HO Recomended Locomotives?

[Steelrails]

Hello Bachmann Forum Members;
        I am recreating the train "Snowpiercer," from the series Snowpiercer. (images here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ba2dmg) Scaling, length, and all the other logistics aside (there are a lot) I am looking for a locomotive that is relatively long, as Snowpiercer does have a length (in ho scale) of about 30cm, relatively cheap as I am planning to sell a few and the shell will be torn off, and replaced with a custom 3d printed shell, but also reliable and good quality. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[jonathan]

The only thing approaching the length you describe is the DD40AX.  It is sold out, but I'm sure can be had on eBay or the like.  It has two motors and weight can be added for extra pulling power.  I was goaded into watching the movie.  As I recall the loco truck were never viewed up close, so fidelity might not be an issue.

I remember thinking as I watched this film, those are HO scale people on an O scale train.

Good luck.

Regards,

Jonathan.

[Len]

The DD40AX is available on eBay...
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2632.R2.TR2.TRC1.A0.H1.XHO+DD40AX.TRS0&_nkw=ho+scale+dd40ax&_sacat=180250

I know the Spectrum version had two motors. Not sure if the EZ-Command version did or not.

Len

[Trainman203]

So what is it?  Steam or diesel?

[Terry Toenges]

I thought it was a diesel but, looking at it close, it's steam I guess. Smokeless steam   I was looking through a few sites I can't see anything that says how it's powered. I haven't seen the show.

[Len]

Being a Sci-Fi show it operates off some kind of "Perpetual Motion" that isn't actually explained. From one of the shows descriptions, "Wilford Industries, designed the train to run perpetually, so that it would never have to stop." The train does have some limiations though. It has to maintain a speed above a certain point to generate the electicity needed for all of those cars it's hauling. And it apparently uses some kind of super efficient dynamic breaking system to generate electicity when the train has to slow for some reason, that can be fed back into the engine to speed back up again. And those are windows in the nose, similar to a cab unit.

The is an interior shot of the engineer's station:


And this is the engineer's quarters:


Some folks believe the design of the locomotive in the graphic novel was influenced by proposed, but never built, double height 'Breitspurbah' train of pre-WWII Germany:


Len

[Terry Toenges]

It reminds me of some of these old streamliners like the Zeppelin Aerotrain

https://www.google.com/search?q=steam+loco+%22streamliner%22&lr=&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwipj8f6yILrAhUNlKwKHTetDW4Q_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1279&bih=619&dpr=1.5

[Terry Toenges]

If you are really well breaded, there is this KMT HO brass Westside Model Company Santa Fe 3000 class 2-10-10-2 you could use for the chassis.

[prr22]

Terry, that 2-10-10-2 looks pretty spot on. I'd take that chassis and put a Hiawatha looking shell on it (maybe you need two spliced together lol).

[Terry Toenges]

The two sets of drivers are closer together. I don't know if you could space them farther apart. I don't know enough about how it looks underneath the shell and how they are connected.

[prr22]

Regardless, I don't think I could ever find it in myself to slice apart a brass model lol 

[Trainman203]

One of the videos of that engine, cylinder cocks appear to be open