Cutting and pasting the poll results was a little messy, but of the 80+ respondents, 46 voted for a Heisler as the next desired On30 geared locomotive they wanted to see from Bachmann, accounting for 56% of the votes.
The next most popular choice was a three truck shay with 18 votes, accounting for 21% of the votes.
I know Mr. Riley and the Bachmann may be getting tired of this, but I hear the chant, we want a Heisler, we want a Heisler! ;D
Question
Of the following geared locomotives to choose from, which do you think needs to be the next On30 geared locomotive produced for sale?
Responses
Choices Votes % 1 reply
Heisler 46 56
Different Climax than one currently available 2 2
Dunkirk 9 10
3 truck shay 7 8
larger 2 truck shay 18 21
SPONSOR RESULTS
Personally Im a 3 truck shay person when it comes to loggers, but I think that the heisler is the one that needs to be produced. I think that there is engough votes on the heisler to get it made, and enough people willing to buy it. ;D
Rock On!
Dusten
Hey, what happened to the Mason Bogie! :o
Royce Wilson
Royce
Last time I looked Mason-Bogies were not geared locos! The poll was confined to geared locos so it says nothing about the popularity of geared locos vs others.
Hardly surprising that the Heisler should be the most popular geared loco request given Bachmann's existing Climax and Shay and that a 3 truck Shay was announced by another manufacturer. I rather like the idea of a class A Climax, but if I were Bachmann and making another geared loco my choice would be a Heisler.
Hamish
Sorry ;D should have read before I typed...thanks Hamish.
Royce Wilson
If there were to be another geard locomotive made my choice would be a three truck climax. I have always been a fan of the climax and a three truck one would fit my prefernce for larger motive power.
Lots of loggers like the four truck Shay and the Climax could be produced. An old time Climax would be interesting.. How about the 2-4-4-2 or 2-6-6-2 for a rod engine but then I digress....
The Old Fardt in Oregun
If you desire a three truck Climax, visit Backwoods Miniatures website. They sell a kit to convert the current Bachmann Climax into a three truck Climax.
I do not recall the price, but I have assembled several Backwoods Miniatures kits and ALL of them were top notch. I am confident the same is true of this kit.
It would be interesting to do a survey for rod locos too. I went through a list of wheel arrangements for narrow-gauge locos, and there are several that have not been produced yet.
By the way, I like the idea of a Heisler. I have no interest in one personally, but after the new 4-4-0 and the 4-6-0, my train budget needs a break.
Manager
While I agree that a Heisler would be a good addition in the next five or six years, and that a survey of rod locomotives would be worthwhile, why limit the survey of potential new motive power to steam locomotives? Two-, three- and four-axle "critters" are always popular, and Bachmann already has the GE 44-ton, 45-ton and 70-ton HO mechanisms. Or for something larger, Terratransport (Newfoundland) and White Pass & Yukon operated six-axle diesels well into the 1980's. Looking beyond internal combustion, how about straight electrics? My introduction to anything narrow gauge was a intra-plant tramway using former mine electric motors (two axle). I'm sure that Bachmann is always looking for accessories and add-ons as well as trains, so a simple "plug and play" catenary or single-wire trolley system would be a plus with a line of steeplecab electrics and Birney-style trolleys.
gmhtrains
Quote from: ksivils on October 21, 2008, 10:38:19 AM
If you desire a three truck Climax, visit Backwoods Miniatures website. They sell a kit to convert the current Bachmann Climax into a three truck Climax.
I do not recall the price, but I have assembled several Backwoods Miniatures kits and ALL of them were top notch. I am confident the same is true of this kit.
Have you put this kit together? I don't have a lot of skills so I would not want to buy it and not be able to put it together.
Quote from: gmhtrains on October 21, 2008, 03:37:24 PM
While I agree that a Heisler would be a good addition in the next five or six years, and that a survey of rod locomotives would be worthwhile, why limit the survey of potential new motive power to steam locomotives? Two-, three- and four-axle "critters" are always popular, and Bachmann already has the GE 44-ton, 45-ton and 70-ton HO mechanisms. Or for something larger, Terratransport (Newfoundland) and White Pass & Yukon operated six-axle diesels well into the 1980's. Looking beyond internal combustion, how about straight electrics? My introduction to anything narrow gauge was a intra-plant tramway using former mine electric motors (two axle). I'm sure that Bachmann is always looking for accessories and add-ons as well as trains, so a simple "plug and play" catenary or single-wire trolley system would be a plus with a line of steeplecab electrics and Birney-style trolleys.
gmhtrains
It would be nice to get a ready made "critter", I know I could use a switcher. I think that the electric locomotives would be very neat, however because of the fact that they need cantenary to look proper and most of us don't have this its sales would probaly be pretty low.
I'm still scratching my head as to why we got two 4-4-0's back to back. There were calls for a standard 4-4-0 like the Eureka or like the Disney engine, but as far as I know, nobody was begging for a Mt. Gretna engine, or a South American export engine. I think Bachmann would have been far further ahead to have made a heisler and a 2-6-2 tank engine instead.
Quote from: finderskeepers on October 22, 2008, 01:36:22 PM
I'm still scratching my head as to why we got two 4-4-0's back to back. There were calls for a standard 4-4-0 like the Eureka or like the Disney engine, but as far as I know, nobody was begging for a Mt. Gretna engine, or a South American export engine.
Actually I recall requests on this board for both the Mt Gretna locos and for the Brazilian locos, while there certainly were requests for larger locos such as the Eureka there were also requests for a small 4-4-0.
To return to the topic - with so many new rod locos out it probably is time for the next loco to be a geared loco.
Hamish
I think that was my point Hamish, one of the 4-4-0s should have been a heisler.
(http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/northern_redwood_lbr_25.jpg)
Classic lines of a heisler, this is what I'd like to see
(http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images/us_army_signal_corps_1.jpg)
An On30 version of the U.S. Signal Corps Heisler would be a dream! The only possible way to improve it, and then only possibly, would be a cabbage stack!
I vote for this Heisler!
Oh , oh, oh !!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I'm in love. !!!!! Yes, yes please!!!!
Yup that looks like a Heisler I could use but I'm still not going to hold my breath waiting indefinitely for the engine.
Some day, maybe I'll have one or two...
The oldfardt in Oregun
That does not really look like something that I would want. Not trying to stir it up( well maby just a little ;D) but I would really like something more like a West Side Locomotive.
I like the look of the two pictures posted and the idea of a west side one. So im really not fussed. Because im that desperate!
But surely if a Heisler is going to come out in 2009 or 2010. Bachmann must have desided what type it was going to be quite a wile ago.
I really hope it isnt like the G scale one. Hate the counterweights on that.
But I may be in luck because the On30 shay and climax dont look like the G scale ones...
Also,I was thinking, that a really cool one would be the one that they have at Sumpter Valley.
max
not all the G scale versions have the counterweights
That is true... But im not sure about the proportions eather.
I hear the ten wheelers are coming in all sorts of schemes like the g-scale ones. If the heisler is to be like the G-scale ones I would bet there would be one with counter weights and the other with none. ;) Its a win win....Hopefully ;D
Rock ON!
Dusten
One of the Bachmann Large Scale Heislers, with outside counterweights, is for Lukens Steel. Lukens Steel had 2 Heislers - for 30 inch gauge! How close they were to the Bachmann LS model I don't know - the outside counterweights seems quite likely for a 30 inch gauge locomotive. In any case I agree with Dusten, it would be nice if Bachmann made both versions (assuming they make a Heisler at all that is).
Hamish