Quote from: in_eden on May 06, 2016, 01:12:04 PM
If you aren't tied to a sound-equipped loco... try to find a Bachmann Heavy Mountain, mine is a fantastic runner and pulls 25 freight cars without problem.

It is a good thing that you mentioned these, as I had forgotten all about them, and I have some.  B-mann sold both the light and heavy
USRA 4-8-2.  The light appeared first.  The first runs of the lights had some problems with the pulling power, as the tyred driver was not making proper contact with the rail.  They ran very nicely, it was just that they would not pull much.  The fix was not that difficult: it involved putting a shim under the bearing blocks of the tyred driver.   My understanding is that Bachpersonn addressed the problem in subsequent runs, but, as I did not buy any of the subsequent runs, I have no experience with them.   The latest runs of them might even have a decoder from the factory.

The heavy is decidedly the better of the two.  It comes with a decoder and runs and pulls well.  You might use the 4-8-2 on the secondary passenger and the Berkshires on the freights.

The details on both the 4-8-2s are excellent.

The first ALCo RSD-12 appeared in 1956, so, I would assume that those that your railroad is running would be brand new or almost,  and have only some road dirt on them. if even that.   Most larger railroads had gotten rid of their steam by 1957, so you would barely get away with it.  You did mention NYC&StL, on which steam lasted about one year longer, until 1958.  Uncle Pete ran it until 1959 and N&W until 1960 or 1961, I forget which, now.  Steam did hang on a little longer on some short lines.

If you want to back date it a bit and want a C-C ALCo, you could use an RSD-4, which Atlas sells.   Funny thing about the Atlas RSD-4 of Chinese manufacture is that the trucks are B1-1B on the model, while the prototype was C-C.  I suspect that Atlas had this done to keep down the cost.  The result  is that the thing will not pull as well as the Atlas RS-3 of Chinese manufacture.   Funny, though, if your run them in pairs, the pulling power is acceptable for the pair.  

The Atlas/Kato RSD-4 does have C-C trucks as does the prototype.  I always have been somewhat less than impressed with the Atlas/Kato power, as I found them to be finicky runners.  My greatest complaint is that they stall at speeds under thirty-five SMPH on less-than-professional-grade trackwork.  I did manage to get around this by hardwiring pairs together.

I am aware that Atlas did issue an RS-11 of Chinese manufacture.   I have read conflicting dates on its appearance:  some state 1956; some, 1957.   There is also the Atlas/Kato RS-11.  I do not know if Atlas ever issued an RSD-12 of Chinese manufacture.  B-mann does sell an RS-3, with a decoder in it.   I do not have that one, but, if the GP-7 or FM road switcher is at all instructive, I would assume that it runs and pulls well.

Now, to complete this quirky diseasel discussion, Kato sells an RSC-2.  The prototype and A-1-A trucks.  The model has C-C.

...........annnnd now, back on topic..........................

If it is DCC that you want, you might want to consider slowing some of your fast freight and running B-mann consolidateds.   You could run your secondary passenger and fast freights  with Berkshires.   The consolidateds could be back up freight power and slow freight power.  B-mann does sell a USRA light 2-10-2, but the USRA Santa Fes were slow freight power, not fast.  The B&O and SP 2-10-2s were fast freight power, but no one sells either of those in N scale.   In fact, SP regullarly used its 2-10-2s  to pull passenger trains in the mountains in Oregon.  I have seen photographs and movies of Big Sixes on B&O #29 and #30, the major mail trains on that railroad.  

The B-mann Berkshire does come with a decoder.  The LL did not, and, as far as I know, the WKW second run did not, either.   I do not know how difficult it is to install a decoder in the LL/WKW Berkshire.

I know only what I have heard about the latest versions of the B-mann 4-8-4.  I do not know if even it has a decoder in it.   The tender is electrically neutral.   If you are going to run it and put a decoder into it, you might want to do something to make the tender electrically live.  

The prototype on which B-mann's 4-8-4 is based is a Santa Fe oil burner.   You could run both oil and coal burners if you choose the Texas route.   Texas and Pacific ran both.  T&P even tried to run peet burners, with limited, if any, success.    Supposedly, the last issue of the 4-8-4 is allright, but that is only what I hear.   I have stopped buying large steam anymore, unless it is specific to the B&O or P&LE.  Thus, I did buy B-mann's EM-1.  If anyone did a P&LE A-2a, I would buy it.   All that was really was a Mikado with a large firebox and a four wheel trailing truck that was necessary to support it, anyhow.

Are you running DC or DCC?

