4-4-0 - Your opinions, please

[Beatthe9ers]

I am looking for any comments on the Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 American Modern (items #83401 to #83409) in terms of performance, durability, and general quality.  I am not particularly interested in the historical accuracy or the fine details of the model, to my eye, she looks beautiful.  So if the tender is wrong or the stack is too big, I don't really care.

I'm looking for a steam engine that looks good to me and that will pull 8-10 cars on a flat surface or slight grade and negotiate 18 inch curves.

Does anyone own one?  Are you happy with it?  I've read that the decoder that is installed is of questionable quality.  I see that Bachmann is going to release a new version with sound included, but I also see that the price jump will be significant.  Does anyone have a recommendation of another 4-4-0 manufacturer that you would put above the Spectrum?  Or do you have recommendations of other steam loco's that will negotiate 18 inch curves without too much trouble? 

I don't have DCC yet, but am planning on it in the future and would like to set myself up for an easy conversion, so DCC ready at least is an additional consideration for me.

Thanks for the continued help/information.

Parker

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I've had my Spectrum Richmond eight-wheeler only about a month, and I am perfectly pleased with her. (Just for the record, I got the unlettered, "Russia iron and pinstripes," wood-cab version with slide valves.) I am running her on DC, and she works fine. She looks fine and has no difficulty on 18"-radius curves. 

Owing to the extremely small size of my current layout (49-1/2 by 36 inches), I have used her to pull no more than five cars (all Mantua or Mantua Classic "1860" freight cars and an "1890" combine), but I feel confident she would have no problem with at least eight small, free-rolling cars.

I don't own a Spectrum 4-6-0, so I won't speak to that, but the old Mantua 4-6-0 and 4-4-0 "General" will work fine on 18"-radius curves. Actually, I'm pretty sure just about any eight-wheeler or ten-wheeler would work OK on an 18"-radius curve. Any 0-4-0, 0-6-0, 2-6-0, or 2-6-2 should also be fine. I don't own any 2-8-0s, but I have one old Mantua 4-8-0, and even that works fine on 18"-radius.  You can run a Mantua 4-6-2 on 18"-radius, and it will work OK, but with an engine that size you start to get "overhang" on curves that doesn't look so hot.

Hope this helps some. 

[Yampa Bob]

Jeff
I have been admiring the Richmond for over a year, just can't decide which one I want.  I want something flashy for my excursion set up, which might fit into the 1880 to 1890 era.     

The catalog doesn't say but I assume it is 4 wheel pickup. Did the Russia Iron come with a user applied top railing for the tender?  It shows one in the catalog.

A 1900 build date is inferred,  did Richmond make an earlier model?

Bob

[Pacific Northern]

I have a couple of these units and would recommend them highly.

I run one on a DC track and the other on DCC.  Both engines run well, each unit automatically detects what the power source is and responds accordingly.

Regarding the DCC unit,  the low speed control is acceptable to me. However the DCC unit is indeed limited in programing capabilities.   

As an alternative for this era I suggest you also look at the Spectrum 4-6-0's (either the low or high  boiler versions)  these are DCC ready so will need a DCC unit added. They do however have full working valve gear which adds to watching them run.

[ebtnut]

The Richmond 4-4-0 is pretty typcial of the type being built from about 1890 into the early 1900's (the prototypes were built in 1901).  It might be a bit too modern for the 1880's, though.  Ma & Pa 4, 5 and 6 ran into the 1930's, when No. 4 was retired.  No. 5 was retired in about the mid-1940's, while No. 6 lasted until the end of 1950.  No. 6 was the only one of the three to get modernized with the piston valves and steel cab.  The model will likely pull up to 8 small, free-rolling freight cars on level track, thought that is probably its limit. 

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Jeff
I have been admiring the Richmond for over a year, just can't decide which one I want.  I want something flashy for my excursion set up, which might fit into the 1880 to 1890 era.

I know the feeling. I'm thinking about getting a second one myself, a "modernized" version with piston valves and a steel cab.     

The catalog doesn't say but I assume it is 4 wheel pickup. Did the Russia Iron come with a user applied top railing for the tender?  It shows one in the catalog.

Well, I was surprized when I opened the box to find an "alternative fuel load" included. Mine included a "wood load" that has a railing around it. I'm assuming that's what you mean, and it's a part of the wood load piece. I didn't even try to swap the fuel loads because I wasn't interested in running my engine as a wood-burner; it hasn't got a wood-burner stack.

