For those who would like one of these and not wait for Bachmann to manufacture one - Deerfield River Laser makes a nice kit.  I have assembled several of their kits and they are excellent. The link below will take you directly to the web page for the kit.

http://www.deerfieldriverlaser.com/DRL-O-104.html

The link below will take you to a photo of the newly restored to operation former Argent Lumber Co. No. Six, also former Surry, Sussex & Southampton No. 6. She looks much better than she did on the Argent as she operates on the Mid-western Central.

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,168302,168499#msg-168499

Here is a great video on youtube about WW I 2 foot operations. Evidently it is from an old documentary done during the war.  It is a silent film.  It starts with, and has, a little standard gauge stuff but otherwise is all 2 ft.

Really great stuff. You see the laying of track, both in traditional fashion and snap track - see there really is a prototype for everything!

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTL3Pl13QVQ

I realize most On30 modelers don't modify their locomotives and rolling stock to
raise the coupler height to the On3 "standard."

For those who do, I have managed to arrive at a method for the new 2-6-6-2.

The first step was to examine the locomotive that my children got me for
Christmas (what great kids! - they gave me the money and said order it!). To
remove the old coupler and the metal that is molded on the underframe of the
tender and then mount a new Kadee or similar coupler is often all that has to be
done for some Bachmann locomotives.

On the 2-6-0 it is easy as the tender deck is made of plastic. The 2-8-0 and
the OF 4-4-0 require the removal of metal.

The tender deck height of the 2-6-6-2's tender is too low for this to work.
Shimming up the frame is a questionable idea in my mind but doable. It will
require modifying the method of conducting current from the trucks to the
decoder in the tender. I never mess with anything electrical if possible.

While not the perfect solution, this is what I worked out. Keep in mind, my
2-6-6-2 will be used as a road engine only and will not be used for switching.

I pulled out the trusty PSC catalog and ordered PSC part number 7537 - a C&S #60
tender coupler pocket. I also obtained a PSC part number 40166 - another
coupler pocket.

I decided to use a pair of the new San Juan Car Company couplers. I trimmed the
feelers off the ends of both. For my tender mounted coupler I filed the edge of
the end of the shank down in circumference to create more play in the
side-to-side motion of the coupler. I shimmed the coupler shank up with a piece
of styrene underneath the shank.

I shortened a KD coupler screw and used it to permanently mount the shank in the
brass coupler pocket. The coupler moves freely from side to side.

I removed the stock coupler from the tender and with my dremel removed the metal
that protrudes from the underframe as part of the old coupler pocket.

I mounted the new coupler in the PSC casting upside down. There is a lip
protruding on the bottom of the casting. Setting this lip on top of the
underframe positioned the casting at the height it needed to be for the coupler
to be at the desired height.

I initially ACC'd the casting to mount it and check the height of the coupler.
Then a tiny amount of epoxy was added to permanently mount the casting.

On the pilot, I removed the stock coupler and then built up a base made of
styrene on the protruding metal, after removing the braces cast-in on the top of
the coupler pocket. When finished this is essentially a solid block on the pilot
beam with the protrusion made of cast metal and styrene serving as the mounting
point for the PSC casting and coupler.

I had to remove material from the end of the shank again. Be careful or you
will see where the spring that makes the coupler work is hidden! I also removed
a small about of material from the left and right side of the casting from the
rear in the opening for the coupler shank. This increases the side-to-side play
of the coupler.

The same process was used to attach the casting to the locomotive.

I won't be able to switch with ease using this method, but for a locomotive that
is going to just haul the trains around and drop off the consist, I can live
with this method.

I really wish Bachmann would take into consideration that some of us mount
couplers at the On3 coupler height. I have one of the AMS 3000 series box cars.
You just remove two screws and the shim and coupler drops out. Replace the
coupler and the two screws, and your On30 box car now has its coupler at the On3
coupler height!

I am sure this is an easy task.  However, when anything electrical and I mix, Murphy's law applies.

How does one change the headlights on the new 2-6-6-2? I appreciate Bachmann's providing variety.  However, my locomotive came sans any paperwork so no directions on how to change the headlight.

Practical suggestions are appreciated.

For those of you who might be interested, I have nearly finished my first ever wood rolling stock kit project.  It is a Deerfield River Laser wood hopper kit.

It was:

1) easy to assemble
2) had good directions
3) turned out better than I thought it would (not because of the kit - rather it being my first attempt to build something in wood)
4) went together quickly

Without glue drying time, staining the wood prior to assembly, etc, I could easily assemble one in an evening.

If you wanted a fleet of these I would build one first just to get the feel and then assembly line the rest of the kits.

I will be using San Juan Car Company archbar trucks and KD couplers. I mount my couplers at the On3 coupler height and to my delight, Deerfield River Laser has taken this into consideration by providing multiple shims for the bolster, my guess being to aide in the process of coupler height adjustment.

The kit comes without trucks and couplers and is available direct from Deerfield.

Kevin S.

Mr. Bachmann,

Since a working sample of the upcoming 2-6-6-2 has been in the states and displayed, have you, or would/could you please post the normal series of photographs of upcoming locomotives in the gallery?

Thanks!

