Just a thought... But with the economy the way it is,(In the tank) I thought the idea of some new freight cars might be a good idea. They are more affordable than motive power ,at least right now,and could offer some a little purchasing power during this rough time. They are easy to kit-bash and it has been a while ,I think, since Bachmann has come out with anything new in this area. Just a thought...
SD Calloway
How about a:
RGS Plow flanger 02
Rotary snow plow
Rpo/baggage car
4 wheel caboose
Royce
Carter Bros passenger cars and freight cars. Gilpin Tram ore cars. Maine 2 foot cars to go with the forneys.
And a 'proper' 4-4-0 to go with the Carter Bros cars, pretty please
Now we are rollin'!
Great ideas already!! Here is a few more: Hoppers, 32ft boxcar(ET&WNC) the 36ft cars could be easily kit-bashed from those, EBT stuff went in many different directions, a "big hook" 0n30 style, Updated flats with better detail, A passenger coach with rounded windows. Any other ideas??.... D. Calloway
That's the ticket. A proper 8-18c 4-4-0, some vestibule coaches, barrel cars, and wood cars like the ET&WNC had.
Rock On!
Dutsen
How about some sort of outside braced boxcar,hopper, or caboose?
Mark B
Leaving aside specific requests, I'd like to see Bachmann developing more of a family relationship with new releases. If you look at the locos they've released, there is a clear and substantial logging family with the shay, climax, heisler and mallet and a mining/quarrying family with the two porters. Then there is a 30" gauge Central America family with the OS frame 4-4-0 and the 2-8-0 and of course a Maine 2' family with the Forneys.
Of these the logging family is the most developed and only needs a bigger wagon-top shay to be as complete as most of us would need. The mining family maybe wants a diesel or an 0-6-0 Baldwin like that on the Ruby Hill Tramroad and the Maine family needs a 2-6-2. No idea what the Central America 30" gauge family needs.
Apart from these 'families' as I've called them, the rest of the locos are a mixed bag. The 2-6-0 doesn't fit well with the 4-6-0 and neither seems 'right' with the toy/tourist train look of the IS frame 4-4-0 with its tiny drivers, and the rail-bus never ran anywhere!
Of course, many modellers are quite happy to buy locos like cupcakes (one of them and two of them and ooh that's nice...) but equally, many buy a loco to do a job, to fit in, because that's the type of loco their railroad would be likely to have.
This may seem a little 'off topic', but since the cars have to look right there needs to be a family relationship between car and loco. Why, in my view, model a D&RGW gondola if none of the locomotives ever ran on the D&RGW?
So whatever Bachmann bring out next. I hope they think about compatability, about family and about having greater coherence within their range.
It'll be an S.P.C reefer, a Uintah flatcar and a WP&Y caboose :-\
Just to be contrary, the longer a narrow gauge railroad existed, the more likely its rolling stock fleet would be a mixed bag - due to acquiring cast-off and used equipment from other narrow gauges as they folded or were standard gauged. The exceptions I would think are the Rio Grande and the EBT who developed a fleet appearance for their equipment over the years. The same could be said of the Colorado and Southern and the ET&WNC.
I would guess the same is true of some of the Maine two-footers.
But many narrow gauges became a mixed lot. The NCNG, the White Pass before modernization, most logging railroads, etc.
I for one would like to see a steel box car. It would fit with a slightly more modern era and fits the industrial/extraction industry type of railroad that was the reason for existence for so many narrow gauge railroads.
A steel box car would fit with the export line of locomotives, the industrial line, the common carrier line and perhaps the loggers would want a couple.
I am happy the long awaited Heisler, still waiting for it, will eventually be here.
@Kevin
That's very true and near the end of its life one of my favourites, the Eureka and Palisades had a right collection, including a prairie and two Forneys, according to George Hilton. Many logging roads also had hand-me-down rod locos and the IS frame 4-4-0 and the Porters wouldn't look out of place. But, if say your RR is a run-down common carrier 'like' the E&P or NCNG or the WP&Y I think you would be hard pressed to put together a typical roster from the Bachmann range. You could 'justify' your RR owning a 'modern' 4-6-0 and an antique and under-powered 4-4-0 (what were the management thinking!) and at a pinch the mogul or a forney, but that would still leave big gaps in the roster (albeit fillable with a few BLI c16s, but that's not the point!)
And of course, a roster of pick-and-mix motive power is typical only of a RR near the end of its life. Recalling Hilton's book again, the early rosters for many of the RRs west of the Rockies were Baldwin 4-4-0, 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s, as on the E&P.
I think a four-wheel bobber would be good - maybe something other than the C&S hack that's been done in plastic and brass. Hence, a plug for the EBT's bobbers that preceded the current eight-wheel jobs. In the same vein, maybe the Calumet and Hecla hoppers. They were wood-bodied, and when the EBT acquired them they lined the inside with sheet steel. And, Bachmann already has the Vulcan trucks. I like the idea of the Gilpin ore cars, too. Another item that was found on eastern roads was a "market car". It was kind of like a mobile general store. In some cases, folks along the line would place their order with the local agent, and once a week the car would be sent to the "big town" to load up, then deliver the goods along the way back. I know the LO&S and the N&SV both had such cars. The N&SV car is actually still preserved in a state park along the old right-of-way.
