HO Spectrum Steamers - Full Roster

[Pacific Northern]

I have been buying the various Spectrum steam engines since they first entered the market. Have BLI, IHC, Mantua and Genesis steamers as well and consider the Spectrum engines equal or superior to my other engines.

I just received the only Spectrum steam engine I was missing, the N&W J  4-8-4,  boy what a brute. I was surprised to find it such a large engine.

Once I have finished breaking it in I will be putting it in storage until I add my second level to my layout.  The Tsunami sound decoder certainly has excellent speed control and the sound of course is impressive as well.

I found I just had to fill the roster with all of the various Spectrum engines.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

I've got a J Class, however its not in N&W anymore........

[GN.2-6-8-0]

I'm still waiting for their new spectrum C&O 2-6-6-2 with the VC tender,can't seem to find any information on when it'll arrive! grrrrr!

[rogertra]

First, let me make it clear that the following are my preferences and are not to be taken as criticisms of those people who do things differently.

Before I even started to build the current GER, ten years before in fact, I wrote a complete corporate history detailing all routes, acquisitions and locomotive roster up to 1972, the year I planned to model and did, until Spectrum released to 2-8-0, when that all changed. 

With one or two minor tweaks, adding a small drivered 2-10-0 and Alco RS-1s and a couple of slight history changes so as to accommodate the 2-10-0s and the RS-1s, I've pretty much stuck to that history.

The history and now from that history the locomotive roster as it would have existed in 1958, have been my guide for all locomotive purchases.

I believe in trying to make the GER as believable and as realistic as my abilities allow me.  When I compiled the GER's history, I studied the motive power of the CNR and CPR in southern Quebec and used that as a guide.  "Were locos of this type and wheel arrangement used in this region of Canada and in my era?" were the questions I asked myself.  If the answer was "Yes", then I could add them to my GER roster.  However, even then, I left some types off the list as being too uncommon. CLC (Baldwin) diesels for example, I considered too uncommon for the GER roster, though I did use the aforementioned Alco RS-1s as a substitute even though none were ever sold new in Canada.

I also believe in having a fleet of locomotives, not one of each.   I don't want my crews to say something like, "Ah, here comes the 4-6-2" but rather "Here comes a 4-6-2", and if possible, I'll have at least two classes of each wheel arrangement.  The exception to this rule is yard engines.  As yard engines are typically assigned to the same yard for years having only assigned to a modelled yard is protypical.  For my yard engines I have 0-6-0, one 0-8-0 and one Alco diesel switcher.  However, this may change on the new and larger GER, once I move into the new house.

On the GER, you will not therefore find any 2-6-6-2s nor any other articulated locos as they never ran in Canada.  You'll not find anything in GER colours who's design screams "Norfolk & Western" (Much as I like the NW), or "New York Central" nor any other design easily identifiable to a particular railroad.  You will however find suitable NYC, Rutland, D&H, and of course CNR and CPR locos as the GER interchanges with all of these.

To keep the over all fleet and class effect when I purchase locomotives, I always order a minimum two, usually three and if the budget can be stretched that far four of each.  If things are tight, I will add additional locos of the same class as finances permit.   I also try to add GER details to the locos so that they all look like part of the GER family.

Does anyone else have the same criteria when building a roster or are most of you in the "Must have one of those" category?

[HO-Ron]

To Roger,
Does anyone else have the same criteria when building a roster or are most of you in the "Must have one of those" category?

Ditto!! While I have not been on the board for over a year, I have been "lurking" and this is a topic I felt that I could respond to without getting into "the heat of the battle" or stepping on the toes of those that know a lot more than I do.

That having been said, I agree that a roster should embezzle the period and the road you are trying to "model". If not "road" then at least the era. For me that is the Southern in the late 40's, early 50's. Same concept though. What ran during those years belongs. There are a lot of engines that I have in my collection that do not belong to that era or road, and so they are in my display case. Some people actually think that the display is "neat".

Regards, Ron

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

Most of my roster for B&O Steam the B&O really had. there's a few they did not have tho. The J Class(intended to represent the B&O Streamlined Pacifics as they are only available in brass), Alleghney(wanted to do it as C&O 1604, and I will probably transfer it to the C&O soon) and the Climax's. B&O had proposed a Berkshire but never built it. and the B&O owned a couple of shays. What they looked like however, I have no idea.

C&O Steam is all factory painted except my 2-8-0 and soon 4-4-0 if the pulling tests go smoothly(i have a feeling they will) i need something to pull my new C&O Roundhouse OT Coaches)

Rest of the stuff is mostly old time stuff i want to have on a museum that will be built into my layout. some of it display only, some of it pulling excursion trains.

[Pacific Northern]

On the GER, you will not therefore find any 2-6-6-2s nor any other articulated locos as they never ran in Canada.  .

To keep the over all fleet and class effect when I purchase locomotives, I always order a minimum two, usually three and if the budget can be stretched that far four of each. 

FYI, Great Northern did run 2-6-6-2's into Canada. At least into BC.

I agree that to keep the fleet and class effect it is best to have two or more engines, that is why with the exception of the J engine I have a minimum of 3 for the Shays and a max of 8 for the ten wheelers which are the backbone of my fleet/roster

The 4-8-4 is intended to be repainted in CNR colours and hopefully replace the cab with a Canadian style enclosed cab and of course replace the tender with a Vandy.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cn/cn-s6403jpa.jpg


My layout is based on the CPR, CNR and Great Northern.

Enough said thread closed