2-8-2

[bob kaplan]

Just saw the advertisement for the brass Mike from RY in GARDEN RAILWAYS.  The minimun turn for the enigine is 8 feet RAIDUS (redundent but... 16 feet DIAMETER)!  i think Accuraft manages to sneek in 8 foot DIAMETER. 

If Bachmann does release a 2-8-2, any thoughts as to the mininun turn needed?   Does Bachmann have a "goal" that it would like to achieve in this department? 

The engine being released is #14.  If #12 was released, is it a bit smaller so that it could get away with a smaller radii/diameter?

[Matthew (OV)]

You have to remember that the more faithful you are to the prototype with respect to things like suspension, front and rear pilot truck swing, etc, the larger radius the model will require.  The RY model is supposed to be VERY faithful to prototype, hence its large requirement for track curvature.

Conversely, there have been some very LARGE engines by LGB that were quite literally hinged in the middle so that they could be made to go around the R1 2' radius curves ..... but (thinking here of the Harz locomotive) the appearance of the model when it does this is compromised a great deal, as you can see the drive train swinging well out from under the body of the locomotive, and the cars following the wheels on a seperate draw mechanism.  (I'm not knocking LGB, incidentally... they're just going for something different with that model than most of us will be with the K)

What you go for is a balance .... most large scalers dont' have the space for 20' radius curves (unless you're Jens Bang or something, and the entire Northwest is your playground..... ) so you make easements where it doesn't compromise too much what the model looks like .... notice that on the existing 2-8-0 ("Connie") that the front pilot truck has a center pin and cover in the middle of the pilot deck, but underneath has a swinging mechanism that allows it to move side to side, and therefore to take tighter curves.

The K-27 is not much longer than the 2-8-0, but does have a trailing truck, and more overhang ... and will therefore require larger curves.  At the same time, though, there have been 1:20.3 models of the K that will take 4' radius (8' diameter) curves quite successfully.  Your EBT locomotives aren't much different, dimensionally, and will probably follow something similar in the 4' to 5' radius range, if for no other reason than appealing to the greatest number of model railroads as possible without sacrificing what the model looks like. (What you think of such a large piece on a 4' radius curve is open  for debate......)

While I am *not* an official voice for Bachmann, I base my argument on the fact that the Accucraft K27 is a 1:20.3 K-27 and has been made to take the kind of curvature I'm describing.... so before one discusses the finer mechanical points and differences, at least the basic layout and dimensons of the piece (should?) be at least very similar!

Matthew (OV)