Durango Silverton N scale steam locomotive in the yellow and black paint scheme

[oilcan1951]

Hello everyone,
I am getting back into N scale and I am looking for information on the Durango Silverton N scale steam locomotive in the yellow and black paint scheme. Does anyone have one to sell, or know where I might get one, or if you have any info on it like how old is this unit etc.
Thanks Guys & girls

[dutchbuilder]

The only bumblebee is the 2-8-0 C16 #268 from the D&RGW.
There was a K28 painted in the yellow colours but that was for a commercial.
I believe the #268 was custom painted in the bumblebee colours for 1949 season of Chicago RR Fair

Ton

[brokemoto]

MDC sold a 2-8-0 in Denver and Rio Grande Western Bumblebee.  Athearn bought out MDC years back, so the bumblebee 2-8-0 is long out of production.  You might find one at a show or a dealer might have one as NOS, but I would guess that by now they are not easy to find.  If one were to come up on FeePay, I would expect a real snipe war.

Athearn sold a 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 in D&RGW bumblebee.  Those might be easier to find, as they are of later manufacture, but, they too, are long out of production.  You might find one at a show or a dealer as NOS.   

There was also a black 2-8-0 from MDC and from Athearn.  There was a black with the Royal Gorge herald 2-6-0 from Athearn.

I am guessing that if they are not the proverbial hens' teeth, they are close to it.

[dutchbuilder]

Aren't we forgetting something?
The bumblebee is 3ft narrow gauge and not standard gauge.

Ton

[brokemoto]

Aren't we forgetting something?  The bumblebee is 3ft narrow gauge and not standard gauge.

The Gallopping Goose was narrow gauge, as well, but Con-Cor sold one in standard gauge. 

Indeed, the bumblebee prototype was narrow gauge and was a consolidated, not a mogul.  I do not recall that the drivers were silver, either, but they are on the Athearn model.   While the prototype was not standard gauge, that did not stop either MDC or Athearn from selling them in N scale standard gauge.

B-mann sells the nineteenth century wood passenger cars in N scale standard gauge lettered for Durango and Silverton.   The set comes with a USRA 0-6-0 for power.  The current Durango and Silverton operates on narrow gauge track of the former D&RGW narrow gauge lines.   As far as I have read, there never was a narrow gauge USRA locomotive of any type.

Even though the prototype was, and is, narrow gauge, it does not seem to stop the manufacturers from selling it as standard gauge.  It appears that people have bought and are buying it, as it is not easy to find the MDC/Athearn power or the C-C Gallopping Goose.   I have seen a few of the B-mann sets at shows and in hobby shops, but not many.  In addition, there is a line of rolling stock out there that is sold in plastic bags with a card hanger called either Rerailers or Rerailed (I forget which).   It is mostly older production and out of production B-mann rolling stock.   I have managed to find exactly one coach and one combine of the B-mann nineteenth century wood cars lettered for the Durango and Silverton.  I bought each one as I saw it.  I have not seen any others.   I would expect that there were more of them, but people snapped them up quickly.   Some of us who have the Athearn/MDC power want the passenger cars to run behind it, but do not need the tracks, power supply and other items and really do not want the 0-6-0 as power for the train.

In addition, many of us feel compelled to upgrade the tender on the 0-6-0 to a SPECTRUM tender, thus we want to avoid the additional expense.   The better SPECTRUM tender for B-mann's USRA 0-6-0 is really the USRA short, which does not come in Durango and Silverton, anyhow.