I have seen your videos of the Hudson with heavyweights, I think it looks fine. The way my trains get run, we have freight locomotives handling all passenger trains at this point. Well, I guess my LGB mikado is my 'passenger' engine. But, with parts and service questionable (to me, anyway), I'm reluctant to run t hat engine very hard. We've been using the mallet as our go-to power for passenger trains longer than 3 coaches. I keep passing over the aristo pacific and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because I've seen and run Jim's hudson and it's just that much better of a model? I don't know. Anyway, I saw the PA's and got to thinking that for $550, that's a pretty good deal for passenger power. Plus, I have a custom painted FA-FB in that same Brooks Brothers paint scheme. So, I could position them for photos and they'd look 'ok'. Since MTH is still sitting on them, I doubt they're thinking about re-running PA
s in the green and gold that the PA's wore for a majority of their service life before the McGinnis era.
I would be super excited about that. I have been fortunate in being able to get up close with some of the N&W locomotives including 1218 when she was in the old paint shop in Roanoke, the 611 at the VMT. I also assisted with firing the 475 on Strasburg more than a dozen years ago. So, while the New Haven is my favorite railroad, generally, the N&W is my second favorite! BTW, I posted a video of the 475 with a chime whistle last Saturday. They must have swapped it out from the standard hooter whistle that my kids don't like!
The J is such a classy looking locomotive, but is also a speed demon. I wonder if they did make it, if they'd gear it so that it runs at the passenger train speeds, and up to the 'reported' 115 mph. I'd probably have to get some of the MTH coaches to go along with it, just so I could have a Powhattan Arrow!
For some reason, I was looking at the Garden Railways website today and saw an ad from MTH for pre-orders for a NS F7 AA. I know a lot of us have been waiting for the new catalog, even if its just to see what they're going to make. Anyway, here's a link:
I've been generally impressed with how Bachmann has improved their g-scale offerings over the years, but I'm not a big buyer of their trains, either. I would like the new big hauler with the metal gears, same with the 2-4-2T, but other priorities prevent me from purchasing. Still, I think it is interesting that they have gone in this direction, considering they have two trolleys that are what? 1/24 scale-ish? The closed and open sided single truck streetcars.
I'd probably be more interested in a Brill semi-convertible streetcar, you know, the old style wooden ones.... but I'm more of a steam locomotive kind of guy in any case!
It so happens that years ago, I came across the November 1958 Trains magazine, which has a huge article about riding the Big Boys on the UP. It's a pretty good article, but I can't scan and repost it here, I;m sure that would infringe on copywright laws. David Morgan wrote it from his personal experience, and there's a lot of photos of a climb over Sherman Hill.
Anyway, I have a renewed interest in this beast of a locomotive, and it is possible that a model of 4014 would be something I might 'have to have'! Admittedly, there are a lot of locomotives on that list. I'll need to check with Jim and see about getting a demonstration of his BB on my layout before I'd contemplate a purchase. The biggest question: do they navigate aristo wide radius turnouts? And what is the length of the engine coupled with tender? If it's over 54", I'm going to have a hard time justifying the expense.
Of the MTH engines, I never saw the Big Boys go on clearance at Trainworld or anywhere else. So from a pure moving stuff out of the warehouse POV, I'd expect they would be highly motivated to do another run of the BB.
Still holding out some hope for the N&W J to get running again next year, too. Maybe a model of that engine will be produced as well, but a Lima super power Berkshire would have a lot of paint options, but would require a few different molds for the front end to allow for the changes that separate the C&O, NKP, PM, and ?? versions.
I never thought that Bachmann would enter the 1/29 scale market, but they've announced and shown a 1/29 scale version of their popular Peter Witt streetcar. This is an interesting development, consdiering that aristo made the PCC in that same scale.
Any of you guys in to the trolleys? I have been able to resist them so far, but who knows, this might be a reason to start some transit lines..
Raymond, You beat me to the punch! I was going to say "Nevermind if MTH is going to make a One-gauge version of a N&W J, we can go see the real thing!!" Still hoping for a model of a J....
Well, it is July 1 and I just realized that I have only run trains a handful of times this year.
How are all of you guys doing?
The weeds are growing great in the rainy weather we're having in Central PA. Nice and almost sub tropical!
I've been doing a lot of road running and general travel for work, so I haven't had much time for train running. I did fix one trouble area on my railroad (close clearance on the East end), only to find out today that the Garden Railroad Tour that has always been Columbus Day weekend is now a weekend ahead. All 4 of my guest engineers, plus my lovely wife, are unable to assist with train running! I guess that just means we'll scale back our normal operations for that day.
I've been anticipating the new catalog, as well. Even though I am primarily buying the aristo 1/29 line of trains, I am hoping that MTH will produce a Norfolk and Western Class J 4-8-4 steam locomotive. I look to their HO catalog for clues as to their direction in large scale, and this appears to be a good seller for them.
I've decided that the electronics and the fit-finish of the MTH trains that I've seen (I live vicariously through a friend who owns a Big Boy, Hudson, GS-64, PA-PB-PA, and VO switcher) make the scale differences irrelevant. I disagree with most of you and feel that MTH should have gone with 1/29 as the market already existed for those products and they would have been able to sell to a wider market. Again, only my opinion, and it was their money and marketing that got many of you excited about large scale. It is what it is.
Hey, I know there's a rolling attendance list going on at the Aristo board, but is anyone on here planning to attend the York show March 22-23? I'm planning to go at least one day on my own, might take the kids on the second day.
