Hey Mr. Bach Man,
Take a look at the latest issue of Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette (July/August 2008). There is an article "Along the Narrow Gauge - Thirty-Inch Gauge Railroads - Hawaiian Plantation Lines" that has an excellent picture of a Outside Frame 30 Inch 2-6-2T. Since this is a prototype 30 inch gauge engine, I think this would be a swell addition to your line of On30. ;D What do you think?
Thanks.
Mark
Dear Lurch,
I like it.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
For those of us without ready access to the NG&SL gazette, at least not yet (they can take some time to get to Australia) could some-one please give some details of this loco? E.G. who ran it, size, builder etc.
I think that a larger than the Porters conventional (i.e. not Forney, articulated or geared) tank locomotive would be a good addition to the Bachmann range and fill a gap in many a roster (including mine). Living in Australia I would love the "Puffing Billy" NA class Baldwin 2-6-2 side tanks, but I don't expect Bachmann to make those even though they were Baldwin export locos. A Hawaiian 30 inch gauge loco seems like a logical choice.
Hamish
Hamish,
I'll try to scan a copy of the builders photo tomorrow (Sunday) and send it to you. Email me so I can get your email address at ebay@boomersjunction.com
Mark
Now that I have seen a photo of this locomotive - please make it Bachmann - please!
Hamish
Mr. Bach Man,
Now that I've seen the Baldwin export 2-6-2T NA class locomotives that were sent down under, you could make these as well! And they are 30 inch gauge. They are almost identical cousins to the Hawaiian locomotives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PuffingBillySteamLocomotive.jpg
Mark
Aloha!
Possibly a better candidate is a Kauai outside frame 0-6-2 saddletank -- three 30-inch gauge engines still exist at the Grove Farm plantation (2 operational!), and similar 3-foot gauge 18-ton "Bulldog Baldwins" are being restored for the new Kauai Plantation Railway. It should be easy to obtain documentation on these locomotives, and they would be a welcome addition to Bachmann's engine roster.
http://starbulletin.com/2000/07/08/news/story4.html
http://www.trykauai.com/KauaiPlantationRailway.html
On a similar subject, at the National Train Show I once again pressed Mr. Lee Riley and the Bach-man for a three-pack of 4-wheel sugar cane cars, similar to their boxed sets of mining and logging cars. The end bulkheads could be removable, so the sugar cane cars can also be used as "shorty" flatcars. Some cars from the Oahu Railway & Land Co. were once on display at Travel Town (Griffith Park, Los Angeles), but I don't know their current condition or location. I'm impressed with Bachmann's recent resin castings (wood fuel loads, pulpwood cargo, etc.), and removable resin sugar cane and sugar bag loads would be nice extras for the set. Sugar plantations were a major industry served by narrow gauge railroads, but so far Bachmann hasn't touched this subject.
And if Bachmann produces Hawaiian narrow gauge, why not a relabeled gondola car with a resin pineapple load for the Dole cannery?
Mahalo,
David
I read that the Wailuku Sugar Company P.C. Jones (The 2-6-2 Tank loco pictured in the Gazette) was converted to a tankless 0-6-2 and had a 4-wheel tender added. I would seem to me that Bachmann could make a basic version with various possibilities easily enough.
Do you know why they converted these to 0-6-2, and then later ordered them built as 0-6-2s? Was the pilot truck derailing on the temporary tracks? Were they too heavy with the saddle tanks? Just curious.
Thanks.
Mark
Personally, my preference would be for the 36inch gauge Baldwin Bulldog prototype, designed to allow conversion to On3. Again, as these become operable, it seems possible that there will be a lot more interest in these as mass marketed things that visitors want to take home as a memento after riding behind the prototype.
My guess about the pilot truck is that because all of the prototypes operated at very slow speeds, there was not as much need for a pilot truck as there was a need for the trailing truck to carry the weight of the firebox and fuel bunker. Porter's 0-4-2T wasn't a 2-4-2T that had problems derailing, it was the need to put a larger fuel supply on what otherwise would be an 0-4-0T. On the temporary track in the cane fields, I would bet the train speeds were rather slow, probably not much above a walking pace. On the main line to the sugar mill, I suspect these little locos didn't exceed fifteen miles per hour.
Charlie Mutschler
-30-
"Puffing Billy' railway near Melbourne, Australia gets up to quarter of a million passengers a year. The main locomotives are the NA 2-6-2 tanks, similar to the Hawaiian 2-6-2 side tank. So their are plenty of people who might want a "Puffing Billy" souvenir!
There are detailed differences between the two locomotives, NAs have a running board beneath the tanks, outside bearing from pony truck, are coal fired and seem to have a larger cab compared to the Hawaian loco. Should be easy enough to make versions for both using the same basic moulds.
