>>Wouldn't a 4-10-2 be more-likely to appear in a BLI ad?<<
Perhaps... I have their AC-5, a beautiful model indeed. So I signed-in for their AC-12. That was many months ago. Until recently, this model was due sometimes in second half of 1Q, the Walthers site said Feb 15. Suddenly, the BLI site bumped it to "TBD", and now Walthers indicates a tentative Oct 2008!!

I really hate manufacturers that take reservations, to later say that the model may in fact never be released (well, BLI does not say it -that- way, but who will be patient enough to hold his reservation that long?). I could read somewhere that InterMountain's same model may have killed BLI's. Bottomline being that Southern Pacific aficionados that were counting on BLI's model may be too late now to switch to IM's one, and so may not get any AC-12 at all ever. Crazy, isn't it?

As for the 4-10-2, I have the one from Westside Models. A beauty, but I fear it is beyond any modeler's capability to open such a brass model to convert it to DCC. Me first, I would never dare to just open the model, I would be too afraid I can't put the body back on the chassis.

Any advice on this? Would it be simpler if I consider swapping the original Westside tender with a Bachmann one?

Thank you,

Phil

Dear all,

Just got the Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation with on-board sound. Nice locomotive, but the wires going to the tender are so stiff that they tilt-up the tender, so the front truck stays above rail level.

I tried to "help" the wires getting in better shape so the tender can sit back on the rails, but to no avail.

Any idea someone?

Thank you,

Phil