;DGREETINGS!! Someone please tell me the approximate age/make of a POCHER 4-4-0 GENOA engine and tender ???. This one, you know, has the engine in the tender, with a "driveshaft". ;)
THANX!!
8) Ernie
Hi Ernie. Pocher made engines and rolling stock for lots of companies. If I had to guess, I would say you have a Rivarossi branded locomotive. I'm not sure, but I doubt that Pocher made locomotives for Bachmann - although they also had "tender drive" (although the Bachmann old timers sure do resemble, in almost every detail, the Pocher products). Given the small size of a mid-19th century American locomotive, tender drive was all that was possible. I had an old Gem brass American 4-4-0 (Japanese) that also had tender drive...further proving the point.
These locomotives were made for years so determining the actual age of yours would be difficult. Both of my Rivarossi engines date from the early 1980s. BTW: while these are nice engines, they don't run worth a darn. The Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut R.R. has retired the old Americans and pulls revenue with two Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0s (we pretend they aren't models of early 20th century locomotives) - which are excellent runners.
I'm sorry I can't be more specific with your engine. My Pocher Americans are relegated to gracing display shelves in our den. They cannot be converted to DCC - and there isn't any room to install a sound decoder. This is really a shame as they are nice looking engines.
Regards,
Ray
Sometimes with these models, you can get an approximate age by looking at some of the more subtle details. I got my first Genoa when I was still a kid, back in the 1970s. I've had several over the years. With the Genoa, if the engine has a little wire thingie connecting the "whistle," on top of the dome nearest the cab, to a little nubbin-like thing on the cab roof, the model is "late," probably made in the 1990s.
Earlier versions of the Genoa did not have this feature, which I suppose is to represent the activator level for the whistle. I always thought that was kind of dumb, because the model of the Reno, the Genoa's sister engine, essentially the same locomotive with a different finish and different details (for example, the smokestack), always had this little lever.
I somewhat disagree with Ray's comments that these engines "don't run worth a darn." While I have had one Genoa that I would say didn't run worth a darn because she had only two speeds, fast and stop, late (ca. 1990s) versions of these models, which were packaged by Rivarossi in a red box, are beautiful runners. At least mine are.
In fact, I actually bought a slightly damaged but mechanically sound late-version Reno on eBay just so I could mount the superstructure of an IHC Central Pacific Jupiter--which didn't run at all, much less not worth a darn--on the Reno running gear. This worked, and I know have a beautifully running Jupiter.
Wow Jeff...you have good eyesight! My Genoa doesn't have the little thingie on the whistle so it must be an earlier version. It's OK to disagree with me (I do it all the time) - and maybe I have published a false memory - as I haven't run anything, like a DC American, in years (N.D.& C. is totally DCC).
I do like the Pocher old time cars and try to buy one whenever they are available. The under car detail is great and the cars are quite nice (even nicer with new metal wheels, mag. couplers, painting/decorating/distressing/weathering). With the lack of new 19th century rolling stock (Roundhouse products are really early 20th century) we have to make due with older Pocher, Rivarossi, Bachmann and Mantua. Guys, I would "dance in the street" if Bachmann, or someone, would produce one of these old woodburners with DCC and sound. Honestly, I just don't think there is enough room for a decoder and speaker (given the fact that the electrical motor is in the tender)...although there are some very clever engineers out there. Say...with a little tweaking the Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0s could be converted to woodburners (OK, they are a larger engine than most of the woodburners of the 1850s; but what the hey).
Ray
Don't know about sound, but there was an article in RMC recently about upgrades to an IHC 4-4-0 including a new motor (still in the tender) and DCC decoder. That, along with new pickups, made it a great runner, according to the author.
FWIW, I have an AHM Genoa from the late 1970s. It was my first steamer ... well, actually the second, if you count the Tyco 4-8-0 that had to be returned because its wheelbase was too long for train-set curves. The Genoa survived a couple of "runaways" off the end of my train table that messed up the cowcatcher.
