Quote from: richg on November 12, 2011, 05:03:47 PM

Quote from: andrechapelon on November 12, 2011, 04:22:23 PM
What's the scoop? Separate tenders supposedly haven't been available for some time. However, I walked into my favorite train store yesterday and saw a couple of Medium Vanderbilts just begging to be adopted, so I adopted one. These tenders were not in the old black boxes, but the newer red ones (which waste a lot of volume by containing mostly air).

Speak, oh great pooh-bah. Are separate tenders going to be available again or were these manufactured  by a small cabal of disgruntled employees in an effort to thumb their noses at the suits in the front office? If the latter, give those employees a raise and a promotion.

Andre

Dude, all the stuff comes out of China.

Pencil pushers. aka, bean counters decide on what Bachmann will import.
I suspect there are very few model railroaders involved in what is sold and produced.

Realize, The Bach Man is only a figurehead. He tells us what Bachamnn lets him tell us.

There have been issues with the Bachmann tenders in the past, mostly wiring. I am quite sure there are other issues which Bachmann will not discuss openly. They do not want the competition knowing what is happening.

Rich

Dude, you are aware that facetious does not refer to the followers of Benito Mussolini, aren't you?

I was being facetious about the origin of the tenders. Regardless of the true explanation, it was nice to find a couple brand new in box.

Nonetheless, I think it was a mistake to drop separate tenders.


Andre

Quote from: Pacific Northern on November 12, 2011, 05:06:42 PM
The tenders in the red packaging are not new.

The red boxes were available before the announcement that the tenders had been discontinued.

Your hobby shop simply has new old stock available. If you check the various on-line model railroad outlets you will find a few with the tenders available.

That may well be the case although the hobbyshop owner claimed they were recent arrivals (never known him to lie). Perhaps there were some left at the distributor.

Doesn't matter, really. I wanted an SP style medium Vanderbilt and managed to score one. Perhaps I should return for the other one. It looked so lonely when I left it on the shelf.

Now if I could only score another 160C (the misnamed "Hicken" tender).

Andre

What's the scoop? Separate tenders supposedly haven't been available for some time. However, I walked into my favorite train store yesterday and saw a couple of Medium Vanderbilts just begging to be adopted, so I adopted one. These tenders were not in the old black boxes, but the newer red ones (which waste a lot of volume by containing mostly air).

Speak, oh great pooh-bah. Are separate tenders going to be available again or were these manufactured  by a small cabal of disgruntled employees in an effort to thumb their noses at the suits in the front office? If the latter, give those employees a raise and a promotion.

Andre

The Mogul's nice even if it isn't suitable for the Southern Pacific and I'll probably get one of the ALCO S-4's in SP tiger stripe.

That being said, I don't want to appear ungrateful and all, but I'm starting to turn blue holding my breath for a Harriman 4-6-2 (light or heavy, Bachmann's choice). I'd also be very appreciative if Bachmann would start supplying separate tenders again.

Andre

Quote from: sd45elect2000 on January 31, 2011, 05:33:30 PM
How bout a great running 4-8-4 with a common driver size and a zillion different boiler shells for your favorite RR or RR's ? D&H today ... Soo Line tomorrow ...

Have you checked over on Trainboard? There's a guy who appears to be developing shells (UP FEF, Santa Fe 3765, 3776 & 2900 classes) to fit on the Kato GS-4 chassis.

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=128364

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=128619

Here's another thing to consider. The Bachmann J is based on an engine with 70" drivers. Other railroads with 70" driver 4-8-4's include NC&StL, SSW/SP (GS-7/8), DL&W, Wabash,  Lehigh Valley, Reading, D&RGW and Nacionales de Mexico. You'd need boxpoks for a number of them, but not for al (or at least not all axles). Toledo, Peoria & Western and Western Maryland engines as well as Temiskaming & Northern Ontario (later Ontario Northland) used 69" drivers - close enough.

You could probably alsoi use the same chassis for locos with drivers in the 72-73" range as the visual difference is small in N. These would include the first 2 SP GS classes plus GS-6, MP/D&RGW (M-68), CofG, C&O, GN (S-1), and WP.

