Quote from: Maletrain on December 02, 2018, 06:49:45 PM

The Streamlined Cincinnatian or any of the other other B&O Class P-7 locomotives would be nice new shells for the Pennsy K-4 mechanism, because the driver wheel size is identical and their spacing is nearly identical.  Also, the B&O used high headlights for all the P-7s before the P-7d and e versions, like the K-4 model.

The USRA Pacifics (B&O class P-5) had smaller drivers (74" instead of 80") and closer spacing (6'-6" instead of 6'-9" on the K-4 or 7'-0" on the P-7), so they might need a modified mechanism to look right.  But, 5" in N scale is only 1/32", and the flanges are over-scale anyway, so, with smaller drivers, the same mechanism might pass for not just the USRA Pacifics that so many roads had, but also the very plentiful B&O P-1s and most of the other Pacifics that B&O ran.  Probably a lot of other roads had locos that could also use the K-4 mechanism if appropriate shells could be produced, and maybe some smaller drivers provided.

The P-7 in almost any version would be extremely easy, and accurate.  All you would need would be the superstructure, perhaps a tender shell (a USRA variant would pass), a maybe a cylinder block and a trailing truck (both optional, and easy if one or the other is also used for something else).  The rest is identical with the K4 visually, including the lacy Walschaerts valve gear and its hanger.

I'm an HO man, and I'm surprised nobody who makes a PRR K4 has figured this out. 

Beautiful road!!  Sorry to see it go?

Can you say what has happened, and what future plans may be?

TinoStrat, can you tell us what locomotive you do have, or send a photograph of it?  As Jonathan noted, different locomotives may have different methods of attaching parts.  A look at what you have can tell us a lot. 

There are a lot of people here who are willing to help you!!

(Hope the translator program works well.)

TinoStrat, ¿puedes decirnos qué locomotora tienes o enviar una fotografía? Como Jonathan señaló, diferentes locomotoras pueden tener diferentes métodos para unir partes. Un vistazo a lo que tienes nos puede decir mucho.

¡Hay mucha gente aquí que está dispuesta a ayudarte!

I also wouldn't rule out the current manual.

One of the reasons I say this is that the mechanisms for all of Bachmann's 80-inch drivered 4-8-4s--Daylights, Niagaras, Santa Fe--are identical.  The only changes are rods and cylinder blocks and valve gear.  It's clearly an example of taking advantage of a characteristic of modern steam engines with trailing trucks, and that's using the driver diameter to set axle spacing.  It seems the railroad industry did this--most, if not all steam locomotives with a trailing truck used driver spacing about three inches larger than driver diameter.  That makes sense in that the resulting distance between axles and wheels works out to shorten the wheelbase to a recommended dimension, which would help the locomotive in going around curves or poking around in a yard. 

This means all the frames are identical, and it's possible what you want to find will still fit.

Couldn't post a saved image (file was to large).  Let's see if this works (it did for me):

http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmanndaylightgs4pg1.jpg

http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmanndaylightgs4pg2.jpg

http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachman484pg1.jpg

http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachman484pg2.jpg

Hope these help out.

Jonathan may well the be the resident detailer of Bachmann locomotives here, especially for his beloved Baltimore & Ohio!!  His work in detailing the Bachmann E7 can be seen in the link below.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,33489.msg247828.html#msg247828

Quote from: jonathan on September 08, 2018, 07:37:32 PM
Knees are shot. Can't run anymore. Gotta get some kind of exercise. 

Regards,

Jonathan

My knees aren't so hot, either. 

Fortunately, my wife does the grass--she likes doing it!--but there's a lot of edging and trimming to do with the string trimmer, so I get my exercise that way!

Big problem where I live has been either either broiling heat with 70% humidity, or rain, rain, rain--which makes the grass grow that much more!!

We've had so much rain the grass doesn't completely dry out, even after three or four days.

And yes, as usual, you have some great looking projects!! 

(You just need a bigger railroad to run all that on!    )

I don't have a lot of cars with Kadee wheels, except for some log cars and disconnect trucks, and one box car (they were the only metal wheels handy at the time).

What are the difficulties with them?

Quote from: Trainman203 on August 13, 2018, 09:35:35 AM
What is the Panhandle? It means parts of either Florida or Texas down here.

It's a reference to the Panhandle Division of the PRR, or to the Panhandle Railroad (predecessor owner of the same line).  It was named for the Northern Panhandle of the State of West Virginia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh,_Cincinnati,_Chicago_and_St._Louis_Railroad

If you can, you might want to also include a better power pack.  From Bachmann's product listing, this looks like a straight DC set, so you might be able to find something a bit better than the basic power pack Bachmann has.  There's a hobby shop just down the road from me that has several such items available from an estate, including MRC units ($25 when I was there last week), and even a Pacific Fast Mail unit with a sound system!

I did find a photo of one of these basic Bachmann packs--if he has what I think he has, it's a small thing, with a wall transformer to drop the voltage and set up for the wire plugs to the track.  It does have AC terminals, but I have to wonder about its capacity of all of one amp.

https://www.trainz.com/products/bachmann-46605-ho-power-pack-speed-controller?variant=33114892422

You might also want to take some push button switches along, too.  I'm not familiar with what Bachmann packages with its powered turnouts, but the Walthers listing for EZ track turnouts doesn't mention them, so he might need those.  

