Question for B-mann on National Show Announcements

[brokemoto]

I am delighted to see the USRA Heavy 4-8-2.  I noticed that it says that it has a decoder.  Might I assume that it has a 'smart' decoder which will allow me to run it on DC (I do not use DCC)?  Or do you plan to release a no-DCC version?

I am also happy to see the tenders as a separate item.  Would you also consider issuing the SPECTRUM USRA Standard tender as a separate item.  Many of the locomotives out there that need the help of an all-wheels-live, needlepoint axle pick-up tender are smaller (MP mogul and eight-wheeler, as examples).  The USRA Long and the Vanderbilt would overwhelm such power.  If these tenders have an electrical pick-up/drawbar configuration that is the same, or at least similar, to the USRA Standard, I can make a fe wswitches from the light 4-8-2 and the 2-8-0, as a large tender would not overwhelm those locomotives, but, at some point, I will want a smaller tender that has all-wheels-live and needlepoint axle pick-up. 

Or, do you (or your bosses) know something that I do not know about a certain competitor that has also sold USRA Standard tenders, with all-wheels-live needlepoint axle pick-up in the past

Anyhow, thanks for the announcements.

[Williamson]

Mr. Bach-man,

Please tell us you will make correct versions for C&O and N&W like you did in HO:




Thanks!

Mark

[the Bach-man]

Dear Broke and Mark,
The versions will be correct, like the HO. I'll pass along the request for the standard tender.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[brokemoto]

Allright, thanks, Mr. B-Man, but on the decoder:  is it a 'smart' decoder that will allow the locomotive to operate on DC pikes?  Some of use are still in the Stone Age.

Thanks.

[Williamson]

Thanks Bachmann - pretty sure the N&W's version (only C&O and N&W recieved "original" USRA Heavy Mountains) were delivered with the standard 10,000 gallon USRA tender. Any chance you could use the 12,000 gallon tender from the 2-6-6-2 instead? It would be a closer match for N&W (this is what Bachmann did on the HO scale version)

[Williamson]

Question: did the N scale Light Mountain come with a 10,000 or 12,000 gallon tender? (USRA 12,000 gallon tenders were only used on USRA 2-10-2, 2-6-6-2, and 2-8-8-2 - all other USRA road power came with 10,000 gallon tenders).

 

[al whitecar]

Mr Bach man
Now that you have made these wonderfull annoucements, Is Bachmann going to actually make the products? OR; Is Bachmann going to give up and leave their customer base high and dry. This comment is based on known fact that Bachmann has made annoucements before and as yet to fulfill on those annoucements.
If you are going to fulfill making these products, then please provide the information on you product web page, when will they be on the market place,dates, images etc will be helpful.
Please reply?

[brokemoto]

B-mann sold the SPECTRUM 2-8-0 and USRA light 4-8-2 with USRA Standard tenders.

It sold the USRA 2-6-6-2 with a USRA Long tender.

It sells the Standard Line 2-6-2 with a USRA Switcher tender.

As I look at photographs, it appears that as much as the USRA designs were supposed to promote standardisation, there were some vairances. 

If you look at the photograph of B&O 4500, the first USRA locomotive outshopped, a light mikado,  it appears to have a Switcher tender.  4500 survives, now I have to make another trip to the B&O museum (awwwww booohooohooo) to see what tender is now on it.  It does appear that the other Q-3s had USRA Standard tenders (B&O had a total of one-hundred USRA light mikados).  The P-5s, USRA light pacifics, appear to have the USRA Standard tender.  But, some builder's photographs of some of ACL's USRA light pacifics appear to show a Long tender.

P&LE's USRA heavy mikados came with the USRA Standard tender.  If you look at the builder's photograph of CMStP&P 8600, also a USRA heavy mikado, it appears to have the Long tender.  P&LE later put larger tenders behind it's 'Government Engines', taken from underachieving H-8s.  P&LE gave the lesser capacity USRA Standard tenders to the H-8s, as it relegated many to switching duties (kind of overkill for a mikado, but the H-8s were not good performers).

The builder's photographs that I have seen of the USRA heavy 4-8-2s show USRA Long tenders.    Drury's book has a builder's photograph of NYNH&H 3300, a USRA light 4-8-2 that appears to have the long tender.

[r0bert]

couple of quickies from the show

[Williamson]

The builder's photographs that I have seen of the USRA heavy 4-8-2s show USRA Long tenders.    Drury's book has a builder's photograph of NYNH&H 3300, a USRA light 4-8-2 that appears to have the long tender.

What roads got the USRA Heavy under the USRA? (excluding post USRA copies).

N&W's came with the standard USRA 10,000 gallon tender. Of course these tenders were replaced with larger tenders in the 1920s.

Perhaps Bachmann's non-C&O heavy mountain is based on a subsequent copy of the USRA design, and this could account for the long tender.

[Williamson]

Of course the C&O Havy mountains did'nt look like the C&O version as delivered did they?

[Williamson]

read about the USRA Heavy Mountain here:

http://rlhs.org/rlhsnews/htms/nl23-2.htm

[da3151]

Hello Mr. Bach-Mann,
  I have a question on the Vandy Tender announced for the Heavy Mountain.
Does it have electrical pickup on the tender trucks?
       Thanks!

[the Bach-man]

Dear DA,
Yes, it does.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[taz-of-boyds]

Hello the Bach-man,

Nice looking loco!

I second that it would be nice to be able to get the tenders separately.  I have seen a photo of a B&O 2-6-6-2 with a large Vandy tender, and I could use it to convert one of the 2-6-6-2's to B&O (not an exact match, but within my skills).

Maybe the 6 wheel trucks from the Vandy tender put on the URSA long tender would be a good match with the 2-8-0 for WM H9's.  (I am hoping for 4 more WM 2-8-0's for my birthday... )

Is there a list of the roads the heavy Mountain will be released in?

Hoping the market for the 10 wheeler and decapod will expand too,
Charles

PS, r0bert thanks for the great pic's!