Great suggestion Chris! I would definitely buy a more accurate E&P #4, NPC Sonoma and the Santa Cruz Jupiter #3. All really great choices! All with metal gears and quality paint of the latest 2-6-0's.

Dave

Andrew, that is a very nice representation of the V&T #26 and consist! I can tell you pay attention to the pictures in books & such. Although I model in 1:20.3...the V&T has always been one of my favorites. I have the 26 & 27 in O scale brass along with everything else V&T made accurate in O scale. Like you said, the Carson City museum is really nice. On my family's annual Tahoe trip, I always make my family go to the museum and also ride the reconstructed V&T. The kids love it!...yeah right lol😜
Keep up the good work Andrew & also make sure to get yourself the Bachmann Glenbrook.

Good Job!! SPC #3...still one of my favorites!

Dave

WOW! Thank you so much Kevin for your wonderful, very thorough reply! You sold me...I definitely will be going with the QSI q3 and interface. Hopefully I can find someone who has it in stock. I also will be looking forward to your review of the 2-6-0 with QSI. I'm guessing it will be in the Garden Railways magazine like so many of your other great articles.

Thanks again,
Dave

Kevin, thank you for your input regarding the alternatives to the Airwire plug-in that I did. I bought the Airwire plug-in prior to receiving my Emma Neveda. If I wasn't able to get it to fit, I was going to then swap it for the G3 in my C-19. The Airwire plug-in worked out really well, but I would like to go the QSI/Convert route for my next mogul. Not only will it simplify things, but also it will be a nice change in sound compared to the 20 something Phoenix sound systems I have installed in all my other locomotives. My question to you is... what sound would you use for the Glenbrook? I couldn't find anything with an old time single chime whistle. Also, thanks for all your contributions to this hobby!

Dave

No problem... Just remember it's a extremley tight fit with the Airwire C-19/k-27 drop in. I had to push both boards up from the bottom with my fingers so that the high points of the Airwire such as the switches, charging jack, and pertruding circuts would fit/squeeze through the open space of the tender. It actually kind of held itself in place so that I could slide in the tender tabs and screw the shell back in place. Now the tender shell is flush to the tender board with no gaps and I have access to the switches and charging jack by just pulling up the coal load. It works really well!  I'm sure there might be a better way, but I wanted to preserve most of the tender deck. It's just to pretty to cut up. Also, a G3 would take me a lot longer to install and the other plug-ins are hard to find. I tried to post pictures, but it says the upload folder is full. It didn't work no matter how small I made the files. Anyways have fun!- Dave

Yes it is compatible and will work, but takes a lot of "trimming" to get the large decoder to fit. I managed to get it to fit in the Emma Neveda. It required cutting out most of the gutter on the top of the tender ( I left a little gutter up front to hold the coal load), cutting the 4 posts that hold the Bachmann board to drop it so that the bachmann board basically sits loose on the speaker (insulated with a sticker), and then trimming all the plug-in prongs on the Airwire drop-in about half way so it can plug in as low as it can go on the Bachmann board. I also managed to get a 11.1 v lithium ion pyramid battery squeezed in the rear of the tender, but not without cutting the Bachmann board a bit. A Phoenix p8 board is at the bottom front of the tender underneath the Bachmann board. I also ran a Y plug so I can disconnect the 11.1 v battery and use an 18.5 located in a Accucraft Jackson and sharp combine car. I really can't recommend this wierd installation, but just might do it again when I pick up the Glenbrook.

Dave

Mr. Bachmann, I am really happy with my new Emma Neveda! Everything is so well done! What would make it perfect is the characteristic cab support bars that are on the prototype, that attach from the front of the cab to the running boards. It is listed on the new Mogul diagram as part #MT17C. The screw holes for  the support bars are predrilled on the model. This part was on all the original Spectrum Mogul's and was on the preproduction photos of the Emma Neveda. They are actually in the picture on the box too. If it was on all the pictures and even included on the new parts diagram... does this mean the factory may have forgot something? I emailed your parts department and they claim not to have any in stock. I hope you still can get ahold of this item. I'm sure there will be other detail freaks like me that will also want them too. Please look into this and let me know, I will really appreciate it. Also, if there is anybody on the board who wants to part with the ones from their old Mogul,  please let me know. I will be happy to buy them from you.

Thanks,
Dave

Am I the only one who received the new 2-6-0 yet? I picked up my Emma Neveda last Saturday (9/24) from the Train Shop here in Santa Clara. I was shocked in amazement how beautiful this thing is!! I have a quite a few brass engines in 1:20.3 including a 1:24 Accucraft Lilly Belle and I think this one beats them all in the looks department. I already installed Airwire battery control and Phoenix sound. I gave it a 20 minute test run yesterday pulling a couple of 1:20.3 Accucraft passenger cars, and it ran smooth and flawlessly. My only con is my example didn't come with the cab support braces. I will now ask my wife to get me the Glenbrook for Christmas. Great Job Bachmann!!!

I did a search to see if there was any new info on the upcoming Spectrum 2-6-0's. I was led to the Bachmann store...Low and behold there are now actual pictures of the models and HOLY WOW do they look GREAT!! The Emma Neveda is amazing and Bachmann even put the air pump on the correct side. Are they still on target for a April delivery?

Dave

Well... I was hoping to see the 2-6-0 before the end of this year, but I just checked Walthers site and it's showing April of 2016. I hope Walthers is wrong... is it?

Dave

I hope the new Airwire plug-in-play decoder for the K-27 & C-19 will also work for the 2-6-0. I already have the Emma Neveda on order, but now I might have to order the Eureka & Palisade one also!

It looks like the new Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-0 delivery is really close!! It now has a price on this site and online dealer sites as well. Walthers even listed it as arriving on March 27th. I'm going to go check with my dealer now to make sure he still has my order!

Dave

I actually asked the same question a few months ago on this forum. The Yardmaster replied with early this year for delivery of the Bachmann 2-6-0's. I wonder if that time frame still stands.

Mr. Bachmann... Can you please shed some light on a ETA for the new Spectrum 2-6-0's (especially the Grizzly Flats #2)? I thought they were going to be released before the end of the year? Thanks!