I concur it's a really nice model!

Any news, speculations or rumours on a Spectrum oldtime 4-4-0, Bach-man? With oldtime I mean 1860 - 1880.

cheers

Heinz

Quote from: paustinsmith on February 19, 2007, 04:36:46 PM
Yes, number 6 is the Heisler I was referring to. Thanks for the photo! This was their first 45 ton and was built in 1896. In trying to put together it's genealogy from a number of conflicting sources including some personal correspondence as best I can determine, issue 39 of "Timber Times" has it correct:

" This engine was quite a wanderer during her life; she first worked for Port Blakely Mill Co. at Kamilche, Washington; then moved south to work for the McCloud River Lumber Co. at McCloud California as their No. 3 (I believe this may have been as early as 1897); a short move to Weed Lumber Co. of Weed California ( I believe this move occurred in May 1903); next east for a short stint (1913 to 1914) at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR ( They must have Re-gauged it since I know that it was Std. gauge as built and while it was working at McCloud River & Weed); and at last, back up north her final owner, the Willamette lbr. Co. of Dallas Oregon."

I believe from my sources that it was scrapped in 1930.

Why am I so interested in this locomotive? Because I Model the Weed Lumber Company RR and it's successor the California &  Northeastern klamath Falls branch of the SP about 1910.

Peter Smith, Memphis

Sounds interesting, must be a challenge to model a real prototype?
But it must be a boon to have pictures and information to model after. When planning a freelanced model railroad as I do I can feel that it is hard to draw the line concerning the year I´m modeling and which models I want running on the layout.  I have set the year to 1909 to justify(to myself anyway) a 2-4-4-2. At the same time I want colourful 4-4-0:s from the 1870:s running also.  I´ll have to make up quite a history to get away with it .  Well to justify the 4-4-0:s paintjobs anyway.

Its nice to see something different when someone is modeling the early 20:th century. I´m pretty fed up with Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge which seems to be the norm today.


regards

Heinz
   

Quote from: paustinsmith on February 19, 2007, 11:29:54 AM
To be more specific, how about shop number 1004, 45 tons, built in 1896? (As shown in the photo on page 106 "The Heisler Locomotive 1891-1941", Published by Benjamin F. G. Kline, Jr.


Peter Smith, Memphis

Is it this one? Willamette valley lumber Co no 6. Not the best of pictures. That one would be nice. The smaller earlier ones looks very compact. I also found this cute 20 tonner buildt 1896 on www.gearedsteam.com.


regards

Heinz

Quote from: JDLX on February 17, 2007, 01:52:14 AM
The one thing missing in this discussion is that the Rivarossi Heisler is substantially larger than any "real" Heisler found in the real world.  The model is based on the old AHM tooling.  Rivarossi made many upgrades to the model, and it is a nice looking and nice running locomotive.  That does not, however, change the unprototypically large size.

Reguardless of the "someone has already done it" factor...it would be nice to see somebody do a proper Heisler.

Just my comments.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Are you really, really sure? The Heislers came in a lot of sizes just as the Climaxes and Shays.  I have a Rivarossi 2 trk Heisler and it doesn´t feel oversize. It looks very alike the big 2 trk Heisler that PFM/United made. Perhaps there are someone on this forum that give us some facts?

But. It would be nice with a smaller and earlier one from around the 1900:s

regards

Heinz

Try the Trainboard and Railimages. I have put some pictures there and it was quite easy for one as non-skilled with computers as I.

http://www.trainboard.com

Ok, its the MP 2-8-0. I´m have been curious about that one. It looks quite nice but the tenderdrive has always made me sceptical to buy one.
Would it be possible to power it by adding a gearbox to one of the drivers and a motor inside the locomotive?
I have earlier in remotoring projects used gearboxes from PSC and NWSL and it seems that they can make anything run nicely. And with a change of motor of course

regards

Heinz

Please post some pictures as it would be fun to se the result. What Model Power boiler did you use? The Generals?

regards

Heinz

Check out Harold Minkwitzs Pacific Coast Air Line site.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/

This is a very good site with great advice. There is a how to on getting better electrical pickup on the Bachmann standard 4-4-0 and the AHM/IHC 4-4-0.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/locomotives/wipers/

regards

Heinz

The majority of the PFM V&T 4-4-0:s are with tender drive but there are some that have the motor in the cab. But in a such a small engine it´s preferable to have a tender drive so there are as much weight on the drivers as possible for traction.

The AHM Reno, Genoa etc has traction tires. They AHM ones was in the beginning(1950-1960) made by Pocher in Italy and had a metal chassis which is separated from the boiler and cab structure opposed to the later ones made by Rivarossi and IHC that has the chassis in plastic and integrated with the boiler/cab assembly. The older ones from AHM/Rivarossi had 3-pole motors which weren´t very good. Especially at low speed. The IHC ones have a more modern can motor which gives better low speed performance. I have both a Rivarossi and a IHC and of the two the IHC runs best. Most possibly due to the motor.  A new better motor perhaps a Mashima and a good decoder I think one can get much better performance out of the old AHM ones.

I haven´t measured the AHM but I think it is about 10-20% larger compared to my PFM Reno. The PFM is quite close to a drawing of the Reno I have.  See the picture below for a comparison.


   
regards

Heinz
   

The new Spectrum 4-4-0 is a much larger engine then the V&T 4-4-0:s. They most famous ones Reno, Genoa and Inyo were built in the 1870:s and are similar in size to the Bachmann standard 4-4-0 CP Jupiter and UP no 119. If you want to backdate the Spectrum you will have to change the boilers, cab, domes, tender i.e the lots. If the new smaller boiler will fit over the mechanism?!

I think it would be better for you to buy a IHC oldtime 4-4-0 even if they are a bit oversize. I think they run better then their reputation and the can easily be remotored. I think its way to much work to even try to westernize the Spectrum 4-4-0.
 
Try also ebay on a brass Pacific fast mail 4-4-0 V&T Reno. I picked one up for as low as $200 and with a new motor from NWSL for abt $30 it runs very well. They turn up quite frequently on ebay.

regards

Heinz