Hi
I am trying to model something unique; The Saundersfoot Railway 0-4-0 loco, Bull Dog. The railway is 4 foot gauge and I am using 16.5 gauge tracks @ 4mm scale. The loco stands 6 feet high and in 4mm scale is less than 1 inch high.
I am using the On30 porter loco as a basis however because the Porter motor is on the top, the height of the model is just under 1 ½ inches, about 9 feet in real life; still small for a 4mm or 3.5mm scale loco.
Has Bachmann ever thought about producing a steam type power bogie because I think that there could be a big market for such a product?
I was thinking that if the Porter wheels/ motion/piston were used and an N gauge double ended motor fitted between the frames powering both axels; this would bring the centre of balance down.
The chassis could be used by the modeller for 0-4-0 industrial steam locos in 3.5/4/On30/7 and Gn15 scale models; with the modeller building their own body; if two chassis were used together forming 0-4-0 + 0-4-0 could make any form of articulated locos.
I think that the above chassis would enhance the fantastic range of locos that Bachmann make.
You could go further in you build and create your own chassis from styren.
it's unlikely Bachmann would produce something unless they had a mass market for it.
Nm-Jeff
To be honest,if you are right; what I suggest can be used for almost anything running on 16.5 track. The only problem I see is the size of the bolts above the piston however nuts n bolts come in all sizes. As for mass production; well if a product like this came on the market, I would require 6 from the start because ther are lots of small locos that I would love to model.
Geoff