Regarding the old-time Italian made Baldwin 4-4-0s, I think the Pocher name is generally associated with those models that had a metal frame. These were made up until the early 1970's. From a USA perspective, the 4-4-0s were "made by Rivarossi for AHM" after being retooled with an all-plastic frame and plastic domes. A photo would be most helpful in determining the vintage of a particular model.
;DGREETINGS!! I think the GENOA about which this discussion was begun has the metal frame. I know that it has a metal plate on the bottom with a space cut out through which the drive gear portrudes. ;) I'm not sure about the "thingie", but it does have a small rod coming out of the center dome and going down just in front of the front drive wheel on each side. ???
I do apologize that my camera is not working, so I can't provide the desired picture! Perhaps soon...!! :o
BTW, THANK YOU ALL for your helpful comments and thoughts concerning this engine. :D If I ever get my track up and running, I'll find out if it does, but until then, at least it's a great piece to look at!! ::)
THANX!!
8) Ernie
The Rivarossi 4-4-0s can be made to run very well. They need a quality motor and the factory electrical pickups need to be properly maintained. Additional pickups might help, but simply replacing the motor will make the greatest performance improvement. I have an AHM-vintage 4-4-0 with a Sagami motor that runs like a Kato diesel.
When I said a metal vs plastic frame can help determine the vintage of a Pocher or Rivarossi 4-4-0, I was referring to the actual frame - not the cover plate which is metal on all models.
;D GREETINGS!! ???Now that you have clarified more your definition of a "metal frame", I'm not really sure that I have it! :-[ As I look behind the drive wheels, I see what looks like a metal frame. ;) It seems to me that what is metal and what may be plastic look so much alike that it is difficult to determine without actually taking the thing apart :P, which I choose not to do at this time! :)
THANX!!
8) Ernie
Quote from: bevernie on April 06, 2009, 09:51:52 PM
;DGREETINGS!! I think the GENOA about which this discussion was begun has the metal frame. I know that it has a metal plate on the bottom with a space cut out through which the drive gear portrudes. ;) I'm not sure about the "thingie", but it does have a small rod coming out of the center dome and going down just in front of the front drive wheel on each side. ???
Hi, Ernie,
Those "rod" things would represent the pipes that carried sand from the sand dome (the center dome) to the rail in front of the driving wheels for traction on slippery rail.
Jeff
Quote from: CNE Runner on April 06, 2009, 03:00:50 PM
Wow Jeff...you have good eyesight! My Genoa doesn't have the little thingie on the whistle so it must be an earlier version. It's OK to disagree with me (I do it all the time) - and maybe I have published a false memory - as I haven't run anything, like a DC American, in years (N.D.& C. is totally DCC).
Nah, just long experience of these models, and close study of the changes over the years. I believe the engines even "grew," or got slightly larger, perhaps after Pocher stopped making them for Rivarossi for AHM. The construction changed, too. The earliest Genoa and Reno that I had back in the 1970s had the boiler and cab as "one piece." In the late versions, the smoke box, the cab, and the boiler above the running boards are separate from the boiler below the running boards (!).
I figured, too, that the engines released by IHC were probably being manufactured by the same people/plant that made the later AHM versions, and I gambled that the tooling was the same as for the Rivarossi engines. I was correct, which is why, I suppose, I could mount an IHC Jupiter superstructure on the running gear of a Rivarossi Reno.
QuoteI do like the Pocher old time cars and try to buy one whenever they are available. The under car detail is great and the cars are quite nice (even nicer with new metal wheels, mag. couplers, painting/decorating/distressing/weathering). With the lack of new 19th century rolling stock (Roundhouse products are really early 20th century) we have to make due with older Pocher, Rivarossi, Bachmann and Mantua.
One thing that bothered me about the early/19760s-1970s Pocher passenger cars is: no "smoke jacks" on the roof for any "car stoves." The later versions (including the full baggage car), which have "ducktail roofs," are very fine models of the Kimball cars built for the Virginia & Truckee in 1872, but they do look very early. Of course, the V&T ran those cars into the 1930s, until they were sold to the movies, but it would be nice to have some passenger rolling stock the length of those cars (work good on tight curves), with the detail of those cars, but with more of an 1890s styling.