This web site has information about the 30 inch gauge Rio Turbio Santa Fe's - the 2-10-2 locomotives that received the "Porta" modifications and became high efficiency steam power.

http://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/ldp/rfirt/santafes.htm

A possible REAL 30 inch prototype for Bachmann to consider?

If it could be made to get around 18-22 inch curves I would buy one or two.

Regardless, this is an interesting railroad and worth checking out.

Mr. Bachmann,

When the time comes for you to take photos of the 2-6-6-2 to post to the Gallery, would you please be sure to take some photos of the tender for this locomotive, particularly a good view of how the coupler is mounted on the rear of the tender?

Thanks as always!

Has anyone given any thought on how they plan to modify the 2-6-6-2 they obtain?

I plan to put a big sand box on the front pilot deck.  This is in keeping with my swamp logging branch and, dare I say it, my favorite (horrors) standard gauge locomotive is the might Norfolk & Western Y-6b, and favorite narrow gauge articulated locomotive, the Uintah/Sumpter Valley 2-6-6-2.  They had "stuff" on their pilot decks as well.

Other than some tool boxes and hoses for siphoning water, that is about all I have planned for mine.

The only other major change will be moving the couplers to On3 coupler height.  I might even experiment with the newly announced On3 couplers from San Juan Car Company.

Does anyone have some more radical "bashes" planned? Share your ideas with us please!

Does anyone know what the stock sound decoder is that will be used in the upcoming 2-6-6-2?

Has anyone tried kitbashing one of the Williams hoppers into an On30 one?

Just curious what the results were if so.

Is this a doable kitbash?

I realize that Bachmann has the On30 hoppers available, this effort would be a one-off just to have something different in the mix for operations.

I model in On30.  The On30 modelers have long been clamoring for an On30 Heisler.  Bachmann obviously has much of the research and design done for a Heisler in any scale as they have produce on in large scale.

There has been speculation among On30 modelers is that the reason we have not seen an On30 Heisler is that Bachmann has had problems with the operating ability of its geared locomotives, which has proven true in certain situations for the On30 geared locomotives.

Would appreciate it if any large scale Heisler owners would comment on the operating characteristics of their large scale Heisler.

An operational standard gauge Heisler - but it looks like it would make a great On30 model!

http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/silver_creek_n_stephenson_2.jpg

http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/wh_eccles_lbr_3.jpg

http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/oregon_lbr_100.jpg

http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/tionesta_valley_rwy_19.jpg

Just pouring some gas on the fire!

For those who would like to see a possible candidate for Bachmann to consider if an On30 Garratt is ever in the offing, the most recent issue of the Gazette of has some excellent photos of the famous NG-16 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratts.

Built for service in South Africa in 1958, these are two foot gauge locomotives, but they are handsome specimens of this type of locomotive.

Mr. Bachmann,

You always post photos of the new upcoming products.  No hurry as we all know you are busy, but when you get a chance to take photos of the awesome new 2-6-6-2, would you please be so kind as to take an up close photo of how both couplers are mounted among the different photos you take of this wonderful locomotive.

Thank you.

Where, when and what new On30 products were announced?  In reading the Lawndale boxcar thread Matt stated that some new products were announced?!

Would someone help this poor ill informed On30 modeler?

We open our gifts on Christmas Eve - the kids obtained one of the new Bachmann OF 4-4-0s for me!  I knew they were good kids!

Some quick observations:

1) It is heavy for its size!
2) It is much larger than the inside frame 4-4-0.
3) Keith Wiseman's whaleback tender casting will fit on the stock tender frame, allowing the stock tender frame and electronics to be used.  It also allows for an easy installation of DCC sound by using the stock tender frame.  Shades of NCNS #7, albeit that locomotive was an inside frame locomotive.
4) A plea for someone to make a post-production kit to detail this locomotive like one of the 4-4-0s on the San Paulo line in Brazil!  It would only require the canopy, pilot, and some drop over castings for the cylinders - beyond my skills.
5)Runs like a dream!
6)Has parts to convert to wood or oil, analog, and spoked lead truck.

I think I like it better than my OF 2-8-0!

Cutting and pasting the poll results was a little messy, but of the 80+ respondents, 46 voted for a Heisler as the next desired On30 geared locomotive they wanted to see from Bachmann, accounting for 56% of the votes.

The next most popular choice was a three truck shay with 18 votes, accounting for 21% of the votes.

I know Mr. Riley and the Bachmann may be getting tired of this, but I hear the chant, we want a Heisler, we want a Heisler!

Question
Of the following geared locomotives to choose from, which do you think needs to be the next On30 geared locomotive produced for sale?

Responses
Choices  Votes  %  1 reply 
Heisler  46  56   
Different Climax than one currently available  2  2   
Dunkirk  9  10   
3 truck shay  7  8   
larger 2 truck shay  18  21   

SPONSOR RESULTS

I created a poll on the Yahoo Bachmann On30 Group web site concerning what future pieces of rolling stock purchasers and users of Bachmann On30 rolling stock would like to see.  If you want to see the results of all of the types/suggestions of potential rolling stock you could vote for, you can go to the site and see the total results.  I have only listed the three top vote getters here.

I was a little surprised by one of the top two vote getters.  Tied for first place as a RPO (the surprise) and a long caboose of some type (not really a surprise).  Third place was for a steel box car.

Hope this is interesting to someone.