Andre

Having read the whole thread, this looks more like a "comedy" of errors rather than malfeasance on the part of The Favorite Spot.

First of all, trying to arrange a swap with the guy who mistakenly got the OP's engine was a mistake. While it might have worked if other parties hadn't gotten involved, it eliminates the most important part of correcting a mistaken transaction - the paper trail. What if the swap had worked and the OP's engine had arrived damaged (or the guy in FL got a damaged engine, or both)? EWho would be to blame then? The correct course of action would have been to contact TFS to correct the original problem (receipt of incorrect item).

Not being privy todetails of the fiasco vaguely alluded to by the OP, I have no idea why or how the original error was compounded by the errors of other parties with no real interest in the transaction, but this whole thing appears to have taken on some of the aspects of a Three Stooges short. I also don't know what tone the OP took in his initial communication with TFS when things fell apart, but from what I can see based solely on what's been stated by the OP, TFS was caught in the middle of a situation made all the worse because people who shouldn't have been involved involved themselves for whatever reason.

The Favorite Spot has outstanding ratings when you consider that they've had something like 100,000+ transactions. You don't do that volume of business without making an occasional mistake.

I'm sorry for the loss of the OP's father. Havng lost mine 35 years ago, I know how that feels. I do, however think the anger is misdirected.

Note to the OP. Were I you, I'd be a bit more judicious about what I said about TFS. It could be construed as libel, especially since there is evident malice.

Andre

Quote from: RAM on October 21, 2010, 07:54:58 PM
Another thing one can do.  If you are starting out you don't need 20 locomotives.  If you want to model your own short line.  You can look for gp7-9 or an s1 or sw1500.  some rr that some store has a lot of and wants to get rid of them.  Patch out NH or nyc, put you own rr name AOK.  You can have a lot of fun doing your own thing. 

You don't need 20 locomotives even if you're an old-timer. Jared Harper is modeling the Alma Branch of the Santa Fe as it was in 1943. His entire steam roster is a single 1050 class 2-6-2.

SP's Monterey Branch in steam could easily be handled by a couple of 2-8-0's, a 4-6-0, a 4-8-0 (for variety) and a P-6 4-6-2 (for the Del Monte) and not have all 5 engines used in one operating session. In diesel, 3 or 4 GP9's would suffice, with a couple of them boiler equipped.

Andre

 Back in the 1950's and early '60's, you could buy a PFM brass Ma & Pa 2-8-0 for $39.95

Yeah, that all sounds great until you find out that $39.95 back then is the equivalent of nearly $300 today ($291.50 to be more or less exact and using 1960 as the base year). Incidentally, the MSRP on the 4-4-0 by Spectrum is exactly $300. It can be had painted, lettered, coupler equipped and with DCC for that. The PFM brass engine was unpainted and needed couplers as well. With the Spectrum, the street price can be considerably less than MSRP. Build yourself a time machine, go back to 1960 and then see if you can get the PFM engine for at least 20% off list.

Sorry, that "things were so much more affordable back in the good ol' days" won't wash.

Incidentally, the formerly Spectrum (now standard) 2-8-0 retails for $145. The 1960 equivalent would be $19.65 (half the price of the PFM Ma & Pa 2-8-0). The DCC/Sound Equpped Baldwin 4-6-0 has an MSRP of $360. That's $48.73 in 1960 dollars. A PFM Southern Ps-4 4-6-2 would set you back $49.50 back then. Unpainted. sans couplers, devoid of sound.

Andre

Quote from: andrechapelon on May 14, 2010, 12:47:59 PM
While you're at it, how about "Spectrumizing" the SP 160C-whatever tender used here: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1319   so that us SP fans can have another tender available?  It's suitable behind 4-8-2's, 4-8-4's (GS-1) and even the the later T&NO Pacifics (P-9 and P-13).

You've put the 160C tender behind the HO USRA heavy in HO and even sold it as a separate item. Why not in N scale too?