Hamish
my preference would be for the 36inch gauge Baldwin Bulldog prototype, designed to allow conversion to On3.
I'm fine with that, but I believe the "Bulldog Baldwins" were all delivered as 0-6-2, and I'd like the option of easily making it a 2-6-2T. Its just my preference to have a leading truck on my steam engines. And others out there would like to see an easy conversion and/or multiple option model that could be made into a "Puffing Billy."
Mr Bach Man, let's get going on this. ;) Does anyone have any drawings? ;D
Mark
I have bumped this thread up as a result of recent posts on other threads mentioning the Australian Puffing Billy 2-6-2ts. Note that there was a hawaii 2-6-2t locomotive similar to the Puffing Billy Australian locomotives although with detailed differences. Also the Grove Farm 0-6-2s appear to be saddle tank versions, otherwise pretty similar. The Kauai 36 inch gauge 0-6--2 saddle tanks seem to be a bit smaller (18 tons against 28t).
Should be some scope here for Bachmann to make several variations on one basic locomotive. Basic loco would not be that far away from an OF 2-6-2 tender either, although the Sandy River locos are a little smaller than the Puffing Billy locos.
Hamish
Also mentioned have been the WW1 locos, both the Baldwin 4-6-0ts (British Army) and the 2-6-2ts (ALCO for the British Army and modified versions by various makers for the USA Army). These locos were inside frame and smaller that the OF locos mentioned above, so could not b made as variations of the other locos.
As I mentioned before - a Puffing Billy loco and/or one of the Hawaii types would bea very welcome loco.
A 2-6-2 of 0-6-0 Inside Frame tank locomotive would be very nice. I would like to see one with with rounded tanks (maby like the G-scale Aristo Craft Rogers only with a different wheel arangement and no tender).
Folks, it´s just a rumour, but I have heard that the Bachmann Folks had been visiting the Kauai engines before they went to the Repair Shop, just to take measurements.
So, this sounds like they had a appointment with Boone Morrison...??!?!
Has not been mentioned in the NG Gazette, but I heard about this more than a year ago...
Well, would be a cool thing to have, but a Puffing Billy Type would be something I would love to see, sure!!!!!
Regards, Tom ;)
I keep thinking that when the movie "Australia" devues here then there will be more intrest in the Puffing Billy.
can't figure why the Aussie lines don't get more attention. they have some of the finest narrow gauge modelers in the world!
Royce Wilson
I own a Backwoods 2-6-2T saddle tank engine, a nice RTR model which is based on a Bachmann H0 drive. The loco stalls on grade crossings, as the wheel diameter is very low, and part of the gear reaches down between the rails. The engine really sits on the crossings.
Mr. B.: If you ever do a 2-6-2T in 0n30, please avoid this problem.
Kind Regards
Dieter Steinke
Hello Everyone
I would have to agree with Royce Australia has such a hugh and varied selection of Narrow gauge all of which could be seen amost on any train.
The hawiian 2-6-2ts or our beloved Na's all would make a grand addition to your range,and I think every one would be surprised at how well they would sell(http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee360/aussie30inch/IMG_5446.jpg)
Geoff aussie30inch
Mr Bachmann,
Through discussions on the On30 Conspiracy list on Brazilian narrow gauge, one member (Ken Clark) came up with this information:
QuoteThe #10 was a Baldwin SN "40675" OF 2-6-2 built in 1913, sister engine #14 SN "40764" operated without a tender.
Searching on the serial number I found this site:
http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/17/Overseas_7.htm
Specifically, this engine looks to be a close relative to the Puffing Billy.
(http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/17/Perus_10.jpg)
Between these two locomotives, the Hawaiian 30" OF 2-6-2, the kit bashing possibilities (e.g., SR&RL #23, a 2 foot OF 2-6-2 with tender, Baldwin Bulldog 0-6-2T)), I think you'd have a winner here.
Mark
I agree!!!
While waiting for Bachmann to overcome its geared toothing aches and to deliver the long claimed Heisler, this 2-6-2T would fill the industrial engine gap between the Porters and the Conny. ;D
Kind Regards Dieter
Good Evening All,
Since this thread started by mentioning trains in Hawaii, I thought I would recommend a series of soft backed books called Hawaiian Railway Album by Gale E. Treiber, with photos by Victor Norton, Jr., stationed in the islands during WWII. There are four books total and the pix are great, showing many different engines in 3 ft gauge. One of my favorites is an 0-6-0 with outside frame and sloped back tender. I think that would be a GREAT engine to have in On30.
One of the other nice things about this series of books is the rolling stock and structures used by those railroads.
And now those books are available as a single hardback book. I got it for Christmas. I agree, there are many great outside frame engines in that book. I like the 4-6-0 outside frame on the cover of my book. Awesome stuff!