I would like to see either of the excursion cars available in HO made in On30. Or preferably, both types.
Hamish
The Jackson & Sharp excursion cars would be great! Also a RPO/Express car would be nice.
Some people mentioned wooden hoppers - there are already 2 different wooden hoppers in On30 from different companies; another one would duplicate them needlessly.
More road names for all the existing cars would be good and inexpensive new products; in the 'old days' companies like Athearn would sell cars with all kinds of road names and people could easily populate their layouts with them, even though some weren't exactly correct for the car.
Come to think of it, new road NUMBERS for the existing road names would also be a good idea.
Add something fitting for the Maine folks...?
A RGS Plow Flanger, as Royce said.
Or a Rotary...
Disconnects for the Logging folks...!
A West Side Logging Caboose...?
Cheers, Tom ;) ;) ;)
Don't Wiseman Model Services make a RGS flanger kit? I'd copy the link but I'm not sure pf Bachmann's policy on links to other company's products. Anyone care to tell me.
Sure,
Keith Wiseman did re-introduce a better version of the old Durango Press kit.
A cast plow does make the assembly a bit easier. I have done the old Durango Press kit
which has a cardboard plow, which is not that difficult to build as it sounds...
Kind regards,
Tom
Quote from: Tomcat on June 17, 2012, 10:09:10 AM
A West Side Logging Caboose...?
Cheers, Tom ;) ;) ;)
Hi Tom,
Generally, I don't like resin kits, but Foothill Model Works made a beautiful On3 kit of the Westside Lumber Company short caboose #3 in resin a few years ago. Last I heard, the resin version was discontinued a while back because they were working on doing an injection molded kit instead. I hope that it's still in the works, even though the economy is in the toilet. I bought a used resin one at a train show a while back, and it was very easy to convert to On30 by using a pair of Bachmann Low Frame Archbar trucks and a Kadee whisker coupler with an overset shank in the original FMW cast-on draft gear. With this combination, the coupler height came out right without the need for any grinding or major modification to the coupler box or body bolster.
If anyone is looking for such a caboose and can find one of these kits either at a trainshow or as "new old stock" at a hobby shop, I highly recommend this kit, it is really a masterpiece.
Bill in FL
I model a common carrier narrow gauge railroad inspired by Iowa's Bellevue & Cascade, so can always use more house cars. I favor a steel boxcar and an outside-braced, single-sheathed wood boxcar, both with doors opening to the right.
Gil Hulin
Bill,
I´ve done the Foothill Model Works kit for that WSLCo Caboose No.3 a while ago. It´s a beautifully molded little gem. I have it running here. As far as I know, they are still at the injection molded kit, which is not out yet. Hope they will be out with it, I could have another one. They´re just awesome lil´pieces of rolling stock.
Cheers, Tomcat ;) ;) ;)
One thing I have noticed is the amount of people who "freelance" a railroad so as not to be tied to a certain prototype. Many cars or "rolling stock" would fit these wonderfully! Flats with loads,M .O.W equipment. Even poor ,run down, railroads sometimes had to pick up overturned equipment. Speeders(these have been done else where) but a powered one would be neat! Many options here for not alot of money and equipment that is sorely needed. What say ye , Mr. Bachmann? Dwayne Calloway
One other thing comes to mind... Structures. Water tanks, small shantys,20's and 30's era folks and houses,Boston,Revere Beach& Lynn coaches.These went everywhere and were sold to various railroads across the country and could be easily used by many freelance modelers. Bachmann really gave On30 a shot in the arm with there products and has made it at least somewhat affordable. All of the ideas mentioned by everyone here are great ideas! They are ideas that are affordable in these rough economic times! I hope Bachmann is listening.... ;) D. Calloway
I would like to see a model representing a 30" gauge banana car with an arched corrugated tin roof like something that could be seen in Central or South America and the Caribbean, It could be the same size as the On30 stock car with slightly different arrangement on the slats, which should be more open towards the bottom and top of the sides. I believe doors were optional on this type of car as well. The big difference for such a car would be the corrugated arched roof, which done properly, could also be used on the box car as well, to give them a look that would go especially well with the On30 outside frame 4-4-0 and 2-8-0. These, along with existing flats & gondolas (both high & low side), would give a good variety for anyone modeling Latin American 30" narrow gauge.
Speaking of freight car roofs, I wish Bachmann would offer more varied roof styles for their current box, stock, and reefer cars. Different styles like tar paper, canvas, and sheet metal coverings, a Murphy style metal roof, and the above mentioned corrugated roof could even be sold separately as options to vary the appearance of existing cars. And please stop painting all the freight car roofs black! Black roofs should be the exception rather than the norm. Usually roofs were the same color as the sides.