The Kato USRA heavy 2-8-2 is not in current production, but they are at dealers as NOS, at shows and on auction sites.   If you get a later run, it comes with the handrailings installed and the traction tyre driver pair.  If you get a first or second run, it leaves the details (handrailings and other stuff) for you to install and does not have the traction tyre pair.  If you get a fist or second run, buy the traction tyre and do the swap-out.  It is not difficult.

They are good runners.  You might want to add some weight to the tender, as it does help with the electrical contact.   If you do not get the traction tyre, it will barely pull eight Micro-Trains boxcars and an MT wood caboose up a one per-cent grade at twenty-five SMPH.   If you do the traction tyre driver pair swap-in, it will pull fifteen loaded MT gondolas and a MT wood caboose up a one per cent grade at twenty-five SMPH with no problem.  Fifteen is the most that I tried.  

The handrailing installation can be a pain.  Modellers have complained about the difficulty of getting the stanchions to go in and launching them.  I used a small or average sized pair of needlenose pliers to do mine..  Take care not to pinch too tight lest you either ruin the stanchion or launch it.   This locomotive is reputed to be one of the most difficult decoder installs.  I do not use DCC, so I can not comment much about it.

You  mentioned the GHQ kit.  I am aware that these are pewter kits, but I do not know how much of the Kato model that you use or how much of the GHQ parts replace Kato parts on the Ms-4 kit.  The Pennsylvania kit replaces almost the entire locomotive and tender shell.  I know that the Southern kit exists.  I  never have seen the results of anyone's building, it, though.

The Con-Cor J3a is long out of production, but there are some out there.  

The last one was made in China and had a flywheel.  Many purchasers left off the flywheel as they stated that they found that the flywheel did not improve the performance.   C-C designed the thing to run with a flywheel.  I tried mine without it and it would barely pull four Kato smoothsides up a one per cent grade at forty SMPH.  I added the flywheel and it pulled ten of them at the same forty SMPH up the same one per-cent grade with no problem. The problem with the flywheel is that it is not balanced.  This makes it wobble a bit at speed and will cause premature and uneven wear on the armature bearing.  

There are older version out there that are pretty good.   If you get the very first run from the late 1960s or early 1970s (I forget exactly when it was), it runs well, but has a nasty habit of locking up after long use.  You can tell the very first run because it was designed to run without the tender.  Subsequent runs required the tender and, unusual for that era, had an all wheels live tender.  I do not know how easy or difficult it is to put a decoder into the C-C hudson.

Alternatives to the hudson:

B-mann K-4 Pacific-There is no mistaking this thing for anything but what it is:  a Pennsylvania Pacific.  Still depending on how good you are at bashing, there is a possibility.  Pennsylvania sold several K-3 Pacifics to the N&W in the 1930s.  They were sold locomotives only; no tender.   A couple of them lasted until the end of the 1940s.  They had the same cab as the B-6b.  How does a B-6b come into play, here?   The TRIX
0-6-0 is a B-6b.   I made a N&W E-3 (N&W's classification for the locomotives) by sawing off the K-4 cab from the TRIX Pacific shell, sawing off the cab from the TRIX 0-6-0 shell and fusing the B-6b cab onto the K-4 boiler.  This allowed me to cut down the huge Belpaire firebox on the K-4 to a size closer to that of the K-3/E-3.  It went back onto the TRIX power chassis.  I put a twelve wheels live (!) tender from the Life-Like USRA 2-8-8-2 behind it.  During their time on the N&W, these things had some different tenders.  At one point, some of them had a tender that looked much like that on the Y-3.   I did remove the doghouse as few, if any, N&W passenger locomotives had a doghouse.

I do not know if you can do the same thing to a B-mann K-4 that I did to a TRIX K-4, but it is a thought.

MRC, through the Model Power name, sells a USRA light pacific.   You can buy the "plain ol' " version or you can buy one with a decoder and sound.  While MRC did do something to improve the electrical contact on these from the MP versions, still, it left in place one glaring error.  MP had only half wheels live tenders on these things.  Those are 1970s construction methods.   I took out the stock tenders and put some
B-mann SPECTRUM or Kato USRA standard tenders behind mine.  Both of these are all wheels live tenders.   The MP steam all runs well, but, it does suffer from the lack of an all wheels live tender.

One thing that you might consider is to use a Berkshire for your secondary passenger train.  C&O used Van Sweringen Berkshires on passenger trains in the hills of Kentucky.  While I have seen the B-mann run, and it runs well, the smoothest N scale locomotive that ever I have seen run is the Life-Like/Walthers Berkshire.  If you get the LL version, it has no traction tyres and is an anemic puller.  This is allright if your secondary passenger train is no more than three cars and does not have to climb any grades.  The WKW re-issue did come with traction tyres and is a much better puller.