Just a heads up for those of you who don't frequent other train boards: NS is planning several public steam train trips this spring. NKP 765 will be running in Ohio and Pennsylvania this spring. Southern 630 will be operating on the mainline in VA and TN. I am thinking about riding one of the PA trips, but have to see the timetable and ticket prices..
Just a quick update to this thread. I was unable to resist the Aristocraft sale on Thanksgiving and ended up with a second 2-8-0, a Santa Fe version. This locomotive has operated as well as the USATC 610. I have painted the wheels with the black paint, but so far, I have no painted the side rods on this one. Somehow, the aristo metal siderods are looking 'okay' for now. I do plan to graphite the smokebox. I had intended to take the two 2-8-0s and combine them to make a 2-10-0 and an 0-6-0, but so far, have not.
Again, the locomotive is a great little engine, runs well, and I really like it.
Cool! George Schreyer has a webpage of tips he did to his Atlantic to improve performance and reliability. Most of what he did seems to be really simple and the improvement was dramatic.
If the above link works, it'll show you our two 'favorites' on the railroad right now. It's our Mallet 3177 and the newest 2-8-0, 1966. 1966 has had her wheels painted since this photo was taken, so she's even blacker now. I had been thinking about cutting up 1966 and USATC 610 to make a Strasburg Rail Road 2-10-0 #90 and an 0-6-0 switcher. But....I'm hesitant to cut up two perfectly good running engines and possibly end up with 0 good running engines.
But, still, it'd be fun to have:
For Diesels...
But who doesn't like FA-FB-FA combos? The orange and green FA's were custom painted. The McGinnis lead unit is an old shell put on a new FA chassis.
Oh wait, I forgot the RS-3s!!
The black-yellow RS-3 has the same paint scheme as the green-orange New Haven RS-3....
I wouldn't pay more than $75-100 for the Atlantic. They require a bit of 'work' to bring up to reliable standards. Looks like it has been run quite a bit, based on the wheel wear on the lead truck. I had this particular locomotive when they first came out in 1989 and it was nothing but trouble for me. Then again, I was 11 and didn't think to try and take the locomotive apart and repair. It was, after all, only about 2 months old when it skipped a gear, got out of quarter and then bound up and stripped the gear. I went through three of these locomotives in six months before returning to the dealer for a store credit. If memory serves, the original price in 1989 was about $190.
The FA-1 is the older style, too and that means $100 max.
The Rogers is the original REA product and should be about $50-$75.
That's great!! If you do make it up, you'll also meet Jim Miller, who is one of the engineers who donates his time and brings his own equipment to run!
The whole tour is organized by the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, which is in Strasburg (across from the Strasburg Rail Road). They have had a garden railway tour during Columbus Day Weekend since 2007. We've been a part of that tour every year except 2010. I am planning to be on the tour again next year.
"Can anyone come?"
Kind of a tricky subject. The museum sells tickets for the event. It's a fundraiser for them. I don't enforce the ticket as a requirement to come see my trains, but I also don't publish the names or addresses of the other railroads. All are within a 20 mile radius of Strasburg, however. This year, there were 9 railroads open for display.
Ed,
Thanks! The weather was really crummy for that time of the year.
Well, it is that time of year again. Seems like it came too soon this year. But, I guess that's one of the 'perks' of getting older, right?
There are a lot of local displays of model trains being set up. Since most of us are spread out all over the place, I won't list them all here.
But, it gets me thinking about setting up trains around our Christmas tree.
I've set up a variety of layouts under our trees over the last 9 years. None are even remotely like what I used to do when I was 9 and had a lot of space to run tracks (and accomodating parents and siblings..). Most tend to be just simple ovals under the tree. Part of the problem is too much furniture and not enough space and the general layout of the house. I have an unfinished basement, and thought it might be fun to build a giant train layout in the basement, so perhaps that's what we'll do.
Here's a pic of Mary Kate running the 2055 Lionel hudson last year.
I was looking at their new 2013 HO Scale catalog and it appears they are testing the waters for European HO scale with the Bavarian 4-6-2. From what I've seen, their O Gauge line in Europe has been well received. I wonder if they are tending toward a 1/32 European offering.
On the other hand, there is a pretty good cross over from 1 gauge to HO in the catalog: Big Boys, Triplex, Challenger, GS-4/6, GG1 and NYC Hudson models. (OK, the J3-A 1 gauge is not a streamlined Empire State Express or Dryfuss hudson, but similar). The new offering appears to be a PRR H-10 2-8-0. Not sure if the K4 is new or not for them.
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Raymond,
I have seen your videos of the Hudson with heavyweights, I think it looks fine. The way my trains get run, we have freight locomotives handling all passenger trains at this point. Well, I guess my LGB mikado is my 'passenger' engine. But, with parts and service questionable (to me, anyway), I'm reluctant to run t hat engine very hard. We've been using the mallet as our go-to power for passenger trains longer than 3 coaches. I keep passing over the aristo pacific and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because I've seen and run Jim's hudson and it's just that much better of a model? I don't know. Anyway, I saw the PA's and got to thinking that for $550, that's a pretty good deal for passenger power. Plus, I have a custom painted FA-FB in that same Brooks Brothers paint scheme. So, I could position them for photos and they'd look 'ok'. Since MTH is still sitting on them, I doubt they're thinking about re-running PA
s in the green and gold that the PA's wore for a majority of their service life before the McGinnis era.