QuoteGuys, I would "dance in the street" if Bachmann, or someone, would produce one of these old woodburners with DCC and sound. Honestly, I just don't think there is enough room for a decoder and speaker (given the fact that the electrical motor is in the tender)...although there are some very clever engineers out there. Say...with a little tweaking the Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0s could be converted to woodburners (OK, they are a larger engine than most of the woodburners of the 1850s; but what the hey).
Ray
Well, my Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 came with a wood load for the tender, now all we need's the stack. ... :D
Say Jeff, check out the thread "Headlamp for 4-4-0" on which RichG posted (in the HO section of the forum). He took the Richmond 4-4-0 (definitely an early 20th century American BTW) and added an oil headlamp. This guy does amazing work and I only wish he would consider replacing my headlights (I have two Richmonds). Unfortunately the backdating doesn't end there as the Richmonds have a steam driven electrical generator ahead of the cab (which could be cut off, filled and repainted over). The stance of this engine is also considerably different than 19th century editions...but what are we to do? Changing the stack would be fairly easy - and you are correct in saying that you can use the wood load in the tender (wood wouldn't burn too well in a straight stack however). Ditto the smoke jacks on the Pocher passenger cars as they are readily available from several sources. When I remake a Pocher, Mantua or Bachmann car, I always remove that tree stump of a brake staff and replace it with a brass wire unit...the same could be done here.
The Bachmann old time gondola can be "remade" into a nice car by replacing the brake staff, replacing the trucks (or cutting off the couplers and replacing the plastic wheels with Kadee ribbed-back units), repainting and redecorating with dry transfers or decals. Additionally, judicious use of a file and Xacto knife can "distress" the "wooden" sideboards to show wear (remember in the 19th century these cars were loaded and unloaded by hand). Some weathering and magnetic couplers will result in a very nice looking car that closely approximates typical multi-purpose cars of the 1880s. Those of you with the desire, and steady hands, could replace the cast-on stirrups with brass wire. In other words, where there is a will - there is a way...to make a purse out of a sow's ear.
Ray
Another issue I consider big is the air pump. I have many photos of late 1800s locos and the air pumps are on the right side, not the left side. I have never found any information or even speculation concerning the air pump locations for the TOC, i.e. moving to the left side. I am sure there are "opinons".
Even Roundhouse locos which I believe some say are 1885 locos have the pump on the left side. My opinion is, the Roundhouse locos are 1885 locos updated maybe around 1905. No doubt this will lead to more discussion.
I would not want to modify another Spectrum 4-4-0. The edges of the smoke box front are very fragile. Mine has a little damage at the bottom where I started to pry it loose. The damage is pretty much hidden. The front is a tight fit.
Rich
Rich - I meant what I posted above: your headlamp replacement is outstanding. Just that one modification completely changed the "feel" of the engine...bravo! I wish I had half your skill.
Now on to the air pump location. I have a fairly extensive collection of mid to late 1800s reference material (photographs, books, manuals, etc); so it was interesting to put your theory to the test. If I restrict myself to the prototype Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR, as well as one of its predecessors the Dutchess & Columbia RR, I found the following:
Engine Name/# Manufacturer Erection Date Location of pump
Washington......................Breese, Kneeland & Co............1856.................................right
ND&C #5..................................Brooks..............................1873.................................left
General Schultze...........................?............................purchased 1873.....................right
ND&C #6..................................Brooks..............................1873.................................right
Not to leave a stone unturned, I went to a definitive source A Locomotive Engineer's Album by George B. Abdill (1965) and randomly selected 10 American 4-4-0 pictures. The results were: 8 showed the air pump on the right (usually immediately ahead of the lead driver on that side), 1 could not be determined, and the remaining picture showed the pump on the left...but higher on the boiler. A check of my 1897 copy of The American Railway included a drawing that places the air pump on the right-hand side of the boiler - above the running board (Fig. 11, pg. 111).