Bill in FL
I can see two arguments in favour of having a particular car available in ready to run, or at least ready to detail and weather
1. Your RR needs a lot of one particuar item. If you run a logging or mining RR then you'll need lots of logging cars/disconnects and miners need lots of ore cars. in fact you need twice as many as you think unless you want to be constantly loading and unloading. Being able to buy 20 ore cars or a few dozen logging disconnects will save an awful lot of dull and repetitive kit building.
2. The item you need is going to be a tricky kit or scratch build. Passenger cars and combines and to a lesser extent cabeese fall in this category, and lets not forget stock cars.
Several interesting suggestions.
I'd like some additions to the Christmas cars (but to be fair I'm at a bit of a loss to name what) and the Brewery Reefers.
Ned
Bah, humbug ::)
each to their own
Bill, The roof Idea is a good one! Even scratchbuilding would be easier if we had other roof styles to work from. They offer the frames seperately ,the roofs would be nice too. Dwayne Calloway
The outside braced stell box car the EBT had would be a good companion to the hoppers.
Royce :D
Royce,
I agree, the EBT O.B. steel box car is a good choice, and would go well with the EBT hoppers, and I'd buy at least one or more of them, probably more (especially if Bachmann were to produce a small EBT loco, to pull them).
At the risk of getting Dusten B. fired up, I'd also suggest another narrow gauge road whose cars Bachmann could/should consider producing models of is the ET&WNC (Tweetsie). Since Bachmann already has the Tweetsie 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler in their line, cars from this road would be a good fit, particularly the EBT bobber caboose and the highway trailer on flat (TOFC) car, which they have already done in large scale, so the research for those two cars is already in their files. A four wheeled caboose is something the current On30 line is lacking, but both the Tweetsie and EBT had some very nice looking eight wheeled center cupola-cabooses too, although I can see there might be a limit to the number of 8 wheel cabooses needed in On30. The ET&WNC also had some wooden hopper cars that would be unique and interesting as well.
Don't forget, the White Pass & Yukon had auto carriers and container flats (as well as a couple of funky looking diesels) for those wanting more modern cars.
Still, I would like to see a Central or South American banana car to go with the O.F. 4-4-0, and maybe some cane cars to go with the Porters and Davenport gas-mechanical as well as the 4-4-0's.
Bill in FL
I am on board for steel box cars!
Kevin
Bill,
If you are going to do the South American thing then don't leave out sugar cane.I use to live in south america and there was whole plantations dedicated to this industry.
The neat thing about modeling this region is you can mix,German,British and American equipment.
Those four wheeled sugar cane cars would make a great model and I think the Aussies would be intrested in them also. ;)
Royce
re sugar cane rrs, I found this on a google a few weeks back. http://www.zelmeroz.com/canesig/resources/supplier/supplier.htm
some sweet stuff there
sorry :D
Bill,
This is the idea I was going for. The ET&WNC had some pretty cool hoppers,(these are done in kit form from Wiseman but they are 2ft too short and not tall enough) Thus they do not look right. The boxcars they had were a little long for narrow gauge,32ft. Not counting the 36ft boxcars they had, but the shorter one would be great to have and the longer ones could be easily kitbashed from those.
Bachmann has done the ten wheeler in several road numbers already for the ET&WNC but all of the cars they have now are way too small. The hopper at 28ft,and the shorter boxcars would be great and could be used by many who "Freelance" there railroad. In later years, The ET&WNC only used one caboose, the 505 so you would not need as many of these as you would the boxcars or hoppers,loaded and unloaded. There has been alot of feedback here on this topic and I hope Bachmann is listening!! D. Calloway
Me, too. I'd like to see one with a corrugated metal roof like the ones once so prevalent on Mexican and Central American lines.
Quote from: gmhtrains on June 20, 2012, 12:33:55 PM
I model a common carrier narrow gauge railroad inspired by Iowa's Bellevue & Cascade, so can always use more house cars. I favor a steel boxcar and an outside-braced, single-sheathed wood boxcar, both with doors opening to the right.
Gil Hulin
Well, Back to scratch building..... :-\
Good Evening All,
For anyone interested in an EBT style caboose, go to the Deerfield River website. They offer the caboose as a laser cut kit. I have two of them to build, but to date, no one can tell me for sure, what the interior color is of the EBT cabooses.
EBTBOB,
I don't know for sure, but I think the inside color was a light green. I remember reading this some where a while back. Maybe someone else can respond on this. Also, The EBT coaches that Deerfield offers are supposed to be like those on the ET&WNC that were purchased from the same B,RB& L. Do you know anything about these? Dwayne Calloway
S Calloway,
Does your question about the EBT coaches refer to the kits from DRL or the actual coaches themselves?
EBTBOB,
My question was mainly about the kits. Do they have the board and batten siding or tongue and groove siding? The ET&WNC had several with the board and batten siding and they had one that was redone with tongue and groove. I also purchased one of the caboose kits from Deerfield for the ET&WNC 505 and it is a wonderfully fun kit to build and looks great! Dwayne Calloway
Dwayne,
I wish I could answer your question, but I really do not know the difference between the two styles. You might ask that question directly to DRL. Thanks for yor respose on the interior color of the EBT cabooses.