any experience with these?

[jettrainfan]

I am thinking about getting this in the fall but was wondering if anyone owns this already? http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/glp/glp7089.htm
it looks smart and good for me, it was gonna be another SD-24 but they're out of stock . I wanted another steamer or switcher and this caught my eye. I might go look up roadnames or just make it L&W paint.
questions- want to now
1. how mush it could pull
2.how does it run?good, bad, OK,etc.
that's it, thanks.

[CNE Runner]

Jet - you do realize that this is a kit? I have assembled several Grandt Line structures; but never one of their locomotive/rolling stock offerings...so I can't comment on the kit's difficulty. I would be concerned about the tractive weight of this little loco. A friend recently tried switching with a Model Power Porter (similar in size) and could only push one 40' car. If you are looking for ultra small motive power, you might want to check out the FDT Trackmobile...a really small, really neat unit. These sell for about $80 in DC and $130 in DCC. They come with only one coupler; but many modelers add a second one to the front so they can handle cars in either direction.

Just a thought,
Ray

[jettrainfan]

i now its a kit, that's why i skipped it,i usually read the names first...
1 car... i don't know, i was looking for something small, for switching and light passenger service(oc&t coach, looks like http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/csm/csm720008.htm and a small boxcar.) that engine you mentioned looks nice! i saw one down by the subberbs last winter switching covered hoppers.
If I do get the engine you mentioned, I'll get DCC, if im gonna pay that much.
thanks!

[Michigan Railfan]

i now its a kit, that's why i skipped it,i usually read the names first...
1 car... i don't know, i was looking for something small, for switching and light passenger service(oc&t coach, looks like http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/csm/csm720008.htm and a small boxcar.) that engine you mentioned looks nice! i saw one down by the subberbs last winter switching covered hoppers.
If I do get the engine you mentioned, I'll get DCC, if im gonna pay that much.
thanks!

Well thats a coindidence. I just bought the passenger car of that roadname and manufaturer last week. I also dot the matching red caboose to and Model Powers' Southern 0-4-0. Its an amazing runner. The only problem with those cars are that when you're putting them on the track, they don't stay on real well because they're not wieghed down enough.

[jward]

for the price of the grandt line kit i'd bet they are not powered. the boxcabs were pretty rarre but i see they also have a ge 25 tonner which was a faily common industrial diesel in its day. as others have said, don't expect them to pull much. if the prototype was figured at 6 times locomotive weight, that'd work out to 1-3 loaded cars, and 5-6 empties.....

[CNE Runner]

Hey there Jeff - The Grandt Line locomotive comes in two flavors: powered and nonpowered. I have included the Grandt Line website:

http://www.grandtline.com/model_railroad/rolling_stock_and_locos.htm

I think your estimate of tonnage of the locomotive vs tonnage hauled is very accurate. The reason I brought up the Trackmobile is that I just finished reading a review and the person loved the little bugger. Granted it will not pull more than two or three cars; but that is all the prototype is designed to move. Jet, you are probably smart in purchasing the Trackmobile in DCC...there doesn't seem to be that much difference in price and you still have to option to run it concurrently with your other DCC locomotives (or a second Trackmobile).

My favorite webmaster and website has a section on Trackmobile layouts (one of Carl Arendt's many contests). Jet this is definite food for thought. If I didn't have so many other projects in the hopper (rr pun), I would build Andreas Krause's Monk's Island Brewery layout.

http://www.carendt.com/contest/vote/index.html

Happy switching,
Ray

[Tim]

Ray

The layouts you linked to would also work nicely
with a Plymouth or Whitcomb industrial switcher
or even an 0-4-0 steamer.  For those wishing to
model an earlier period.

Tim Anders
Souderton, PA

[Paul M.]

If you're looking for something nice n' small, check out Bachmann Spectrum's 45-tonner. It's a good runner, from what I've heard, and is nicely detailed.

[Jim Banner]

The ad that jettrainfan linked to does say "powered kit."  If you have never assembled a locomotive kit before, the best advice I can give you is to do it slowly.  Don't go on to the next step until the part you have just assembled works perfectly.  Any binding or unevenness will only get worse as you go on, it will never magically disappear.  And it will show up as poor running in the final product.

Having said that, kits can be fun and informative to put together.  And they can result in some fine running units.

Jim

[CNE Runner]

Oh yeah Tim...a Plymouth or Whitcomb...now you're talking! Gosh, I would love to have a good running locomotive of this breed. I am about to construct a copy of the Inglenook Switching Puzzle and those engines would be perfect! Do you know of any reliable models (DC) of either the Plymouth or Whitcomb?

Ray