It seems, therefore, that you are correct - or should I say correct most of the time. I would assume pump placement was the result of builder's choice, customer requirement, or later modification rather than any wholesale choice by the locomotive industry. So, if the air pump is on the side you are not happy with; tell your public that it was a road-specific modification...and refer to Yampa Bob's Three Rules for his model railroad.
Ray
Actually, I only have two written "rules". The third rule is only evoked if people don't understand the first two. I'll leave it up to your imagination. 8)
Good morning Bob. I guess I misunderstood the number of operating rules you came up with. Mine are similar to yours:
1. It is MY railroad in MY little world.
2. Not everything HAS to be prototypical.
3. If you don't like the second rule...see the first one!
I have found that this advertisement of intent has kept at bay those that find it necessary to rivet count. There is no way, in the space I have available, that I could do justice to any part of the prototype Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR. Therefore one takes artistic (I like that word...even if I ain't one) license.
Ray
Quote from: CNE Runner on April 07, 2009, 01:11:38 PM
Say Jeff, check out the thread "Headlamp for 4-4-0" on which RichG posted (in the HO section of the forum). He took the Richmond 4-4-0 (definitely an early 20th century American BTW) and added an oil headlamp.
Yes, I saw that, thanks! :) And kudos to RichG for the accomplishment.
Anybody know off-hand when electric headlights began to be applied to locomotives? I'm betting somebody on this forum knows. ... ;D
If you want to see some odd-looking engines, hunt up pictures of Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives taken in the 1910s. I've never researched this, but it appears that the so-called "Standard Railroad of the World" was still using box-shaped coal-oil headlights on its engines until, perhaps, sometime around World War I. A Pacific with a box headlight just doesn't look right.
I could make the same complaint about MDC/Roundhouse Overton passenger equipment as I did about the older Pocher/Rivarossi/AHM cars, no smoke jacks for the car stoves. Fortunately, the old Roundhouse kits apparently came packaged with a "standard" set of details, like toolboxes and such, so when I built a set of Overton cars, I drilled a hole in each car roof and used the smoke jack that I think really was intended for Roundhouse's caboose kits. I should have shortened the pipe, though; they're a little too tall for the car roof.
Hey Jeff - The change from oil headlamps to electric headlights is a very tough date to ascertain. Much depended upon the size of the railroad and the location within that railroad. For example: one would expect that large lines, such as the Pennsylvania and New York Central, converted to electric headlights before branch lines...simple economic logic. However, within those lines, the more remote branches received anything new much later than the main line trains. The installation of a steam generator can't be easy nor cheap.
After searching through my material, I was unable to get even an approximate date for the headlight/lamp exchange. John W. Orr tells of his father's first night trip with an electric headlight in his book Set Up Running (a must have for any steam reference shelf). I spent approximately a half-hour trying to locate the reference and gave up...it is in there.
In the book, O.P. Orr was known to keep a cake of Bon Ami for the headlight lens and reflectors as well as a bottle of campor, which when added to the kerosene produced a flame of greater brilliance. He was also known to affix a button on a pin to the middle of the wick to spread the flame. I know, that doesn't answer your question.
I decided to take a different tack: Within the Orr book is a group of photographs of the engines that O.P. Orr ran during his long career with the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was my belief that some time frame could be established by observing the type of headlamp/light that appeared in the picture. They are as follows:
H3 Consolidation 1904-1910 oil headlamp
Class D 4-4-0 1907 oil headlamp
Class H6b Consolidation 1914 oil headlamp
L1 Mikado 1921 oil headlamp
Pacific 1933-1934 electric headlight
It should be noted that O.P. ran on the Pennsylvania's Ralston, PA district...which was considered back country. At least this gives you an idea of the rough time period that one line embraced electricity. Perhaps one of our Pennsy fans can come up with a better date?
I went and looked at all my Overton passenger cars (redecorated for the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR) and you are right...no smoke jacks!! How this get by me I will never know. See?..you always learn something on this forum. BTW Jeff...the Johnson Bar is an extremely inefficient way to moderate valve movement and was replaced by the screw valve...I do like your handle though.
