I was wondering if there is anyone out there that makes boxpok drivers that would fit Bachmann's N scale 2-8-4s, or if there's another locomotive out there with them that would fit? My freelance road will use the C&O 2-8-4 Kanawhas with minor detail changes. All locomotives will have the smoke box switched out with the NKP variation for the traditional center mounted headlight and have the "flying" number boards removed. The earlier two classes built in the late 1930s will feature the NKP style front pilot compressor shields, but the final war time iteration will feature the C&O radiator style shield. This is the class I wanted to add Boxpok drivers to. The more modern looking radiator shields and drivers would set the 1944 models apart from the earlier ones. The drives aren't a must, I suppose, but if possible, I think it would really add to the look of a locomotive class  in its final iteration.

Thanks for any information or suggestions!

Trying to put together a roster for a small railroad set in 1950's NE Texas and SE Oklahoma where I live. This fictional line will be somewhere around 60 miles in length. Traffic was consist of agricultural products (grain, cotton, some cattle shipments) and oil on the Texas side, and mostly lumber products on the Oklahoma side.

My question is, would it be plausible for a pair of GE-Ingersoll boxcab diesels to have survived into the 1950's on this small railroad? I plan to have 4 or 5 steam locomotives for the main power, but I like the looks of early boxcabs and want to represent some sort of diesel power. If so, I'm not sure that they would've been operated throughout the whole system, but maybe they could be seen carrying short loads of logs to sawmills in the Oklahoma hills, or similar types of work?

Thanks for any advice!

I saw a picture of one of those Norfolk Southern Berkshires a long time ago and at first thought it was a photoshop or something. A very cool locomotive. I bet it was a "Cadillac" for a smaller road. 

As for the L&N 2-8-4s.....that's a beautiful locomotive. As good looking as the NKP's in my opinion. To my eyes, the cab looks similar to Santa Fe's Baldwin 4-8-4s. Wasn't one of these preserved?

Those RF&P 2-8-4s are very nice! Based of the Nickel Plate design, yet had their own look. Maybe these are the examples I should follow for mine. 

Being a Texas line, I'll still be using oil tenders.

The Nickel Plate version being sort of a new generation locomotive sort of fits the story for my railroad. I wanted the 2-8-4s to be the last steam locomotives built for the railroad. In my version of history, my system ordered new FT diesels in 1940-41 and was about to order a bunch more, but was limited by the WWII restrictions (just like the Santa Fe's situation). The 2-8-4s were built to help combat the motive power shortage after carefully studying the Nickel Plate's use of the design.

The C&O T1 is one of the finest looking 2-10-4s in my opinion. A shame none were saved.

That Missouri Pacific 2-8-4 is actually pretty close to the look I was going for. I plan to have oil tenders on mine, like the one on Santa Fe 3751.

Thanks for the info, and really enjoyed the pics.

While on the discussion of 2-8-4s, I've wondered something....why might a railroad order a 2-8-4 for fast freights in preference to a 4-8-4? So many lines seemed to prefer the Northern type for high speed freight power, but I cannot think of a anyone that was better at steam powered fast freights than the Nickel Plate and their famous 2-8-4s. Evidently they saw no advantage, as they owned not a single Northern, and kept ordering Berkshires instead. An interesting thought to me.

Ah, stupid me....didn't even think to look there  haha

Are the sand domes on Bachmann's 2-8-4 Berkshires removable? I'd like to use these locomotives for a freelanced railroad, and swapping out the large sand domes seems like an effective way to make them not look so much like Nickel Plate locomotives.

Dierks Lumber & Coal Company #227. This one is on display about an hour north from me and across the state line in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Number 360, a 4-6-0 from the same company, is on display at Queen Wilhelmina State Park not far from it.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/dierks227-wessel1.jpg

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/dierks227-wessel2.jpg

Those are some great pictures, and exactly the type I have in mind. That Bachmann Chinese Mikado is super sharp as well. Looks like someone could take the Susquehanna version, swap out the tender and cab, and rearrange the front handrails to make a decent representation of an ALCO 2-8-2. I'm not all that knowledgeable on detailing steam locomotives, but looks like they have quite a bit of good factory detailing. I assume it wouldn't be an easy task to switch cabs, though. A small Vanderbilt or a small standard tender with an oil bunker would look great coupled behind in my opinion.

Does anyone know how a person would model a small 2-8-2 like Magma Arizona RR #7? To me, the USRA Light Mikados just look way too big and don't really capture the look of a small shortline 2-8-2. I want to model a 1950s railroad in western Texas that will capture the flavor and feel of the Magma, and a Mikado like the #7 is a almost a must for me....but no RTR models that I've seen do the trick. Suggestions?  

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/magma7-wessel3.jpg

http://www.rgusrail.com/txtsr.html

Thanks for all the info and recommendations guys, it was certainly helpful!

Sorry for trailing off subject here, but has anyone ever tried to super detail the N scale Bachmann 4-8-4? I know it's a little crude looking with all the molded on details, but I wonder if it could be dressed up a little? A little bit of good weathering would certainly help too.