We seem to have focussed so much on when they will get here that we have forgotten the "big picture!" Guys, the long caboose is definitely here!! Okay, Japan got it first. So what? The important thing is Japan has got them!!! They're real! They DO exist and they will blow you away in their exquisite detailing!! I have never had so much fun "anticipating!!"

Bill,
  I can't answer for the three-truck but the two truck Shay is a good runner with one small exception, the power trucks have plastic in their gearing and the plastic is deteriorating to the point where most (if not all) of the early Shays will need to have them replaced! Now, the good news is that the new run of Shays (the 38-ton steel sided versions) have metal power trucks.
  Why is this good news when you are going to be the proud posessor of a 35-ton wood sided version? Simple. Bachmann has made the metal power trucks available to be purchased separately for retro-fitting to the earlier version and once they are the Shay is just as good as the later version! This is what I did and my Shay is better than new!!

  Where are they? On the way of course! I had a chance to look at the production model at the NGRC. I checked it over thoroughly and I can state unequivocably that this is going to be the nicest piece of rolling stock that Bachmann has ever produced by far!! (the engines are not included in this - I'm talking about the cars.) The wait will be worth it. Try to be patient.

  Ah Norman! That is what "kit bashing" is for!! There are aftermarket parts that can be purchased to do exactly what you want and David Fletcher's Masterclasses over on myLargescale.com run you through step-by-step on how to construct a Radley-Hunter stack. Also, Silvergate Distributor's had Radley-Hunter stacks for LGB Moguls at the recent NGRC in Denver last week! 

Okay, here goes: D&RGW #683! It's a C-28 standard gauge locomotive which is at the Colorado Railroad Museum and also happens to be the only standa rd gauge D&RGW steamer left on the planet!! It has beautiful lines (kind of an honorary narrow gauge) and would make a helluva model!

  I was at the NGRC this last week and I had a chance to examine both engines. Bachmann has a winner with these two!! It has been a long time since I was surprised at a show and immediately realized that I would be making another locomotive purchase (as soon as they are available!)
  Does the fact that SR&RL was a 2ft. line make it somehow less desirable? Not really! I loved the LGB Forneys even though I run D&RGW. How many of us re-letter the engines and rolling stock for our pikes? My road has a 10-wheeler that looks suspiciously like one that ran on the Tweetsie (imagine that!)
  Bachmann finally makes a design that we as a whole have been clamouring for and they (surprise!) make it in 1:20.3!! I can't imagine what posessed the designers to make an engine that was scaled the same as every other Spectrum offering....
  The one concern that I will totally agree with is on QC! Please, let's get it right from the beginning and have it beta-tested by a reliable third party before the engines are released to the public! (Enough said on this subject...)
  As to price, it does seem a bit steep at $1150 MSRP! I know that the street value will be about half of that but we are also in a nasty recession so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I know it's a tightrope that you have to walk on and you have my sympathy.
  Bottom line: Bachmann has made a beautiful locomotive, has made it in a scale that is compatible with my other rolling stock, has impressed the h*ll out of me and has made a sale (and possibly two!)

  I know it's frustrating to have to wait but boy! will the wait be worth it!! I saw the production sample pics at the BTS (courtesy of Large Scale on Line) and there is no doubt that the wait will be worth it!! 

Yep, I missed that one! Of course, it would be more helpful if the "official" Bachmann spokesman would confirm or deny this "mid-July" release date! Considering that many of us are gearing up for the BTS, the 25th NGRS, HAGRS as well as local club events and open houses, one would think that an update as to what month we can expect them wouldn't be too much to expect from Bachmann! It's been over six months since the original speculated release date as posted by Bachmann! I fully understand that the realities of production may force delays but if, as your source claims, the Long Caboose is due in about six weeks, then something should be known by Bachmann's marketing department! Respectfully, continued silence doesn't help our "anticipation!"

Interesting thread....kind of like the energizer bunny! Funny thing though, since this thread first was posted what has been announced? I'm going to go out on a limb and make a LS locomotive suggestion: any locomotive! Why not re-release the Indie or perhaps the Columbia upgraded with new gearing and more weight? The Climax has been out of production for almost 10 years now so it would be a good candidate. Heck, the 20th Anniversary of the Big Hauler is coming up! Now would be a great time to upgrade the tender (and add all of those DCC gizmos) which would bring the Big Hauler up to Spectrum standards in 1:22.5! Heck, I'm even ready for the Vulcan (Whooee! I never thought I'd hear myself say that!)

Hey B-Man!
  I hope your summer is starting off great! Speaking of summer and starting off..... what's the latest on the release of the Long Caboose? It's almost June and the crew of the Kansas Central & Colorado RR are getting "antsy" waiting for it! It seems they are tired of just running short "bobbers" and are really looking forward to those new long beauties! We are hosting the Wichita Area Garden Railway Society's June meeting on the third weekend and the railroad management was dearly hoping to have the new caboose for display and demonstration purposes. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Steve Stockham
CEO  KC&CRR

  One other thing to consider is that the "regular" stuff (1:22.5) has truck mounted couplers while the Spectrum cars (1:20.3) are body mounted. Bachmann makes an adapter coupler which comes with the Spectrum cars so that they can be run with "regular" rolling stock. It would also be relevant to know that the Anniversary 10-Wheeler's coupler on the back of the tender is set at truck mounted height. It is relatively easy to body mount a coupler to the tender of an Annie if you choose to go the 1:20.3 route. The Annie is a pretty highly detailed engine for the price so I wouldn't get rid of it!

What precisely are you talking about? The Bachmann passenger cars are J&S cars with open vestibules. If you are referring to the open type cars like are found on the Durango & Silverton, these are converted pipe gondolas and have already been modeled by LGB a long time ago. It would be helpful if you had a picture of the prototype or could at least give us a description of what you are referring to.

  Without any modifications other than exchanging couplers, I used the new Bachmann straight coupler and the height was perfect for 1:20.3 rolling stock. The coupler that comes with the engine is body mounted already and uses a variation of the "adaptor coupler" to lower the coupler height to that of truck mounted couplers.

The C-16 is scaled 1:24! It looks like a small engine in front of the 1:22.5 Bachmann passenger cars but not inappropriately so! The C-16 was a small engine anyway and the Bachmann cars are "dimensionally compressed" to a point where they don't look bad at all! I have one and I prefer running the Bachmann cars to the Delton ones (which are 1:24) as they look more like the prototype 3' narrow gauge cars they are modeled after.

Okay, I'll give it a try. The first thing to remember is DON'T pull on the wires!!! If one of them comes loose you'll have trouble! Now, with that being said, use your fingernail and lightly work it under the lip of the tab. As you have already experienced, it is rather snug. You will have to "wiggle" it out of the female connector. Don't worry too much about breaking anything as long as you stay with the white plastic male connector and don't pull on the wires! (Did I mention that you need to really be careful not to pull on the wires?) The connectors should work free with a pop. Give it a try and let us know how it goes. Good luck!