Separately applied domes would be a plus, much like the Spectrum Heavy 4-8-2, perfect for customization

Quote from: Yardmaster on November 20, 2015, 11:59:40 AM
No they do not.

Tis a shame, I like running reefers with propped hatches

Do these reefers have working roof hatches by chance?

Quote from: Yardmaster on November 18, 2015, 01:07:20 PM
Tooling and manufacturing costs have increased over the years. Also remember that the prices that we list are MSRP - manufacturer SUGGESTED retail price. Dealers usually apply a generous discount on these SUGGESTED retail prices.

Another thing on  Bachmann's heavyweight cars is they have stock lighting, which MT does not. I am extremely happy with all the new N-scale releases, the heavyweights help because now we have more to choose from. I'm not a PRR, B&O nor a Berkshire roads fan but the fact that Bachmann is coming out with new steam as rapid as they've been doing the last few years is something to be happy about.

At the very moment Bachmann is the leader in innovative N-scale steam in the N-scale marketplace. Long gone are the days of flimsy rail-pickup and cracked axles. I will continue to look forward to more and more of Bachmann's investment in N gauge

Quote from: gatrhumpy on November 16, 2015, 06:36:25 PM
Probably won't happen. Model Power (now MRC) already has a 2-8-2 with DCC and sound, so this is a pipe dream.

Not necessarily. I do not like the mechanism breakdown of the other USRA mike on the market, it makes it difficult to kitbash, the boiler is the main housing unit for the motor, which is really preventing me from buying one. The whole lack of separation of boiler from motor is why I prefer Bachmann. All my steam is Bachmann for this reason  MRC isn't known for great decoders either which also leave me skeptical. Bachmann also has dual wheel pickup on their tenders which is also very important.

So sign me up for a few of the Bachmann engines.

The only excuse I'd have for the MP steam is the vanderbilt tender which isn't offered anywhere else. Which if I were to buy it, I would simply cannibalize the tender from the engine, sell the engine off and put Bachmann trucks on it.

But that's just me.

Another thing we need is having all wheel pickup on the tender trucks-

It is very encouraging seeing a lot of discussion on Steam Locomotives more than anything..

how about some rolling stock? I would like to see bachmann produce drop bottom gondolas and fruit express reefers or single sheath outside braced boxcars.

Maybe produce some unique MOW equipment like a Ditcher or a Rotary Snowplow

For passenger cars how about wood sided palace heavyweight passenger cars?

It would also be neat to see model kits as well, like an intercity coal dock/coal dealer, a wooden coal mine like some that are found in old pictures of Utah, maybe a drawbridge, steel viaducts, factory buildings, etc.

An NYC L-2a is a really charmer of a brute, however I probably maybe would buy one as opposed to the numerous D&RGW 4-8-2's I have in brass(never can have enough!) I was contemplating on buying an O 3-rail version for my Holiday Christmas display I do at the local park. The O scale version is loud and puff crazy amounts of smoke.

One thing we don't see a lot of is non-N&W(USRA included) designed 2-8-8-2's, I know it may be a pipe dream for me, but I love some of the small/medium sized 2-8-8-2's like my D&RGW L-96 which happens to be out of action until a suitable Powerhouse donor can be acquired for a better mechanism.

I'm still going to wave my hands in the air for Harriman freight steam designs. Would be neat if they included a clamshell stack for an SP 2-8-0 or 2-8-2

Quote from: RGW on October 14, 2015, 08:52:46 AM
I really like your 2-6-6-0.  Did you have to modify the frame to get the shell to fit?

Yes, it's relatively simple if you take your time and disassemble the 2-6-6-2, I just grind/cut down the front frame notch and the rear notch as well, then I cut the LED back up light end of the H-4 circuit board and secure it to the tender and solder wires to bachmann all wheel pickup trucks I got from USRA tenders. It runs really smooth and crawls nicely, I may need to add a bit of weigt more too the tender(tender has a weight from an older bachmann gondola which isn't enough)

I really like the way you've weathered your engines, I plan on putting a Spectrum Heavy Mountain shell on the USRA Light 2-10-2 chassis as a future project.

Here's a 2-6-6-0 I Kitbashed from a 3D Print model:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef3KEQD814A

Quote from: Trainman203 on October 06, 2015, 05:47:57 PM
Those 2-10-2s look ex wabash.

These engines were considered the Heaviest 2-10-2's ever built, they were bigger than the Wabash engines.

Quote from: J3a-614 on October 06, 2015, 03:09:20 AM
Rye, I think you've nailed it.  Someone was using this tender with a 2-10-2, or was intending to do so, to replicate the engine you found.  It's not as accurate as it should be, but how many times have we used other things to stand in for what was not available or what was beyond scratchbuilding skills we might have?

To be perfectly honest with you I'm somewhat in a slow process of kitbashing my own F-81 using a chassis and styrene with some Kitbit sand domes I acquired luckily through some hard work looking.

I nearly bought a PFM collection F-81 but financial reasons(car accident) kept me from owning the brute.

So I am playing with the idea of complete scratchbuilding a boiler over a p2k chassis or making a freelance faux F-81 using an M-78 brass shell over a Bachmann 2-10-2 chassis.

I for one and happy that Bachmann is coming out with more steam locomotives, when other Manufacturers are either omitting them or putting them on the back-burner for limited runs only. I can't wait to get my hands on a few of these for Kitbash fodder I have planned.  (other mikado chassis's I've used  left a bit to be desired)

Here's a photo of the original 1254 Locomotive:

Also for prototype information, only 1000-class C-41's(2-8-0) and 1400-class F-81's(2-10-2) D&RGW engines are the only D&RGW engines to have Vanderbilt tenders.

1200-class would be a K-59 or K-63 Mikado both of which never sported Vanderbilt tenders and the roster only went as far as 1229, so what you may have is a freelance tender.

The only thing I can think of that's accurate, is prior to the D&RGW it's was called the D&RG and the number 1254 was an F-81 with a Vanderbilt tender. Granted I doubt the Bachmann model would be an accurate representation as the Vanderbilt tender on those engines were short but bulky in size, really chunky looking. Towards the war years (after they were renumbered) the Vanderbilt tender was dropped in favor of the Norfolk and Western 16,000 gallon Water Buffalo tenders which were easier to maintain and ha more capacity for coal and water than the Vandy's did.

Here's 1405(D&RG 1255) with a Vanderbilt tender:


Here's 1404(D&RG 1254) Modernized with an N&W 16K Tender:



Hope this helps!

Would also be neat to see what your tender looks like all lettered up!

The Union Pacific had 4-10-2's which is like the smaller sibling of their 4-12-2's, they're really neat overland looking engines

I was contemplating buying one in brass and modifying it to seem more like it hung around the Rockies(even though the curves in the Rockies wouldn't fare well with that kind of wheelbase..

Quote from: NevinW on September 25, 2015, 12:11:48 PM
Spectrum quality slide valve 0-6-0 with sound and sloped tender.  Spectum quality 2-8-0 similar to their 4-6-0. 

A spectrum quality or even a standard line 2-8-0 version of the Bachmann 4-6-0 would be most welcome on my rails, especially if it's low drivers with valve gear