were introduced in the early fifties. The LIRR ran steam, behind large ten wheelers (Pennsy G-5s) until the mid fifties.

No two railroads were the same and if you want to model a transition period you might want to do some research. Some railroads got rid of steam quickly but big lines like the Pennsy and N&W held on to steam until the late fifties. The Pennsy ran the steamers until they would no longer be fit to operate. They wanted every penny of value from their steamers.

[jward]

it seems to me the plethora of models available make modeling pre 1970 rather easy to do. an added plus is that most of the cars and diesels, as well as the smaller steam locomotives, have no problems on 18r curves.

[ebtnut]

Ostensibly, the last steam loco on the B&O was a Q-4b Mike that ran a "Farewell to Steam" trip in May, 1958.  However, there is evidence that there was a a Q-1 in steam in Cleveland in early 1960.  The N&W dropped its last fire in an 0-8-0 at Roanoke in May, 1960.  The J's, Y's and A's had been retired a few weeks earlier.  The Pennsy's last regular steam was in November, 1957.  However, a leased PRR B-6 0-6-0 on a short line in New Jersey lasted until 1960.  Big steam ran into early 1956 on the C&O - 2-8-4's, 4-8-4's and 2-6-6-6's.  Short line steam lasted into the 1960's in scattered locations. 

[J3a-614]

One of the last shortlines to run steam into the 1960s was the very steamy Buffalo Creek & Gauley in West Virginia, along with its parent company, Elk River Coal and Lumber Company.

A cool site on the road; have your speakers turned on:

http://www.buffalocreekandgauley.com/

Shortline steam actually lasted to about 1970 on two roads.  One was the Mobile & Gulf, with a small 2-6-0, which I think may have been a Panama Canal engine.  The other was something like Edgemoore & Magenta, which hauled towels and materials for same for a Cannon towel plant in South Carolina; power was a basic as could be, an 0-4-0 tank engine.

That was common carrier steam.  An industrial operation of considerable size lasted into the 1980s.  This was Northwestern Steel & Wire in Sterling, Ill.; a steel plant railroad there ran with a fleet of ex Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0s to about 1984 or so.

[Doneldon]

J3a-

I think the locos at Northwestern wire were fireless cookers.

                                                                                -- D

[rogertra]

J3a-

I think the locos at Northwestern wire were fireless cookers.

                                                                                -- D

Nope. 

They were retired Grand Trunk Western Railroad 0-8-0 switchers.  They arrived in 1960 for scrapping, 15 of them I believe, but were found to be in good to excellent condition so they were converted to oil firing and one man operation.  North Western Steel and Iron shut down in 2001, probably due to cheaper steel made in China, where most (all?) of North America's heavy industry has moved.

Happy New Year.