A 1900 build date is inferred,  did Richmond make an earlier model?

Bob

I really don't know much of anything about the Richmond Locomotive Works, when or how long it was in business, only that it became part of ALCO. These engines are modeled on three built for the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad in 1901--but you know that already.

Jeff

[Yampa Bob]

I just like the large drivers on the Richmond, and it does have a sorta 1800's look to it.   The Southern is a bit more flashy, but I don't want a lettered version for my excursions.  

Actually, I would prefer a wood burning "onion" stack, it would fit the era better. They should include both types, like they do on the ON30 outside frame.

Jeff, could you take some pictures of your Russia Iron and send to me?

Thanks

Bob

[richG]

Jeff
I have been admiring the Richmond for over a year, just can't decide which one I want.  I want something flashy for my excursion set up, which might fit into the 1880 to 1890 era.     

The catalog doesn't say but I assume it is 4 wheel pickup. Did the Russia Iron come with a user applied top railing for the tender?  It shows one in the catalog.

A 1900 build date is inferred,  did Richmond make an earlier model?

Bob

I have the undecorated one with wood cab and slide valves,  the wood load with railing for the tender comes with the loco. I do not have the pin stripe one.
The loco picks up from the four drivers each side.
The tender picks up from the trucks on only one side, i.e., front truck, right side, rear truck left side.
The tender is ready for a one inch speaker.
I see them going for about $80.00 with $12.00 shipping charge, DCC for power only.
The loco is the 1905 era from what I have seen. If you ever look at a lot of photos of steam engines built in 1890, you will see the air pump on the engineer's side, not the fireman's side, plus there are other differences.
For about $120.00 inluding speaker, you can install a SoundTraxx Micro-Tsunami decoder. It is a superb decoder for power and sound.
I use the Micros.
This loco would look nice pulling two or three period passenger cars.
Roundhouse sells some really nice Overland passenger cars. I have seen them up close.
Cabbose Hobbies has good prices for the cars.
Rem's Railroad Models has 40 foot, open excursion car kits. You will need a lot of figures to make it look like a reason for an excursion train. A train with no crew and passengers does not seem prototypical.

Rich

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Jeff, could you take some pictures of your Russia Iron and send to me?

Thanks

Bob

Unfortunately that's beyond my technical capabilities; I don't even have a proper camera for that sort of picture. Sorry about that! 

At least as it appears on my monitor, the picture of the unlettered, Russian iron and pinstripes version here on the web site is close enough to my engine for government work. (The Russia iron version seems to be the last of the Richmond 4-4-0s listed in the steam locomotive section.) The boiler has a sort of greenish-bluish cast to it, and the striping is very nicely done, on the drivers, cylinders, domes, and tender.

It comes with "your choice" of pilots. That scared heck out of me. I was convinced I would break the cowcatcher trying to install it, but it went right into its mounting holes in the pilot beam just as nicely as you please.

[Yampa Bob]

RichG
Curious about where you got the $80 price, the retail is $275.

Bob

[richG]

RichG
Curious about where you got the $80 price, the retail is $275.

Bob

Ebay. If you have a ebay subscription, go to HO scale, log in and check Completed Listings for the HO Spectrum 4-4-0. You will see what the engines went for. Check the sellers ratings.
They are DCC power only.

Micro Mark has a couple 4-4-0 with DCC & sound, pre order for  $208.00.
Micro Marks usual price for DCC only is around $138.00.
It looks like they are going to have a good size Spectrum sale.
The Spectrum three truck Shay DCC/sound  is coming up with a pre order offer of $208.00.

Rich

[Pacific Northern]

RichG
Curious about where you got the $80 price, the retail is $275.

Bob

I never buy a Spectrum without first checking this site.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350039026732&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=022

The vendor is an authorized dealer. This is why I have two of the units.

[Matt Bumgarner]

The Spectrum 4-4-0 is an OUTSTANDING locomotive from a looks and operational standpoint; however, it struggles pull two 80' coaches on a flat grade, so you should be close with 5 cars.

There is nothing even in this engine's league with other 4-4-0 offerings from anyone, and it really is sweet sitting next to a couple of Spectrum
4-6-0's.

Matt

[Pacific Northern]

http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1701

Review of the spectrum 4-4-0

[richG]

http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1701

Review of the spectrum 4-4-0

I found that link erlier but you can only read the review if you are a Model Railroader subscriber.
Go ahead and subscribe and give us the review.

Rich