Be interesting to see what conversion they suggest - my 2-6-6-2T is the only loco I'm currently running that is NOT Kadee equipped (even my live-steamers have Kadees mounted), been scratching my head a bit about exactly how to go about it.    Peter, if they do get back to you, please post their suggested conversion here.       Tom

--Then here's a REALLY "Large-Scale" one available! 

http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/45_ton_ge_center_cab.htm

                                                                                                Tom

You didn't mention what time period you were modeling, but especially with your other industries listed, logging would be a natural choice for West VA.    (Especially with Cass Scenic RR  virtually in your "back yard"!).     Bachmann makes some beautiful Shay models of the Cass locos (including, I believe, under some of the road names of Cass's predecessor RR's), so that would be a logical choice if you're modelling say 1920's ~ early 1960's.  If you're modeling present day, have Cass as a connecting tourist railroad.       Tom

I just noticed that you did give the speaker size at least (3/4" in), so I'm going to guess you're talking an HO loco.  The more of the speaker cone area you can expose, the greater your sound output will be.  For mounting, if the loco does not have built-in speaker mounting provisions, hot glue or silicone rubber applied carefully around the speaker perimeter should hold it in place.      I'll also second a lot of Jim's comments - but again, telling us what type of loco it's going in may also get you better info.  Tom

A few more details would help with recommendations - for starters, what scale   N, HO, O, Large Scale   - & what type of loco are you installing it in (small early steam loco, large modern (late 1920's ~ 1940 era) steam loco, diesel)   MUCH easier  to install a speaker in a Large Scale loco  (in fact, most Bachmann large-scale locos have speaker mounting provisions built-in) than an N-scale model.       

                                                                                                  Tom

QuoteThe Bachmann booth also had one of those large scale, articulated, saddle-tank locos on display.  What a beautiful beast!  Made me start searching my pockets for a spare $1200.  Wow!

Regards,

Jonathan

Jonathan, if you shop around a bit, you'll find it for considerably less than $1200.   

I picked one up at the York TCA meet last fall (along with the new finescale caboose - a real work of art! ).

Here they both are in action - I installed a QSI sound decoder in the Mallet for both sound and DCC operation :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXljrPCP8V8

                                                                                           Tom

Looking forward to seeing Mr. B. at the Amhearst Railway Society show in Springfield, MA.  next weekend.      Tom

I'll second ND's comment  about a wrist strap, Kevin.  I work in electronic manufacturing (VERY "high-end" computer equipment), & the use of wrist & heel straps (they slip over the heel of your shoes, with a band that goes around your ankle or in your sock) are a company requirement.  The wrist & heel straps also have to be tested on a daily basis (they do eventually wear out or go bad).  Modern semiconductors (transistors, IC's, LED's) operate on very low voltages and can be damaged by voltages as low as 20 volts.  When you walk across a carpeted floor, slide across a car seat, pick up a styrofoam coffee cup, or even pet your cat or dog, it is easy (especially in a dry climate) to generate static electric charges of 2000 ~ 3000 volts!   When I first started working in the electronic manufacturing field (for a totally different company than the one I currently work for), it took some time to get use to the heel / wrist strap bit; since I date back to working on vacuum tube equipment  (where normal operating voltages were typically 150 ~250 volts, (or higher!), I remembered joking to my supervisor, "You know, I can remember when I used to worry about getting shocks OUT of electronic equipment, rather than putting shocks INTO it!"                                                                                                    

                                                                                                Tom

Just put around 6 ~ 12 drops of smoke fluid down the stack (Do NOT overfill the smoke unit!).  There's also an on/off switch for the smoke unit behind the smokebox door on the front of the loco; there is a small latch at about the 10 o'clock position on the door (looking at it from the front of the loco), swing it aside to allow you to open the door.  Turn the smoke unit OFF if you run out of fluid (or don't want to run with smoke), the smoke unit may burn out otherwise.     Tom

Thanks for the nice comments, guys!

- & Chuck, in answer to your question - the 2 hopper cars, boxcar, & long caboose are all Bachmann 1:20.3 finescale models.   The other 3 cars in the train (the 2 Rio Grande long gondolas & the flatcar) are Accucraft / AMS 1:20.3 models.  The detail levels on the Bachmann models are stunning - ESPECIALLY on the caboose!    I've also found the Bachmann models to track a bit better (although that may partially be a wheel profile issue - the AMS cars have somewhat more finescale wheel flanges) & roll easier.  The Bachmann freight cars will take large-scale Kadee's as direct "drop-in" replacements to the draft gear boxes.  A side note - I haven't yet converted either the Mallet or the long caboose to Kadees - the Mallet mainly because I haven't decided exactly what Kadees to use on it - & the caboose because the stock Bachmann couplers have improved dramatically over the years  (& the working cut levers are nice, too!                    Tom

Just posted my own "review"  of the Large-Scale Mallet on Mylargescale.com; here's the direcrtlink to it:

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/17/aft/113029/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Here's a few pictures of it lettered for my "Watuppa Railway" 













& the direct link to my YouTube video of it in operation (with a QSI Large-Scale sound decoder installed): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXljrPCP8V8

Enjoy!          Tom                                                                                               

Hi, Mr. Bach-man!

-For the first time in about 20 years (!) , I hope to make it down to the York TCA Meet next week (even managed to get myself a seller's table, Silver Hall, C-33  ).  I noticed by the event calendar that Bachmann's going to be displaying down there; will you be displaying items besides the Williams O-gauge tinplate line?  I'm also curious to know if there are likely to be many Bachmann Large-Scale dealers there as well.  (One of the 82899 2-6-6-2T Logging Mallets  is at the top of my shopping list  - with one of the 88799 Long Cabooses in 2nd place, the new 1:20.3 log skidder in 3rd....  (you get my drift!).    Look forward to seeing you down there!

                                                                                        Tom Lapointe

                                                                                                   

My mistake, (on them being made in On30) Erik; now that I think about it, the ones I saw at the Bachmann display at the Amherst Ry. Show last January were the HO ones.

Price sounds VERY reasonable!    Mr. B., any idea when these will be available   (Now I really have a reason to get that logging branch on the garden railway completed this summer!                 Tom

GREAT  to see the 0n30 skidder being produced in 1:20.3!    I'll also probably buy 1 or 2 of the skidders - have an Accucraft 1:20.3 flat that needs a load.  Considering the number of Shays & skeleton log cars Bachmann has sold over the years, these should sell terrifically.  Any idea what the price will be yet?                                                                     Tom                                               

The first of my 2 large-scale 4-4-0's collided with the rear end of it's own train when the last coach of the 3 car passenger train it was pulling split a switch on a siding where my Accucraft live-steam Shay happened to be parked; as far as the coach as concerned, the live-steam Shay was an "immovable object"  ;it stopped the coach dead, causing it to uncouple from the rest of the train.  At the time, my garden railroad was in the early stages of construction, with only a small loop operational.  The 4-4-0 quickly made it around the loop (naturally, just as I had stepped back in the house for a minute!) & collided with the rear coach, which was derailed 45 degrees across the mainline; the long pilot of the 4-4-0, plus the derailed angle of the coach, sent the 4-4-0 off the rails & off the side of my elevated trackwork (@ 2 feet off the ground).  I stepped back out of the house just in time to hear the crash  ; it looked like a real train wreck, with the stack & smokebox front off the 4-4-0, & 1 wheelset out of the tender.    Happily, it looked a lot worse than it actually was  ; most of the loose parts snapped back in place, & the loco survived the wreck with no mechanical damage.       Tom