Models of less popular roads

jward · February 11, 2023, 10:20:14 AM

Quote from: trainman203 on February 11, 2023, 08:26:49 AMNo. It was a road switcher with four wheel trucks from maybe the late 60s, certainly the 1970s. I was given a model of it in the early 80s when I begin to think about a layout and talked about it some. Couple or three people gave me models, diesels, and this very unusual road switcher was one of them. Think B 29 or B 36 faceted glass nose. That's what the front of this locomotive looked like. It was the weirdest looking thing I've ever seen on rails.

I never unboxed any of them. Really should have. I didn't understand that I could've had a 2x8 switching layout using the three or so road switchers I had. I had that peculiar locomotive, an Athearn SD9, and an S2 and RS2 or something by Atlas. Plus a dozen or so freight cars that had survived 20 years in the attic. All burned up in a fire.

It almost sounds like you are describing the BQ23-7. It was an experimantal cab added to a standard GE B23-7 in an effort to fit a full five man crew aboard a locomotive. There were ten built for SCL, but no other buyers. The reduction of crew size to two men made the design a moot point, and the railroads were able to eliminate cabooses a few years after these locomotives were built.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_BQ23-7

Len · February 11, 2023, 10:24:03 AM

When I hear 'B-29' nose, my immediate thought is the observation car on the 'Hiawatha':

For locomotives, all I can come up with are the IC's 'Green Diamon':

And the 'Flying Yankee':

Len

trainman203 · February 11, 2023, 11:57:05 AM

I'm pretty sure this is it

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_BQ23-7

The B29 nose is a quirk of memory. It's been so long since I saw it. I do remember it being SCL now.

Terry Toenges · February 11, 2023, 12:04:44 PM

I was imagining something totally different with more windows.

trainman203 · February 11, 2023, 07:58:56 PM

Back to original topic. Quentin, follow the examples I put up for stand-in Missouri pacific steam engines and you can build quite a roundhouse-full of acceptable locomotives for that road. Accurate MP steam engine decals can be had from the Missouri Pacific historical society.

Bachmann engines aren't the only ones I have. I have four other mikados by another vendor, plus a couple of Bachmann 10 wheelers lettered for the MP that I did not even mention, so I believe I have about 15 or 16 MP steam engines in my Roundhouse... quite likely one of the larger MP steam rosters in the model railroad world.

In addition, I have MP diesel power consisting of 4 GP7's and an A B A set of F units... though they only run on other layouts.

I have a few steam engines for other roads too, like the Frisco, KCS and the Rock Island, my only requirement being that they ran in the ArkLaTex region. A Cotton Belt steamer is planned.

I haven't touched on my steam engines for southern roads east of the Mississippi.

trainman203 · February 11, 2023, 08:17:13 PM

https://tycotrain.tripod.com/bachmannhoscalelocomotives/id74.html

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/bq237-by-bachman-12214421

Quentin · February 12, 2023, 06:48:26 PM

Quote from: trainman203 on February 11, 2023, 07:58:56 PMBack to original topic. Quentin, follow the examples I put up for stand-in Missouri pacific steam engines and you can build quite a roundhouse-full of acceptable locomotives for that road. Accurate MP steam engine decals can be had from the Missouri Pacific historical society.

Bachmann engines aren't the only ones I have. I have four other mikados by another vendor, plus a couple of Bachmann 10 wheelers lettered for the MP that I did not even mention, so I believe I have about 15 or 16 MP steam engines in my Roundhouse... quite likely one of the larger MP steam rosters in the model railroad world.

In addition, I have MP diesel power consisting of 4 GP7's and an A B A set of F units... though they only run on other layouts.

I have a few steam engines for other roads too, like the Frisco, KCS and the Rock Island, my only requirement being that they ran in the ArkLaTex region. A Cotton Belt steamer is planned.

I haven't touched on my steam engines for southern roads east of the Mississippi.

I may do just that. Thanks.

trainman203 · February 14, 2023, 07:44:11 PM

Quentin, saw this on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155405470177?hash=item242ee349e1:g:gHEAAOSwjZFj6R~6&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsHOnZL6Pj4rb9PnkJFSiWbIuvW1CMdpjAZpaEXtex6rlhNfAgeFLlW7LUAAkfBk3TdLlAphulFCrAV6eDDrg75tfi%2FqDxOL1MRQRW%2B0IRlTrfFLNHjeBJzKHUHksJQDTys7PstcKKloPfgLinA7ls5Fn5h%2Fv98hN3i6q%2FEtVdQ3orebKSccfUZSz%2FQ3MylBelfY4cyYlH93IUdZx%2BMdLesX0C2CrSF9sgB1KmfuUUFsU%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6jnoKjKYQ

Quentin · February 14, 2023, 10:39:06 PM

I got really excited till I saw the wires that connect the tender to the loco. Then i got sad cuz i hate those dang wires.

Still may buy it though.

Thanks trainman

trainman203 · February 15, 2023, 10:34:24 AM

Quentin, every HO steam locomotive on earth has wires between the locomotive and the tender. You cannot escape that. Back in the 1960s, when DC ruled the model railroad rail, and only one wire was required from the tender to the motor and the locomotive, wireless drawbars that conducted power between the locomotive and the tender began to become popular. But with today's engines, there's just too many functions in play to have only one wire between the two units.

There are ways to redirect these wires around to not cause problems. Sometimes, they can be quite squirrelly in refusing to be positioned properly. But with work and patience, it can be done. Sometimes you have to far–connect the engine and tender to allow stiff wires some room to flex. It's true, that wrongly directed wires can cause the tender to chronically derail. But I wouldn't let that keep me from buying an engine I want.

I'd have to count again, but I believe I have at least 50 HO steam locomotives, all with DCC and sound, every one of them with wires between the engine and the tender. I'd have to say that 3/4 of them needed some kind of doctoring to keep the wires from derailing the tender on some curve or switch or something. Fixing that problem is just one more skill to add to your Model Railroad toolbox.

Quentin · February 15, 2023, 11:50:02 AM

mmh. great. still probably gonna buy it... at some point.

trainman203 · February 15, 2023, 03:59:05 PM

They do come up on eBay now and then. Might wait for one that isn't from overseas. Could possibly be be hidden customs charges unknown when ordering.

Don't forget the Bachmann MP light mountain either. I've seen them a few times on eBay as well. None of these engines come with DCC and sound though, be ready to shell out for those items and the install.

trainman203 · February 15, 2023, 05:52:50 PM

Quentin, the nickel plate Berkshire you just bought is going to have wires between the engine and the tender also.

Quentin · February 15, 2023, 11:05:54 PM

yeah, it does. And the price jumped to 182. No go for me, unfortunately. (ugh, auctions)

however... I did find a set of unpainted BRASS HO scale E5 A-B units that run, standard DC, etc. Auction. Starting bid $50. 5 days left, but I shot the seller a message saying I'll take it for 70 bucks, plus shipping and handling and packing and whatever else they charge for. hopefully I can get this set for this price.

trainman203 · February 16, 2023, 06:07:45 PM

You bought them already? Be prepared. Mechanically, brass locomotives are from the Model Railroad Jurassic. No matter how beautiful they are, many of them run like coffee grinders. Yours may not, but the brass locomotive experience often includes installation of new can motors and gear boxes, if operation of them is desired rather than shelf display.

I have a very beautiful brass Southern Pacific 4–4–0, but between the impossibility of installing a front coupler and the huge prehistoric open frame DC motor sticking up in the cab, I'll never do anything with it. I'm just holding it in the collection for the young modeler who will inherit my collection eventually.

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Models of less popular roads