Tweetsie Railroad will be hosting its 4th Annual Railfan Weekend on September 6-7, 2008. 

For the first time since the event started in 2005, Tweetsie will put the spotlight on engine #190   the "Yukon Queen"  #190 will be lettered USA as she was during her time on the White Pass and Yukon during WWII. 

On Saturday, Railfans will be able to take a 3 mile non-stop ride on board former-EBT Coach #5 being lead around by engine #190.  While #12 will be pulling the regular wild west train.
After the park closes there will be a photo run-by session with #190 and her original white pass and yukon whistle while pulling all the Tweetsie rolling stock including coach #5 on the rear. #12 will be featured in a solo photo run-by special in 2009. 

On Sunday morning #12 and #190 will lead a double-header wild west train rides until 12:30.  Then #190 will resume pulling the coach the remainder of the afternoon, while #12 handles the wild west train.

All day both days there will be a special memorabilia room which will feature artifacts from Tweetsie's past, and some of the items saved from the depot fire in March of 2008. Also while in the memorabilia room you can watch films on the history of #12 and #190.   

Each day at 11 and 3 there will be tour of Tweetsie's famous Locomotive Repair Shop. Also during the weekend there will be opportunities to ride in the cab of #12 or #190.

For more information, tickets and a detailed schedule please check out Tweetsie's website.  www.tweetsie.com

If you have any questions please fill free to contact me off the lists.

Tim Smith
Railfan Coordinator
Tweetsie RR

Below is what i have, most of the locos are southern except for 2 gp-18's

4 Spectrum 2-8-0's SR #604, 632, 722, 837
1 Atlas 2-8-2, SR #4768
1 Bach 4-4-0, ET&V #11
1 Bach 2-6-2, SR #954
1 Spectrum 4-8-4, N&W #608

1 Atlas GP-38, SR#2815
1 Atlas SD-24, SR#6314
1 Atlas SD-35, SR#3008
4 LL GP-18's, SAL #400, #406, #408, SR #171
1 MP FP-7 SR #6131
1 Bach F-9, SR #9070

All run very well, tend to use the 2-8-0's and the gp-18's the most.

Tim

I just installed some of the same couplers on a set of old timer passenger cars, and they did not match up very well to any of my engines or cars. But i have recently read those couplers come in different heights and lengths such as low high or in the middle, i think i got the high ones.  I think the couplers are fine if you have a set of cars like passenger cars that are not separated much or even sets of diesels that run together. 

I am actually thinking now about changing the entire truck to micro trains, for some reason the metal wheels seem to make the cars sit to high. Plus they seem a bit tight to roll.

has anyone ever changed out the old time passenger coach trucks to MT, if so what versions have you used?


thanks

Tim

Ok guys,

I have got a set of F9 A units I bought in a set about 12 years ago, and I have finally gotten around to getting them running again after 10 years and have installed MT couplers. Although only one is powered.  I have been reading around on some websites and it seems like Bachmann has produced that model for a really long time now.  The engines i have are lettered for the Santa Fe, but i am looking to change them to Southern, and maybe even replicate the new NS F9's. Some of the steps have broken off of them over the years so im thinking about getting new shells, but i wasn't sure if they were still available or if anyone had some laying around they may not need. 

Also did Bachmann ever produce this model in a Southern paint scheme?

If not Mr. Bachmann you might want to look into making a release of them with the new NS scheme, as no one else has yet in N Scale.

Merry Christmas

Tim

I know how you feel about being disappointed in not having the right engine. I never did get into n scale until 2005, and my first 2 engines one was a Undecorated 2-8-0 and the other was SRR #722. Btw i model the southern.  The undec engine became my work horse and the 722 became the show piece, and still is.  In 2006 i bought a 3rd undec 2-8-0 so i could rotate engines without using the green engine. The 3rd was the one that gave me a fit. Finally i gave up and in 2007 i got a 4th one and it was better than the 3rd but nothing has beat the first two yet.  As for the third engine one day i was on ebay and found an engine minus the tender, someone was selling it and all that was wrong was a broken rod.  So i took the bad engine and combined parts and made one good engine. Now i have 4 good 2-8-0's and spare rods, drivers, a motor and a boiler shell. Just wish i had a fifth tender, to make a shelf model out of it.

