There are many very good C-19 photos in "Narrow Gauge Pictorial, Volume XI, Locomotive of the D&RGW," which has a section devoted to the C-19 as well as the T-12, C-16, 17 and 18, and the K-27 and 36.

The other book, which as many of the same photos is "Narrow Gauge Pictorial,  Rio Grande Southern and D&GRW Motive Power, Volume 1."

I bought both books when they were still around (i.e. on sale) but you might find them at model train swapmeets, eBay, or at used bookstores.

One thing no one seems to have mentioned is that the Painted Unlettered, Black with Red & White Trim-Long Tender loco comes with rounded domes, not the fluted ones used on all the other variants.

K, you said that these locos are circa 1920 with electric headlights, but I notice that the Bumble Bee and Sunrise Herald versions both have those big, boxy headlamps, which I thought were acetylene or something (I really don't know this, but I'm a great guesser).

Finally Mr. Strong, how's about a review of this baby in GR?

After I mentioned a Forney bash--as featured in the Gazette--on MLS, somebody suggested I use the saddletank switcher, which is cheaper. But do the tanks come off and reveal a usable boiler? Or are they molded into the plastic?

Also--and this probably should be a separate post--can you buy cabs and stuff from Bachmann? I know that when you look at the schematic that comes packaged with your new loco, there is a parts breakdown, suggesting that somewhere there are "spare" components. So are there, Mr. Bachmann?

Which brings up another idea: why can't Bachmann offer these parts so that bashers can acquire them easily--without going on eBay, trolling for used goods?

Kev, I like your loco a lot, as I said on MLS. But since we're talkin' ideas for new products, I prefer the drive wheels to be all clustered together, like on the Annie, rather than separated as many of the early engines were. But that's just me.

While I'm on the subject--and not to tick people off--I'd like to see more small- to mid-size locos like 2-6-0s or 2-8-0s, that can negotiate curves on the average-size layout. All of these LARGE locos look great, but ya can't run 'em around small radius curves.

And please, enough with the geared locomotives!

Me and the guys at MLS are debating as to which loco originally served as the prototype for Bachmann's large-scale Connie. At the time I heard it was a Cuban sugar railroad loco. But apparently some access problems developed and Lee Riley had to look elsewhere--namely Adler Gulch in Montana, which at this time is not on the State Department's don't visit list. So which is it?

Got it. Re-read it. Thanks. At least all of my automobiles have self starters.

For some time I have thought about building a certain caboose and figured that it might be possible to use an existing flat car as a platform--to save me from the hassle of building the whole dang thing. So what are the dimensions of the new Bachmann Fn3 flat car?