Is your secondary passenger train a local, a mail train or intercity?   If it is a local, you might consider the B-mann ten wheeler.  It is a good locomotive,.

While consolidateds are not known as fast freight power, B-mann's 2-8-0 is an excellent locomotive.  It and the Kato 2-8-2 are still the yardsticks against which all other N scale steam is measured.   The B-mann pulls slightly better than does the Kato, even when you put the traction tyre driver pair onto the Kato.

Enjoy your ventures into N scale steam.  A good thing to keep in mind when dealing with N scale steam is Miranda's Maxim as explained by ke:  The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is almost always directly attributable to poor electrical contact.

While the above statement was made a few years back, in the days when the tenders were half wheels live and the driver contacts were not that good, you can, at times, see where some N scale steam locomotives fall short due to poor electrical pick up.  My citation of the MPs is a case in point.  With the B-mann or Kato all wheels live tenders, the MPs are real winners.   B-mann learned long back that you need all wheels live tenders for good performance.  The only N scale steam locomotive that B-mann still has in production that has anything less than an all wheels live tender, at least that I am aware, is the USRA 0-6-0.  Funny, though, B-mann sells two all wheels live tenders that are suitable for that locomotive.  Some minor surgery is all that is required to swap out the old for new.  As B-mann  has upgraded the power chassis on the USRA 0-6-0, if you put an all wheels live tender onto it, the thing is a real winner.  I have one that is working the most demanding job on my pike and does it well.  I platoon it with a B-mann 2-8-0 in that job.


Take a peek at Spookshow's website.  All honour and respect to Spookshow, always, as he has expended unstinting and tireless effort to compile an encyclopedia of N scale power and rolling stock.  His website will tell you what is out there and how good it is (or ain't).   It tells you how to do the surgery to the SPECTRUM  tender to fit it to the USRA 0-6-0.   Look at his site, it is informative---and THAT is an understatement.

The weak point of these things is the bendy-uppy tabs that make contact with metal.  If they are not making contact, the thing will stall.  Another frequent culprit is that dirt tends to accumulate on the contact wipers.

What you do is carefully pop off the bottom retainer plate on both the unpowered back truck as well as the powered forward truck.  Pop out the wheels, clean the back of them with Life-Like track cleaner, or, if you do not have that, alcohol will do.

Clean any dust devils, accumulated dirt and grease from the contact wipers.  Before you put the wheels back into the trucks, VERY GENTLY bend out the contact wipers slightly.  When you replace the wheels, be sure that the wipers go properly up against the back  of the wheels.   Finally, make sure that the retainer plate seats properly on each truck.  

B-mann tends to overgrease at the factory, as it is.   The only thing that excessive lubrication does is attract dirt.  The number one enemy of N scale power is dirt.

If you have the decoder version of this and are running it on DC, what happens every time that it stalls is that the "smart" decoder must re-set.


Finally, do make sure that your track is clean.

Does the kit come with a DC power pack?  If it does, use that for turnout control,  If not, you can find the B-mann trainset power pack at shows.  B-mann might sell it here, even.  You can buy the wiring and extensions, if you need them.  B-mann sells the switches that control it, as well.

According to the advertisement on this site, it has all of the plug-in wiring.  Did it not come with a power supply?   B-mann sells the DC power supply on this site, but you will pay full list for it, here.

Do not replace the B-mann tender with a MP.  The MP tender is only half wheels live.  The B-mann is all wheels live.   Using a half wheels live tender will adversely affect the performance of this locomotive.

Are you running DC or DCC?

If you are running DCC, you would have to follow Spookshow's instructions.

If you are running DC, you could buy the directional circuit board, the bulb/LED and a fixture (several of the detail manufacturers sell them).  If you drill  a hole in the aft of the tender, drill or hollow out the fixture, if necessary, then affix it to the back of the tender.  Run the necessary wiring from the metal strips in the B-mann tender and position the bulb/LED so that the light shines through the fixture.  A light coating of microkristallklear from Microscale will serve as a lens for the fixture.

If it is older B-mann, the almost universal MT conversion is 1133.  You can use 1134 if you are running on really sharp curves, as the 1134 is really an 1133 with a longer shank.

If you go to Micro-Trains' website, there is a conversion table there.

If you want to go body mount, there are several possibilities;  1023, 2004 and some others.

