There are more 2-8-8-4's for Bachmann to consider.

[barlojo1]

I will assume the EM-1 is considered a successful model, but there are still other 2-8-8-4's that could be done. DM&IR M3 and M4's and SP AC-9's. There are a lot of ore cars waiting for one. (I have 40 myself).  I think an SP AC-9 would also be very popular. Anyone ever see a picture of an AC-9 double with a Cab Forward??

My EM-1's are great.  They doubleheaded my friends 33 car 100 ton (resin loads) hopper train up his approx. 30 inch. R helix at (2.2%) without slipping and moving at track speed.

I plan on trying the same with doubleheaded Bachmann C&O 2-6-6-2's (H-4 and H-5) on the point and maybe my PFM H-6 pushing. I have run all 3 in DC on my test track successfully! Need to paint and DCC the H-6.

Looking forward to The new GG-1.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

I myself would love to see the DMIR M3 and M4 yellowstone engines be made by Bachmann. They already have a suitable locomotive chassis and motor, with need for only spoke drive wheels instead of boxpok style ones and a new body shell. and I think the NYC 4-8-4 tender chassis is a good starting point for the tender. I say the DMIR M3 and M4 class Yellowstones should be made is the only 2-8-8-4 type steam engines left in the US are all DM&IR (M3 class 225 and 227, and M4 class 229). The 225 displayed in a park by the train yard in Proctor, MN; the 227 in the train museum located in what is referred to as The Depot right off of Highway 35 in Duluth, MN across the highway from the aquarium; and the 229 outside the old station building in Two Harbours, MN across a walking path from Duluth & Iron Range Railroad #3 (often referred to as the "Three Spot"). I have personally been in the cab of the 227 and have had my picture taken next to the 229 on several family trips to Duluth, MN to visit family up there.

[rogertra]

Beg to differ guys.

We need smaller locos, not bigger ones.

Most of those big ones look silly running around even 24" radius curves and besides, there were way more smaller engines than those big ones which are far more useful to a lot more modellers than even a small articulated.

More importantly, we need a generic looking Spectrum 2-8-2 and a generic looking 4-6-2.  The PRR K4, which was upgraded to Spectrum standards some 10 years ago, is not a typical design and screams PRR.

Plus, we need both 4-6-0s rerun.   This time with DCC and sound way before another articulated steam.

That's my thoughts anyway.

[Doneldon]

Roger-

I tend to agree with you. We all like to look at and think about the big articulated engines, but the mid-size locomotives were the bread and butter of steam railroading. Even the larger non-articulated engines, like the Northern-, Santa Fe- and Texas-types, were special locos which didn't necessarily travel to all parts of a given line. And those locos, like the artics, look a bit silly on most model curves.
                                                                                                                                        -- D

[Irbricksceo]

I agree, we need more spectrum small and medium steam. I just found out they cancelled the russian 2-10-0, one of my favorites! the offerings are very slim now. while articulateds look nice, they loook silly on most curves.

[rogertra]

I agree, we need more spectrum small and medium steam. I just found out they cancelled the russian 2-10-0, one of my favorites! the offerings are very slim now. while articulateds look nice, they loook silly on most curves.

Yes, the offerings are pretty slim these days which probably resulted in the rumour I posted about in my "Future of the Spectrum range" thread several days ago about the discontinuance of the Spectrum range.

Bachmann do not seem to be that interested in their steam range these days.  Which is sad as they are the best rtr steam out there.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

I agree, we need more spectrum small and medium steam. I just found out they cancelled the russian 2-10-0, one of my favorites! the offerings are very slim now. while articulateds look nice, they loook silly on most curves.

Yes, the offerings are pretty slim these days which probably resulted in the rumour I posted about in my "Future of the Spectrum range" thread several days ago about the discontinuance of the Spectrum range.

Bachmann do not seem to be that interested in their steam range these days.  Which is sad as they are the best rtr steam out there.

When it comes to the wallet, they are the ONLY rtr steam out there, most others are way over priced and they also do mostly midwest and western railroads, and leave out eastern

While I got a couple of Mikes and PAcifics, a few more wouldn't hurt. I'd like to see a B&O Q4 in plastic, and affordable P7s. An Atlantic wouldn't hurt eather, whens the last time that was Produced?

I'd also like to see a 4-8-0, while rare, they are neat engines

[barlojo1]

Hello all, interesting responses to this post. We all have our wants and desires. I would suggest that one large, three medium, and two small locos would be a reasonable ratio for a company to consider when selecting models to produce.

I suggested another 2-8-8-4 based on the lack of this type until Bachmann did the EM-1 and similarity of the running gear.

Re: these large locos looking silly on model curves, there must be a lot of us who live with all those 4-8-8-4's, 4-6-6-4's, 2-8-8-2's, 2-6-6-4's, 2-6-6-6's, 4-4-4-4's, Q2's, 85' passenger cars, 89' Auto racks, 89' TOFC's going around our layouts.

I also recognize the need for smaller equipment for those with small and medium layouts, or who model RR's that did not use large equipment.

Beside the 2-8-8-4 I would also suggest to Bachmann that they consider Harriman 2-8-2's and 4-6-2's, Babyface Baldwins, Baldwin transfer locos (PRR), reasonably priced passenger cars.

