Please bring back a new and improved 0-4-0 docksider

[NotHarryPotter]

Dear Bach-mann,
I really miss these wonderful little locos. How about an updated version? Also, selling the chassis for scratchbuilders in other scales (notably HOn30 and On18) would be a nice little earner for the company. Please consider,
thanks, Geoff

[brokemoto]

I will add my voice to this call (especially as a B&O modeller).  I would add this, though, with a thought taken from the doodlebug/trailer coach combination.  Sell it with an electrically live boxcar and/or caboose and/or extra water tank.  B-mann could have slots on the locomotive and wires on the caboose/boxcar made to look like brake lines.  You could plug the wires into the locomotive to aid in electrical contact.  One of the problems with locomotives this small is the small footprint that limits electrical contact.  Locomotives this small are prone to stalling, even on metal frog switches or even straight and level track.  It is not necessarily due to a fault in design, construction, quality control or even trackwork.  It is simply that the locomotive is small and contact is limited.

I request the plug-in wires because it will allow you to run the locomotive around the live car for a return trip to the yards from car delivery.  You might have to do the runaround at unprototypical speeds, but it would be better than picking up the whole business with the hands and turning it around.  

The live trucks on the rolling stock should be the needlepoint pick-up type similar to those on the SPECTRUM tender.  The small size of the locomotive would limit its pulling power, as it is.  Live trucks that utilise contact wipers could put an inordinate amount of drag on the locomotive.  A visit to Spookshow's website to read his comments about swapping out the stock tender for the SPECTRUM tender on the B-mann USRA 0-6-0 illustrates this.  Many have done the swap-out, myself included, and have been pleased with the results.  All of this might cost a bit more, but I would be willing to pay for it.  It is better to pay more for a product that functions than it is to pay less for something that will not.

The live car would also provide  a place for the decoder, something that Bachpersonn seems to be putting into  most of its power, these days.  This might complicate the detaching of the live car from the locomotive, though.

I can not repeat Miranda's Maxim as explained by ke enough:  The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is almost always attributable to poor electrical contact.

[NotHarryPotter]

Brokemoto,
recently a friend showed me how to put a small swipe of graphite art pencil on track. The miniscule amount of graphite helps conductivity enormously. A small exhibition layout I own ran beautifully all day without a hitch using this method. I do like the idea of the plug-in boxcar (or water tank tender???) to aid conductivity
cheers
Geoff

[brokemoto]

I understand the use of the graphite to improve conductivity.  While this is the first that I have ever heard of this practice, it does make sense.  I do, however, have a question on a potential trade-off.  Micro-Trains' Grease-'em is graphite based.   This leads me to suspect that graphite might make the track slippery. How detrimental to pulling power, factor-of-adhesion, traction would the graphite on the tracks be, if at all?  How much pulling power would one be trading for improved conductivity, if any?

Some people have suggested oiling the track to improve conductivity, but that has never made any sense to me, although I have met people who swore by the practice.  It would seem to me that  doing this would present two difficulties.  First, the track would become quite slippery.  Second, it would attract dirt.  Everyone knows that enemy numero uno of N scale power and rolling stock is D-I-R-T.  These things attract enough dirt as it is.  I do not know any N scale modeller who has not had to clean accumulated wheel crud off the wheels of rolling stock or even locomotive wheels that are electrically neutral.  I have had to clean accumulated crud from locomotive or rolling stock wheels that are supposedly electrically live, even.  I suspect that crud accumulated because the contact on these supposedly live wheels was inconsistent.

[NotHarryPotter]

Brokemoto,
I too had similar misgivings, but the friend (very knowledgeable in all matters model train-wise) assured me that the trains would not slip (true from the full day exhibition running of my narrow gauge layouts) and that crud wouldn't build up (this also seems true). The tiniest amount of graphite pencil is rubbed in one spot only on each rail. The graphite is then carried around the layout by the wheels. It is indeed a miniscule amount of graphite. The improved running qualities of the locos sold me. Maybe build a test loop and see what you think. All I can go on is my own experience with my On18 and On30 layouts,


cheers
Geoff

[Mike C]

 There is a rather long discussion of oil and graphite use over on the MRH magazine website . I don't use either my self, but I switched every car I have over to metal wheelsets. I believe that its the plastic that causes a lot of the crud , Without the plastic wheels I rarely see any black crud on track or wheels.
  But getting back to the 0-4-0, any kind of added pick up is going to help it. Don't have one , but I bet it has some real difficulty running through any kind of switch. Its just the way it is , ....Mike

[kmcsjr]

Just make it pretty, dcc and give it the best possible pickup. If turnout physics preclude turnout use, slap a warning on the box!

[LV LOU]

 With the new powered frog turnouts,this loco is a great runner.I'd love to see an updated version of the original with the full valve gear...An 0-4-0 exactly like it ran not three miles from me on the West Pittston & Exeter,the shortest railroad in the world..