Finally, if he is going to wind up with two locomotives, you may also want to take along the stuff for sectionalizing the railroad, allowing him to park one engine while running another. . .but then again, if the gentleman is 90 years old and doesn't have past model railroading experience, that might be a bit too sophisticated, even though block wiring is still pretty well known even in these days of DCC.

The set has a Bachmann 0-6-0 for motive power, and some 40-foot freight cars and a caboose, so I don't think operation through turnouts will be a problem.

I wonder if he would like a building or two.

Here's a table that might help those who aren't into the mathematics.

http://www.trainweb.org/freemoslo/Modules/Tips-and-Techniques/degrees_of_curve_to_radius.htm

For some perspective, a 5 degree curve is considered moderately sharp; it limits train speeds to about 60 mph or sometimes less.  It scales out to just under 158 inches radius, or more than 13 feet!!

A 20 degree curve is very tight; large engines such as 4-8-4s and E-unit diesels can negotiate them at a walking pace to get to or from an engine terminal, and do so with flanges howling.  But even that scales out at almost 40 inches!

The B&O didn't run passenger service on curves sharper than 16 degrees (49.5 inches).

Cass Scenic, a former logging railroad  that operates exclusively with geared steam engines, has curves as sharp as 40 degrees.  That scales out to something we use, at just over 20 inches!

Obviously we have to compromise considerably in our curves!

On thing that would help, both in operation and appearance, is to work in a graduated or easemented curve.  This is a curve of constantly changing radius, typically a cubic parabola, and provides a gradual change from straight to curved track.  The real roads calculate these with great precision in the field, but we can take shortcuts, such as using a flexible stick between the tangent or straight track and the actual curved radius.  It's not the cubic parabola, but it does give a smooth, flowing transition from the tangent to the curve.

This not only makes the appearance better (trains flow into the curve instead of jumping around like, like Lionel toys on sectional track do), and you get less couple swing at the entrance of the curve.  The latter can actually let you get away with a tighter radius than a curve without such a transition.  

Even a larger section of sectional track (say 22 inch radius leading into 18 inch radius) can help.  

The only thing to keep in mind is that this does cut your straight track lengths down a little.  

Your minimum easement length should be about as long as the longest car that will be negotiating the curve.  

It's worthwhile to use easements even if you're modeling a prototype with almost streetcar like curves, such as some industrial roads, and for the reasons mentioned.  Arguably, they are even more important on such a minimum radius railroad than on one with more generous curvature. 

It may not look like it, but trolley lines, with street corner curves as sharp as 35 feet, had graduated curves. 

In some cases, using a switch at the start of the curve can give you an easement effect if you are using the curved or angled leg as the curve approach--and you get a location for an industrial spur, too.

Quote from: RAM on June 01, 2018, 11:03:42 PM
Santa fe had some nice 2-10-0s That I think it has the same wheelbase is the same as the Russian, but it is American.   A non usra 0-6-0 & 0-8-0

A couple of thoughts to consider--

One is that it helps if a model can use something already existing as the base to reduce tooling costs.  That's addressed here, and also with the B&O Q-4.

The other, which applies to both something already existing and especially to a totally new model (non-USRA switchers in this case) is how well it may sell.  That would be based on a prototype either being widely used (USRA engines, stock industrial locomotives, including a Shay), or a popular prototype road (PRR, ATSF).  Glamorous history (Hudsons on the 20th Century, the Andrews raid, Warbonnets on the Super) would also be a factor. 

There may also be the enthusiasm of fans of certain roads.  I believe a lot of B&O fans, for instance, may have acquired multiple EM-1s, despite their size; Bachmann made the type relatively affordable, and you would normally see multiple examples on a division where they were assigned. 

And that brings up the non-USRA switchers.  What would be your prototypes?  Would they be something widely used?  Might you be considering a stock engine, or perhaps something from an earlier period that would look like a widely used design, such as the Omaha 0-6-0 that was sold in brass for a number of years?

Quote from: jonathan on May 30, 2018, 12:15:52 PM
Since we're dreaming big...

The B&O S-1a, 2-10-2 would be a big wish fulfillment.  The Rivarossi model is older than I am! 

A Spectrum version would be just right. I have a brassie, but it's so rare, and expensive, that I don't dare run it.

Please, oh please....

Regards,

Jonathan

At the risk of going with monsters again, an alternate would be an ACCURATE B&O EL-series 2-8-8-0--not a Norfolk & Western Y-6b with a removed trailing truck and a Vanderbilt tank!

Going a little more moderate in size, what about a B&O Q-4 (2-8-2)?  I'm thinking that one could be based on the USRA 2-8-2 mechanism. 

For some diesel fans around here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0fR49-u6fo

Quote from: RAM on April 22, 2018, 09:15:02 PM
We all know that B&O didn't have 4-8-4s, but I like the what ifs.  What if the PRR had 4-8-4s instead of the T1s, or if Santa Fe 2-8-4s would of had 69 inch drivers instead of 63.  

Interestingly, there are some people who think we had an example of what a B&O 4-8-4 might look like--Western Maryland's Potomacs, built by Baldwin in 1947, and the last new 4-8-4 design for an American railroad.





They could be right--high mounted headlight, off center bell, and fore and aft sand domes, like a "Big Six" 2-10-2!!

But then you look at the T-3 4-8-2s the B&O did have--and then there were the second hand Boston & Maine 4-8-2s. . .who knows, really?