You should buy the coupler height gauge and the MT coupler tweezers.  A set of small pin vises and some jewellers' screwdrivers are necessary, as well.

Red Caboose sells Unitmates in short, medium and long shank.   Those are dummy couplers.  They will mate with almost any knuckle couplers, but are not working couplers, as are the MTs, Accumates and McHenrys.  You must couple the Unimates by hand.

If you can find some old Kato, they will mate with knuckle couplers.  They have a springy shank.

The Bs will go onto the A chassis and vice versa.  If you are going to put a B onto an A chassis, you might want to remove the headlight.

Yes.  The PLUS shells will go onto either the SPECTRUM chassis or the DCC chassis.  All three are interchangeable.

The MT conversion, using the existing trucks, is 1133.   You can use 1134 if you want a longer shank version.  The conversion is not difficult, but do buy the coupler tweezers. 

If you want to do a body mount, you could use 1023, but I would expect that it would need a large shim, if you used the existing trucks and did not lower the ride height.  The ride height on these is a bit high.

It is funny, but I did notice that B&O was not one of the road names listed for the HO version.  I do hope that B-mann adds B&O for N.  If it went and took any measurements of an actual USRA light 2-8-2, I would expect that it took it from the one at the B&O Museum, which is the first USRA locomotive ever built.   B&O ran into Philadelphia.  In fact, Q-3s ran into Philadelphia.  There were not too many places on the B&O where a Q-3 could not go.

Someone did do a shrouded B&O Cincinnatian pacific in brass and a train.  The locomotive was supposed to be quite slippery and supposedly would not even pull the train.

That T class does look bashable from the USRA heavy.   You would need the cab from the EM-1 and the tender.   The USRA sand dome looks close enough, but would you need to move it?   Same for the steam dome.   Some other minor modifications would be to add the air tanks and move the compressor to the pilot deck and put the protective covering over it.  Oddly enough, you would not need to move the headlight, as this one had a center mount, a variation from B&O practice.

^^^^^^^^^It did a 2-6-0, which MP, Atlas  and MDC/Athearn also did.   B-mann's 2-6-0 is quite different from the others, but it is there.

B-mann has announced a USRA light 2-8-2 in HO.   Athearn and Mantua, at least, have done that one in HO.  There may have been others.  I do hope to see the USRA light 2-8-2 in N, as well.   Given B-mann's use of separately applied details and all-wheels-live tenders, and, given MRC's continuation of MP's cast-on details and half-wheels-live tender (aka 1970s construction methods), I would expect that the B-mann model would be superior to the MP/MRC.

I would hope for a B&O version in N, as B&O had one-hundred of these things.   In fact, the first USRA locomotive was a light 2-8-2 built for the B&O.   It still exists, although it does not run.   B&O ran into Philadelphia, from whence B-mann comes.

I would like to see a USRA heavy 4-6-2, as well.  Only Erie had originals, but several roads had copies.   I forget the driver size on the K-4.  It was seventy-two inches on the USRAs.  I am not sure of the wheelbase or other measurements on the K-4 vs. USRA heavy, either.  B-mann tends to undersize the drivers, anyhow.  I wonder if it does this to allow the locomotives to pass through the sharp curves on many model railroads.

Quote from: spookshow on March 06, 2016, 07:38:26 AM


I did? Where?

Thanks,
-Mark

Now I am wondering where I did read it. I had thought that it was on your site.    Obviously, I was incorrect.   I have made the appropriate editorial changes and do extend my apologies.

Did they fix it or give you a new one?    The newest version of this thing is runs well.   B-mann must still do something about the stock tender.   If you will buy a SPECTRUM USRA short tender and take a peek at Spookshow's website, he will tell you how to swap out the stock tender for the SPECTRUM.  This thing is a real winner with the tender swap.

Funny thing on that Western Maryland.   There was one particular class of 2-8-0s that it had where Baldwin built one of the subclasses and ALCo the other.   As you are no doubt aware, the B-mann carries the Baldwin builder's plate.  The number on the WM belongs to one that was from the sub-class that ALCo built.

I have the WM version, as well.  I have yet to change the number.  I must change the number on the B&O as well.  It carries a number for and even the class designation
E-27, which was the largest class of 2-8-0s on the B&O.  It looks nothing like an E-27.  It looks more like an E-60, which was a Buffalo and Susquehanna locomotive.  B&O did pull some of the E-60s off of the B&S and retained them when it sold the B&S to the Wellsville, Addisonville and Galeton group.   I seem to recall that the WAG did get the six E-60s that were left there as well as a few switchers.