4-6-2 pacific

[r.cprmier]

Sooooooooooo...When are we going to see a decent "workable" Pacific out here?   What?!!  When WHAT freezes over?

Why don't we start with a live wire and make an I-4 New Haven Pacific?  That would also eliminate my extra work...

The Olde Reprobate

[Ozzie21]

I have noticed that Athearn are redoing the old Genesis pacfic under the the Roundhouse label. It's supposed to have new drive system and chassis. I hope so because the original, of which I have two in B&O, are deplorable. They are difficult to get apart and difficult to add weight to plus they lack paint for the most part. Still it was fun to try and make a B&O President class pacific out of one.

Charles Emerson
Queensland
Australia

[ebtnut]

I posted an earlier pic of the 425 on its initial test run.  Here she is in full regalia.  I note that they dropped the headlight to the center of the smokebox, giving her a different look. 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=235389&nseq=153

[r.cprmier]

As long as I have owned them, I have had no problems with either the two Pacifics or the two Mikes I own by Athearn.  Did I get lucky?

Rich

[richG]

Use Google to search for Athearn 4-6-2. You will get quite a few hits.

Rich

[Yampa Bob]

Maybe a few hits, but no home runs.  Right now Athearn products are hard to get, with backorders running up to a year or more.   Everyone advertises Roundhouse, but has none.

[Ozzie21]

Rich, I think you were half lucky. The 2-8-2 was okay but a little on the light side. A couple I worked on had springing problems. Adding weight was pain as you needed more than two hands to get the body off the chassis. In general it wasn't a bad model. The pacific was a mongrel from the start. Both of mine would run intermitantly  then after I got them to run well they both decided to split the drive gear almost at the same time. They have sat in their boxes since then. Athearn didn't seem interested in my numerous requests for replacement gears so they have not seem the light of day till a couple of weeks ago when i shopping for some detail parts fot something unrelated and I noticed some NWSL gear parts for the Athearn steamers. Well one is going but the other has a missing eccentric screw and after 8 yrs I wouldn't know where that is.


Ozzie21

As long as I have owned them, I have had no problems with either the two Pacifics or the two Mikes I own by Athearn.  Did I get lucky?

Rich

[richG]

I have a Genesis USRA 4-6-2 DCC ready coming soon. It will get a Micro as well as the Spectrum 2-8-0 that is on the way.
Obtaining the Roundhouse steamers is not an issue. I wish they looked as good as the Spectrums, though the Spectrums will not pull as much as the Roundhouse steamers without adding weight.

Rich

[SteamGene]

My Spectrum Consolidations totally outpull my Athearn Mikados.
Gene

[Pacific Northern]

My Spectrum Consolidations totally outpull my Athearn Mikados.
Gene

Same here,  I am told adding weight to the Athearn will make a big difference in their pulling power. But then again you could add weight to the Spectrum as well.

[rogertra]

My Spectrum 2-8-0 have a lead filled airtank on the pilot deck, as do almost all GER steam.  On the 2-8-0s, this is the only added weight.

On both the Athearn 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 I stuffed weight everwhere there was an opening.  In the lead filled airtank added to the pilot deck, in the hollow steam dome and sandbox, in the smokebox saddle, inside the cylinders, behind the smokebox door, everywhere except in the cab as these locos are already cab heavy. 

I also removed all springing from any pilot and trailing trucks, as I do on all steam locos.  Afer all, it's basic physics at work.  "For every action (The spring pushing down), there is an equal and opposite reaction (The spring also pushes up)  So the spring pushing up will reduce traction by lifting a small amount of the loco's weight from the track.  Remove the springs on the trucks pushing up, and all the loco's weight is now pushing down.  Result, more traction. 

I also filed open the hole in the tender where the wires pass between loco and tender as the harness isn't that flexable and its stiffness reduced loco's tractive effort.  A little lead weight over the leading tender truck was added, something all steam get.

My Athearn 4-6-2s and 2-8-2s will now pull what my Spectrum 2-8-0s will pull and also track better than they did out of the box.  This is 16 cars up a roughly 3% curving grade.  Dunno how much they pull on level track as that wasn't my goal, the goal was 16 cars up the grade, which has been achieved.

[Ozzie21]

I agree with Roger on the over springing on most model locos. The Bachmann light and heavy mountains  I have have had their springs removed and extra weight added to the front and rear truck if required. Most brass locos are the same so they get thiers removed as well. I've got about 8 consols and 6 decapods that I'll have to get out and start fitting them up with sound but first I'll do a little machining to the chassis and fill them up with lead.

Ozzie21

My Spectrum 2-8-0 have a lead filled airtank on the pilot deck, as do almost all GER steam.  On the 2-8-0s, this is the only added weight.

On both the Athearn 40602 and 2-8-2 I stuffed weight everwhere there was an opening.  In the lead filled airtank added to the pilot deck, in the hollow steam dome and sandbox, in the smokebox saddle, inside the cylinders, behind the smokebox door, everywhere except in the cab as these locos are already cab heavy. 

I also removed all springing from any pilot and trailing trucks, as I do on all steam locos.  Afer all, it's basic physics at work.  "For every action (The spring pushing down), there is an equal and opposite reaction (The spring also pushes up)  So the spring pushing up will reduce traction by lifting a small amount of the loco's weight from the track.  Remove the springs on the trucks pushing up, and all the loco's weight is now pushing down.  Result, more traction. 

I also filed open the hole in the tender where the wires pass between loco and tender as the harness isn't that flexable and its stiffness reduced loco's tractive effort.  A little lead weight over the leading tender truck was added, something all steam get.

My Athearn 4-6-2s and 2-8-2s will now pull what my Spectrum 2-8-0s will pull and also track better than they did out of the box.  This is 16 cars up a roughly 3% curving grade.  Dunno how much they pull on level track as that wasn't my goal, the goal was 16 cars up the grade, which has been achieved.

[Pacific Northern]

Sooooooooooo...When are we going to see a decent "workable" Pacific out here?   What?!!  When WHAT freezes over?

Why don't we start with a live wire and make an I-4 New Haven Pacific?  That would also eliminate my extra work...

The Olde Reprobate

Athearn (Roundhouse) will be releasing the updated old Genesis 4-6-2 soon.

If the drivetrain has been updated as indicated on their webite then I assume this engine will be a big seller. 

Both of the old Genesis 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 engines were extremely good looking engines. A bit lacking in detail but still a great start.

If Athearn/Roundhouse is re-releasing the 4-6-2 do you  think the 2-8-2 imay be next?

I will most likely purchase a few of these if they are decent running locomotives

[grumpy]

IHC  put out a decent 4-6-2 at a reasonable price . They are not DCC but I believe the latest ones are DCC ready. The one I have will easily pull 12 50ft. passenger coaches on the flat . I haven't tried anything longer because on my layout it would be like the tail chasing the dog.
Don