Greetin's, Man...
Some time ago, I wrote to you expressing my displeasure at the unavailability of anything but Southern gear on the undec. versions of the USRA Light 2-10-2. Indeed, on ANY version except for the two S.A.L.s While you guys evidently did not hear me, the guys over at Walthers evidently did. Voila! Any kind o' valve gear you might want or need in their new (...and gorgeous!)2-10-2.
So, fess up, Man. What the hecksa deal? It's a packaging issue!!! Stick black boiler on frame with little chinga-thing; stick black tender in box. Stick engine in box. Mail to ME. This is not hard stuff. Hell- charge ten bucks extra if it'll make you feel good. What it WOULD do is sell a pile o' 2-10-2s... unless all those freelance guys have bought Heavies...
Sheesh!
Agreed.
Listen up Bachmann, we want Baker gear as an option on the undecs.
It's not a packaging deal, nor is it a manufacturer error.
The original USRA light 2-10-2's were delivered equipped with Southern gear as original equipment. This may have applied to the heavy 2-10-2 as well.
Over their lives, some were changed and some were not. Later post war copies of the design, (which weren't affected by government design restrictions), were equipped with whatever valve gear the RR requested.
The New Haven Santa Fes were delivered by Alcowith Southern valve gear.
I believe there were some changes in that class'es lifetime, but the origonal delivery was with Southern.
Rich
Guys.
We know that many of the 2-10-2s were delivered with Southern, that's not our request.
If you read the original post carefully, you'll see we are asking for the UNDECs to have Baker gear as an option, we don't care about any other roadname or how the prototype was delievered.
Walther's supply the optional Baker gear on the UNDECs, we want the same service from Bachmann. The reason I haven't purchased any UNDEC 2-10-2s is due to them only being available with Southern gear.
Roger;
I am no business genius, but I think that if I were in Bachmann's shoes, and was weighing the profit potential of competing with someone like Walthers, who has already gotten there "fustest with the mostest", and the relatively small demand-and it is, all things considered-I might think twice-and thrice-before I divested myself of capitalization to jump into that arena. If Walthers will accomodate you in this spec, then why not go with Walthers?
Rich
Rich.
Walter's makes the heavy 2-10-2, Bachmann makes the light.
Making the light available with Baker gear would incure no additional expense. Just put the undec body on the chassis that they already use for the one model they make with Baker or, conversly, don't print any road name and numbers on a few thousand Baker bodies.
Good Point Roger;
It has always been my contention too, that too much emphasis is placed on roadnames per se; especially when there are probably more freelancers than anything. To me, Why not just make decals available?
While I don't get too messed up with valve gear, Roger has a real point. Since the Baker gear is already in place, making some unded with that is a good idea. Look what Bachmann did with the undec version of the light Mountain and the Ten Wheeler!
Gene