HO scale Southern 2716 Berkshire

[Southern4501]

who here would like to see Bachmann produce an HO scale Southern 2716 Berkshire on their C&O 2-8-4?

[Trainman203]

It's not a SR prototype, SR never had any Limas in the steam days, never had anything with a 4-wheel trailing truck.

[Southern4501]

Southern leased it in 1981 into 1982. Used it for excursions and was very popular.

[Trainman203]

Yes it was.  But like the 610, it was another roads engine painted up for SR.  Both looked great but were excursion era only prototypically.

Some might want one or both of these.  A  Bachmann  competitor is offering the 610 in excursion paint.  A lot more people today remember  these engines on excursions rather than actual freight service.  I'm just saying that as a steam era modeler I wouldn't get one.

[Southern4501]

I completely understand your argument, but more and more modelers are replicating the 70's and 80's on their layouts, either to capture childhood memories for us in our 40's or even 50's, or because those decades had so much more variety compared to today.

[Trainman203]

Of course.  Excursion  era steam engine models would probably sell relatively well, I just wouldn't get one, I'm interested in actual service period practice.

The TP 610 lettered for SR isn't the only current excursion steam model example, Bachmann has offered a green SR 722 over several runs of the popular 2-8-0 and has it available now. A third Bachmann competitor currently has an "excursion" 4501 as well as a "freight service" version. 

The Royal Hudson lettered for SR would be a very long shot, though, it is a one of a kind prototype.

[Woody Elmore]

The NMRA convention in 1982 was held in Washington D.C. and featured a train ride behind the big Berk from Washington to Charlottesville. One highlight ws watching the engine go onto the turntable and get turned- quite a sight. I still have boxes of slides from the convention. Nobody gave a hoot whether the engine was originally  used on the Southern. It ran with an auxillary tender - which was originally behind an L&N "Emma"(2-8-4). As the song goes, "Those were the days my friend..."

[Trainman203]

Of course, Woody, all correct.  I just wouldn't buy a model of it.

[Southern4501]

I've posted this topic on Facebook's Southern Ry.
Modelers group and there are at least three more interested in Bachmann doing this.

[Bucksco]

We will pass this along. Maybe in the future.

[electrical whiz kid]

For what it is worth, I have always contended [that] a person's likes and dislikes are is or her own. 
I have taken three NP Berkshires and modified them to my liking.  I don't believe I, for instance. own a steam locomotive that I haven't changed to my liking.  Dave at Bachmann can verify my exuberance in changing the 2-10-2.  Got Elescos?
The late John Allen had similar outlooks, exemplified by his locomotives, rolling stock, dinosaurs in the 'forest', etc.
This hobby has always been about doing what grabs you.  I like it like that.
Rich C. 

[Trainman203]

All that is very true, we do this hobby the way we like it because we like it.  I like being reasonably close to being prototypical in steam service days.  That is why I'm not interested in a  C&O engine lettered for SR, even though one did serve the SR steam excursion program at its height.  It looks like a lot of people might want one, though, and if they turn out to sell in large numbers, that means that the Bach Man will prosper and make other things that I "will" want.

All that being said, WW II was an interesting period for engine leasing and sales with power reallocation patterns causing  engines ending up on roads you'd never imagine.  N&W 2-8-8-2's went to the Santa Fe, C&NW 2-8-2's went to the MoPac, B&M Limas went to the SP along with several CB&Q engines, FEC mountains went to the ACL and Cotton Belt, C&NW and Erie 2-8-0's went to the Cotton Belt, and on and on.  All of this makes for lots of what-if thinking that could justify anything on your road that you might like.