Thanks DTO, hopefully someone in the Vegas area will be able to get some photos.  There are a bunch of guys on the On30 Groups that would be interested.  Come to think of it, I've got a convention in Vegas this coming December.  Hmm, that would be a fun side trip.

By the way, I did a quick edit on the 4-4-0 drawing, to see what sort of 2-4-0 it might make.  It would take some work to make the siderods work, but I moved the drivers up so that you could connect the main siderod from the cylinder to the rear driver, rather than the front driver, so that it can stay the same length.  And it might look better if the extended boiler were removed.  Looks like a lot of work, but it would be funky.  I think an outside-frame Forney would make an easier starting point for this sort of 2-4-0.




Manager

Chief, if you haven't seen this yet, here is a detailed description of how to install DCC in the Mogul.  Harold's site has a lot of other info on On30, and other assorted scales.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/mogul_page/

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com

Manager

Good point, DTO.  I was also looking at that metal boiler, and thinking how "fun" it would be to shorten that.  So far, the only boilers that I've really worked on have been plastic, like the one on the Mogul, and I for one would like to see more On30 locos like the Mogul, with a plastic boiler and minimal detailing.

But the 4-4-0 mod sounds really interesting.  Is that info online anywhere, or did you see it in person?

Manager

Joe, has anyone actually done a 4-4-0 to 2-4-0 conversion?  That would be interesting.  The only downside seems to be that one would have to adjust the siderods somewhat, and that does get tricky.  The upside of the Forney to 2-4-0 bash is that boiler and siderods stay exactly the same.

Hmm, the outside frame 4-4-0 also has potential...  I might do a Photoshop test to see if it's interesting.

Manager

There have been many impressive On30 bashes over the years, too many to list, really.  And turning a Forney into a 2-4-0 with a tender is a simple bash, compared to some.  So, why don't you try it, instead of asking Bachmann to make one?  It's an important life lesson: Instead of waiting for someone else to do things for you, do it yourself.  It may take you a few years to master the techniques, but that's the fun part, for many of us.

The other thing that you might learn, is that once you make the effort to bash the loco that you want, Bachmann is much more likely to produce their own version.

Manager

Personally, I really like the 2-4-2.  I do think that particular 2-4-2 has the drivers too far forward to make it into a feasible 2-4-0.  The Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical has a very nice 2-4-0, which would work as an On30 model.



Some folks have also turned the Forney into a very plausible 2-4-0.

Manager

         As stated in my original post, I would rather have a 2-6-0 that is at least DCC ready. This should only involve a minor electrical engineering change that should have minimal impact on the development of new products that may or may not be on the drawing board.
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In terms of development costs, I agree.  But there is also the manufacturing process to consider, and Bachmann only produces a couple of On30 locos each year.  I'm guessing that adding an updated Mogul to the production schedule would bump other On30 locos back by months.  With all the scales that Bachmann is making now, that factory has to be a busy place.

But I do like the idea of a DCC kit.  Maybe that's because of the 5 old Moguls that I have.

Manager

Sounds like a good idea, but which would you rather have?  An upgraded 2-6-0, or an entirely new loco?  Even if the 2-6-0 would be inexpensive to retool, it would still take time from the schedule for making the parts and running them through the assembly line.  That time and money could be spent instead on a Heisler, a 2-6-6-2, or whatever else Bachmann has in the works.

Manager

That page has some great ideas for On30.  Bachmann ought to download the files, send them through a Stereolithography machine to make a real 3D model, slap in a motor, and off we go.  Too bad it's not that simple.

www.steammachine.com/bdaneal

John, I've heard that the US Service Dept. isn't that email savvy, and that you are more likely to contact them by phone.  Given your location, that may not be convenient, and if you get the machine, they may hesitate to call you back, but it might be worth a try.

Have you tried to contact the German office?  They might be able to help.
http://www.liliput.de/index.php?option=com_kontakt

The issue of Local Hobby Shops is something else altogether.  My closest is an hour away, and he has never carried anything On30, or O-scale for that matter.  And I have tried to visit hobby shops on different trips, but have almost always been disappointed with the On30 offerings.  [The big exception was Caboose Hobbies in Denver.  That was fantastic.]  For the most part, I know what I'm looking for, and the odds of finding that exact item is slim at any store, so I might as well order it from Caboose, or one of the On30 specialists like Nathan.

Perhaps what you are seeing, Barry, is the evolution of On30, along with the devolution of the local hobby shop.  Perhaps the mass market appeal of On30 is fading along with the "Christmas Village" concept, so you are less likely to see it in large stores.  The 2-6-0, along with the passenger and freight cars, fit this mass market.  But there is a large group of serious modelers, for whom the more recent Bachmann releases have more appeal, with high levels of detail, metal construction, and higher prices.  Perhaps the shift you are seeing is a reflection of a shift in what is produced in On30, away from the Christmas tree crowd, and toward the more serious modeler.  And that shift is being reflected in where On30 is sold, away from Local Hobby Shops and retail stores, and toward specialty online retailers, and the large hobby stores whose volume allows for better discounts.

Also, I'm wondering how much of the model train market is represented by On30.  It can't be that much, compared to HO and N.  Has anyone ever seen numbers on this?

Gary

One thing is fairly certain... Whatever is announced next month has been in the works for months, if not years, so all of our suggestions at this point won't make a difference for this next round.  But, the flip side is that whatever they announce will be available fairly soon.

manager

I think the suggested lubrication was for the gears and running gear.   Bachmann makes grease and oil for this purpose, so that's a good place to start.  Once the gears and moving parts are lubed, you might run the loco for awhile, to break it in, although, honestly, my 2-8-0's have never needed to be broken in.

If nothing else works, call the service department.

Some info here, further down on the page:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/of_4-4-0/

Now if we could just buy the sound/DCC card, without having to buy the HO engine too.  Stick the sound card and speaker in a green box with a Bachmann label on it.  You know, the tender design on both 4-4-0's, along with the lack of sound versions so far, makes me wonder if this hasn't been Bachmann's plan all along...

Manager