Andre

Forgot about SP MM-3 #3930 http://www.divisionpoint.com/photos/SP_MM-3s/SP_3930b.gif  with the same type of tender. Could be cobbled up with the USRA (for piston valve LP cylinders) model. Most of the work would involve coming up with a new smokebox front and mounting the compressors on the fireman's side.

Andre

While you're at it, how about "Spectrumizing" the SP 160C-whatever tender used here: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1319   so that us SP fans can have another tender available?  It's suitable behind 4-8-2's, 4-8-4's (GS-1) and even the the later T&NO Pacifics (P-9 and P-13).

You've put the 160C tender behind the HO USRA heavy in HO and even sold it as a separate item. Why not in N scale too?

Andre

Quote from: pdlethbridge on August 04, 2009, 01:11:08 PM
I think it's a K2

Yup, it's a K-2 before all the rebuilding that made them look like little J's.

Andre

Also, this loco is listed in the catalog as having an operating front coupler, which it clearly doesn't have, since it is a dummy one piece molding and is rigidly inserted into the pilot. There is a Rapido style coupler with a snap in shank included as an extra part in the box, presumably for replacing the dummy, but since it also snaps in rigidly, it should hardly be called operating (actually, any Rapido stlye coupler, even one with a full vertical range of motion, should NOT be referred to as "operating"!). Any locomotive, especially a 2-8-0, needs to at least provide for installation of an operating front coupler (hopefully a Micro-Trains unit) in order to be fully functional...

Regards,
Bill Nielsen
Oakland Park, FL USA

I'm taking a break from HO to try my hand at N. I just completed an install of the MTL 905 coupler on the 2-8-0. Here's a link to the Atlas forum where there are some nice photos of an installation. I used these photos to help me with my installation: http://forum.atlasrr.com/FORUM/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=49869 (page down toward the bottom).

A couple of caveats follow. You've got to be careful not to cut too much off the coupler pocket or you may lose the spring. That's exactly what happened to me on the first try. My second attempt went considerably better. The reason that the rear of the coupler pocket need to be cut is to clear the frame of the pilot truck. Work slowly and carefully and you should do OK.

The other caveat is that I would recommend removing the air hose from the pilot and setting it aside. I didn't and mine took a hike while I was working on it. Fortunately, I later found it and it now resides where it belongs.

I found it much easier to do the work with the pilot assembly removed. I also found that light is at least as critical as magnification and wore one of those LED lights that can be worn on the head and aimed right where you're looking. Mine looked like this: http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?PIN=78328&DL=GAW1&SC=WIG20001&; . However, I bought it at one of those stores that sells overstock from other stores and paid only about $5 for the thing.

Andre

Does this come with an optional oil bunker? Sure would be nice if it did.

Product Code: 89821

Andre

IHC makes one that runs realy good it just is lacking majorly in details and is not DCC ready . Some thing logging would be good as        some   of   the  2-6-0 's 2-8-0's ect. were former main line locomotives . Also some thing SP would be nice , Bachmann seems to do all east coast proto tipes .

The IHC Mogul (rear cab not that bogus camelback) is based on the SP M-4 2-6-0.

Now, if Bachmann were to do an SP Mogul of classes M-6, M-8 or M-9, I suppose I could be persuaded to part with some money.

Andre

Quote from: TonyD on March 04, 2008, 09:49:15 AM
Yes, I believe the Central Vermont's were off the shelf USRA lights, as built in early 20's, but over the years they got all the Canadian National upgrades, so by the time people started taking lots of photos, at the end of steam- they looked like they were on steroids.

The CV U-1a's were NOT USRA locos. They only had 44,000 lbs TE when initially built (boiler pressure raised later). They had 26x28 cylinders. The USRA light had 26x30 cyliners and 53,900 lbs TE.  The CV engines had 73" drivers, the USRA 4-8-2's had 69" drivers.

Recipients of the USRA light (either originals, copies or both):
NYNY&H, NC&StL,  L&N, Southern and MP.

Andre