If the pilot truck is bad there isnt much i have been able to do to make it roll correctly, i would recommend ordering a new one from the factory.  All this talk has made me want to get my bad engine out and tinker with it.  But after tonight i got 2-6-2 to work on, my new 2-6-2 locked up this evening and wont even turn at wheel. Kinda got me stumped, i just did get micro trains couplers on it, and i was getting ready to pull a train for the first time with it. Oh well back to drawing board on that one.

Check your locomotive frame and make sure one of the slots that the drivers sit in are not to loose.  I had that problem.  Made the engine wobble and derail.

I have 5 of them 2-8-0 and one of mine was seriously a bad engine.  I worked with it for a few months and finally gave up, now its a parts engine.  But with that engine, i had alot of trouble with the engine binding and then the front driver would jump the track in curves.  So i checked the gauge, and took the wheels out a quartered all the drivers. After reassembling it still did the same thing.  Come to find out the problem was in the frame, who ever cut the frame to hold the drivers made the slot slightly to big thus making the drivers move in the frame everytime they rotated. I did manage to narrow the gauge slightly to keep it from jumping the track. But it never really made it a perfect engine.  Another thing i have noticed with the 2-8-0 pilot trucks, sometime the axle is not always centered in the wheel which can cause it to wobble and jump. 

Dont think im bashing the 2-8-0 i have 4 of them that work GREAT.  These are just things i have noticed working with them over the last 2 yrs. As a matter of fact im looking to get a 6th one.

Tim

There is a new dvd available about the history of engine #12.  This
is the same video that was shown at Railfan weekend in September.  The
title is called 12: Echoes Through the Ages. It cronicals the history
of this very famous steam engine from her humble beginnings on the
ET&WNC in 1917, to the Shenandoah Central and finally her career for
the last 50 years at Tweetsie.   The video is full of many  photos,
and some vintage film from the ET, Shenandoah and Tweetsie RR some
rarely seen before. DVD's can be purchased for $12.00 plus $3 for
shipping and handling.    If you have any questions or would like to
purchase a copy please contact me off the list at 12echoes@gmail.com

There is a new dvd available about the history of engine #12.  This
is the same video that was shown at Railfan weekend in September.  The
title is called 12: Echoes Through the Ages. It cronicals the history
of this very famous steam engine from her humble beginnings on the
ET&WNC in 1917, to the Shenandoah Central and finally her career for
the last 50 years at Tweetsie.   The video is full of many  photos,
and some vintage film from the ET, Shenandoah and Tweetsie RR some
rarely seen before. DVD's can be purchased for $12.00 plus $3 for
shipping and handling.    If you have any questions or would like to
purchase a copy please contact me off the list at 12echoes@gmail.com

I recently purchased a 2-8-0 for parts off of ebay, and found out it actually runs real well...but it has no tender.  So im having to use another tender from one of my other good engines.  Can you purchase a new undec tender from bachmann, and while im asking can you also get the plastic case with insert to hold the engine.   If anyone has a spare tender or plastic box, let me know maybe willing to trade something for it or work out reasonable price.

Tim

The tender on #12 is not original. The current tender tank was built around 1975.   Eng #11 was scrapped in 1952. The antiques will only be displayed for railfan weekend and then will be put away.

Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, NC will be having its 2007 railfan weekend on Sept 8 & 9. This is the 3rd year we have done an event for railfans. This years event will center around the 50th anniversary of the Tweetsie RR. Our historic ET&WNC #12 will be lettered in her original Tweetsie lettering scheme along with former EBT coach #5 will be hauling guests back to the 1950's to the early days of tweetsie before the cowboys and indians, all while former WP&Y #190 will be hauling guests on our wild west train ride adventure. On saturday night there will be a special doubleheader photo shoot with coach #5 on coupled to the back of the tweetsie train. Sunday morning will feature double header train rides til noon and at 1 #12 will once again haul guest around the mountain on coach #5 while 190 will continue to haul guests on our wild west train. On both days there will be many chances to take pictures of our trains in many places normally off limits to guests, train shop tours, cab rides, and a special museum full of many tweetsie antiques. You can get more info about the event on our website and you may also purchase tickets. The web address is www.tweetsie.com any other questions about the event can be directed to me via my email address.

thanks for the quick responce......ill be looking forward to getting one

Mr bachmann

I was looking through the new releases and have noticed you are producing a SRR 2-6-2....Im assuming this would mean Southern RR.  If it is could you give me a little insite on how this model is goin to look. Is it goin to be green or black? and how soon would it be before i might see this model on the market.

Thanks

tim