Southern Pacific heavy steam circa 1920

[barrowsr]

Hello,

I'm in the planning stage of a Southern Pacific layout circa 1920s set in California.  My plan is to model portions of Ft MacArthur and Mare Island shipyard from that era.  Another portion of the layout will have mountain scenery.  My dilemma is finding period correct SP locomotives capable of pulling 25 + car freight trains up a 2% grade.  I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on motive power.  SP used quite a few 2-10-2s which would be ideal.  Heavy 2-8-2s would work also as long as I can attach a Vanderbilt oil tender to the locomotive.

Thanks,

Robin

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

One recommendation I have is, if you can find it, would be the Bachmann Spectrum USRA 4-8-2 which Bachmann made in Southern Pacific or the Bachmann 2-8-0 which could be relettered for Southern Pacific and have a vanderbilt tender fitted (if you could find one of those).

[rogertra]

One recommendation I have is, if you can find it, would be the Bachmann Spectrum USRA 4-8-2 which Bachmann made in Southern Pacific or the Bachmann 2-8-0 which could be relettered for Southern Pacific and have a vanderbilt tender fitted (if you could find one of those).

I have an undec oil Vanderbilt Tender, still in the box, that I no longer need.  I ordered it in error, I wanted at Hicken Tender but got the Vanderbilt instead. 


Cheers

Roger T.

[rogertra]

Roger,

I'm interested in your Vandy tender.  Is it a Spectrum version/withDCC or DCC compatible?

Robin

From box: -

"Spectrum.  Item No. 89901.

"HO" Vanderbilt tender, Medium Length, 4-wheel, DCC Ready Painted, Unlettered."

If interested PM me.

Cheers

Roger T.

[rogertra]

[/quote]

From box: -

"Spectrum.  Item No. 89901.

"HO" Vanderbilt tender, Medium Length, 4-wheel, DCC Ready Painted, Unlettered."

If interested PM me.

[/quote]

I should add that I have no idea what loco this tender was for.

As this tender was either an ordering error on my part or a shipping error by the store I ordered it from, it's no longer required.

When I order tenders, they are for kitbashing to go behind locos I already have in stock.  As they are for a loco I already have, I remove the circuit board from the original tender and place it into the new tender.  The circuit board that's getting replaced is just discarded.

In this case though, the tender is as it came from Bachmann, nothing has been removed/replaced.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Pacific Northern]

Hi, e-mail me if you are interested.

I have a Spectrum Heavy Mountain 82502 Southern Pacific, hardley used.

I will send you a picture of it to see if it is the one you are looking for.

Picture is too large to send as an attachment.

[Trainman203]

There are many prototypical SP brass engines around and for sale but they all need can motors and DCC / sound installed, a pretty big job.  I want SP steam engines too and bought one brass 4-4-0 before I realized what work is needed for such engines.

[barrowsr]

TrainMan,

I agree - there are lots of very nice looking brass engines available for the era I'm looking for.  I went through a "brass phase" many years ago.  When good running plastic steam was introduced I sold all the brass I had and swore I'd never fiddle with it again.  My hat is off to those who can get brass locomotives to run smoothly.  I'm just not part of that group.

Robin

[Trainman203]

If you want 1920 even a 2-10-2 is a little modern ..... The "Prosperity Special" train of new 2-10-2's was in 1922.  The Athearn unshrouded 4-8-2 is probably a little new also.  1920 is a tough period to model if you aren't using USRA engines, which SP did not have any of.  You will be looking at double headed Harriman consolidations and mikados for freight traffic over the hill.

The Bachmann consolidation with a medium Vanderbilt oil tender and steps instead of ladders at the pilot gets close to SD&AE ( SP subsidiary) no.  101 and 102.  I'm doing that to two consolidations I have.

[Doneldon]

Train and Barrow-

While it is true that many, maybe most, brass locos need conversion to can motors to run well on our pikes, this work and the accompanying tune ups have already been done in many cases. Carefully picking and choosing the merchandise will allow you to use some of those older brass models which aren't available in plastic. Also, converting to DCC is easy once the can motor is installed.

On the other hand, Bachmann and others make excellent plastic steamers. Unlike the early plastic steam, today's offerings have high detail, good-looking paint jobs and fine running characteristics. The decision to go brass or plastic thus becomes choosing between excellent, mass-produced plastic models which are ready to go and more prototypically accurate brass pieces which might need a little adjustment or a paint job. Cost isn't a big factor for larger locomotives though it's certainly true that small and mid-size plastic locos of the types most suitable to our tiny railroad empires are cheaper than similar brass items.
                                                                                   -- D

[Trainman203]

All true, but the cost of those turn key remotored  brass engines is way richer than me.  If you can mention competition's engines here, Sunset has a nice SP mogul already with can motor, DCC, sound etcetera, but again, the cost is more than I want to spend.

Bachmann's mogul actually looks a little like some of the older smaller moguls on the SP but the medium oil Vanderbilt tender is too tall for the cab roof overhang, already tried doing that.  If you can find a spare tender from the 52" driver ten wheeler Bachmann used to sell, and put the oil bunker that came with the 4-4-0 on top of it, you might be getting somewhere.