Any equipment that has not been done in plastic should be considered. My main concern is pricing. The incredible detailing and electronics has driven pricing up drastically. What was once a blue box kit is now a $100 caboose. A 10 car passenger train is almost a grand. Realism costs I guess. I do not require that amount of realism. I still run Rivarossi passenger trains and tons of blue box kits, which I still enjoy building. I still run my N&W doubleheaded Rivarossi Y6b's with NWSL Aux tenders.

We all need to keep expressing our desires and why we see certain prototypes as models. Remember the models have to sell.

Today at my friends layout I used my new Athearn SD-40-2 N&W 3329 Maersk to push the coal train with another friends 4-8-8-4 on the point up the helix. I told him if he changes the locos # to 4014 we might be more prototypical in the near future.

[Irbricksceo]

An Atlantic wouldn't hurt eather, whens the last time that was Produced?
[/quote]

THat is certainly true, I haven't seen any atlantic models outside ebay auctions.

[RAM]

The Santa Fe Northern did operate over most of the main lines of the railroad.  I don't think that they ever made it to Tulsa Ok. or Dallas, Fortworth and Huston. The Texas 2-10-4 only ran south of Wellington Ks.   The only exceptions that I know of was one tested in central Ok. when new. and those that ran on the PRR at the end of the steam operation.

[uscgtanker]

Historically the DM&IR used there mallets funny enough as switcher engines. looking at my blue prints of the m3-m4 the drivers are the same. just the wheel design is different. we brought this up some time back for a conversion from a em1 to a yellow stone. I'm not buying a brass engine that dosn't work well till you replace the mechanism.

[ryeguyisme]

The DRGW leased the DM&IR Yellowstones during the winter months of WWII to help with the overwhelming war traffic.  The DM&IR Yellowstones ave been screaming to get done in diecast/plastic. While I love big steam and all, I don't like the EM-1 and was thinking the DM&IR Yellowstones would have proved to be more marketable on B-mann's end, I don't understand how when people are constantly asking for the DM&IR engines when you put out an engine that I never really hear HO scale steam fanatics really talk about the EM-1 as much as they do the DM&IR M-3 and M-4 but that just might be me.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

The DRGW leased the DM&IR Yellowstones during the winter months of WWII to help with the overwhelming war traffic.  The DM&IR Yellowstones ave been screaming to get done in diecast/plastic. While I love big steam and all, I don't like the EM-1 and was thinking the DM&IR Yellowstones would have proved to be more marketable on B-mann's end, I don't understand how when people are constantly asking for the DM&IR engines when you put out an engine that I never really hear HO scale steam fanatics really talk about the EM-1 as much as they do the DM&IR M-3 and M-4 but that just might be me.

I hear ya. I live in good ol' Minnesota , land of 10,000 lakes (though there are more than 10,000 lakes in Minnesota) and home railroads like the Great Northern; Duluth Mesabi & Iron Range and a few others i for some odd reason I remember but don't remember the names of. I have been hoping for plastic version of engines that were used here as well as in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois (Burlington route, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Rock Island, Milwaukee Road, DM&IR and many more territory) such as the Milwaukee Road S-3 class 4-8-4's like the 261 and 265, Northern Pacific class Q-3 4-6-2's and Northern Pacific class S-10 4-6-0's (Q-3: the 2156 and 2153, S-10: 328), DMIR K class 2-8-0's and M-3 and M-4 Yellowstones, CB&Q O-1A 2-8-2's, Great Northern P class 4-8-2's and S class 4-8-4's but no luck yet.

[ebtnut]

Back in the day, if a manufacturer was going to do a steam loco model (domestic, not import brass), they usually looked to the "Big Six" roads - SP, ATSF, PRR, B&O, UP and NYC.  These roads covered many states and had thousands of fans for a market base.  Since the steam era still equates to these "heritage" roads, you're more than likely going to see something come out that ran on those roads. 

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

Back in the day, if a manufacturer was going to do a steam loco model (domestic, not import brass), they usually looked to the "Big Six" roads - SP, ATSF, PRR, B&O, UP and NYC.  These roads covered many states and had thousands of fans for a market base.  Since the steam era still equates to these "heritage" roads, you're more than likely going to see something come out that ran on those roads.  

I understand your logic, but Here in the Midwest (Minnesota for example), we didn't see Union Pacific here until the 1990's after the UP absorbed the C&NW and we didn't have Santa Fe, SP, B&O, NYC, and PRR at all. Yes the ATSF may have had tracks in Southern Iowa and Illinois but they didn't run in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Here we had Great Northern, DM&IR, Northern Pacific, CB&Q, C&NW, Minneapolis and St. Louis, Milwaukee Road, Rock Island, Soo Line, Canadian Northern, Chicago and Great Western, and Illinois Central. None of the "Big Six" and because of it, those of us who live in Minnesota like myself find themselves with very, very little to choose from as far as more reasonably priced plastic model trains as far as steam engines are concerned since most of the railroads I just listed have no available (DM&IR had the 2-10-2's from Bachmann and 2-8-2 by BLI but both are discontinued) steam engines in affordable non-brass models. And what brass ones you can find are old and second hand models that are expensive because they have never been used or need expensive repairs because they don't work anymore and the parts are hard to find and even then are themselves very expensive.