Regards,
Ray
Quote from: CNE Runner on April 08, 2009, 10:33:01 PM
Hey Jeff - The change from oil headlamps to electric headlights is a very tough date to ascertain. Much depended upon the size of the railroad and the location within that railroad. For example: one would expect that large lines, such as the Pennsylvania and New York Central, converted to electric headlights before branch lines...simple economic logic. However, within those lines, the more remote branches received anything new much later than the main line trains. The installation of a steam generator can't be easy nor cheap.
After searching through my material, I was unable to get even an approximate date for the headlight/lamp exchange. John W. Orr tells of his father's first night trip with an electric headlight in his book Set Up Running (a must have for any steam reference shelf). I spent approximately a half-hour trying to locate the reference and gave up...it is in there.
In the book, O.P. Orr was known to keep a cake of Bon Ami for the headlight lens and reflectors as well as a bottle of campor, which when added to the kerosene produced a flame of greater brilliance. He was also known to affix a button on a pin to the middle of the wick to spread the flame. I know, that doesn't answer your question.
I decided to take a different tack: Within the Orr book is a group of photographs of the engines that O.P. Orr ran during his long career with the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was my belief that some time frame could be established by observing the type of headlamp/light that appeared in the picture. They are as follows:
H3 Consolidation 1904-1910 oil headlamp
Class D 4-4-0 1907 oil headlamp
Class H6b Consolidation 1914 oil headlamp
L1 Mikado 1921 oil headlamp
Pacific 1933-1934 electric headlight
It should be noted that O.P. ran on the Pennsylvania's Ralston, PA district...which was considered back country. At least this gives you an idea of the rough time period that one line embraced electricity. Perhaps one of our Pennsy fans can come up with a better date?
Oy, I sure didn't mean to make a lot of work for you, Ray. I hope you enjoyed yourself. :)
Again, based mostly on photos I've seen in books, I still tend to think the Pennsylvania started switching to electric headlights around World War I. Certainly by the 1920s electric headlights were in use on what is now the Northeast Corridor (which was electrified in the 1930s). I'm sure I've seen a photo of the "Lindbergh Atlantic" taken on the day she made her historic run in 1927, and she has an electric headlight. (I think she's an E6s, but I can't remember her number at the moment. :( )
QuoteI went and looked at all my Overton passenger cars (redecorated for the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR) and you are right...no smoke jacks!! How this get by me I will never know. See?..you always learn something on this forum.
No jacks--no car stoves. Unless the ND&C has that newfangled steam heat, I feel sorry for your passengers in the winter. ;D
QuoteBTW Jeff...the Johnson Bar is an extremely inefficient way to moderate valve movement and was replaced by the screw valve...I do like your handle though.
Regards,
Ray
Thanks. :) Oh, I know that. My point in choosing it is just that it's the older form of gearshift. Besides, "Power Reverse Jeff" just wouldn't do it. ;)
BTW, Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring, everyone! I expect I'll be away till some time next week. :)
Carbon arc lamps and electric lamps. A part of locomotive evolution many people miss.
http://www.ideashelper.com/railway_headlamp_history.htm
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/history.htm
http://einhornpress.com/headlights.aspx
http://home.att.net/~nginfo/closeup/headlights2.jpg
http://books.google.com/books?id=E7JKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA320&lpg=PA320&dq=pyle+locomotive+arc+headlights&source=web&ots=cBrbsCeqSA&sig=jnRrizBE_2_-5OFw2BBGr7SWWLE&hl=en#PPA320,M1
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/misc/turbo.htm
Search Google for locomotive acetylene headlights for more headlight info. The gas generator was usually behind or under the fireman's position.
Rich
RichG - absolutely dead on with your research. I enjoyed reading (and learning) about a facet of railroading I knew little about before. Thank you for doing the web search. Jeff, it was no problem doing the limited research...I actually had fun. I, also, thought that the electric headlight would have made fairly widespread application before WWI and RichG's research supported that. Oh, and you are correct in writing the Pennsylvania Atlantics were E6s (there were several models).
No, the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut was too small a line to have steam heat in all their passenger cars. They did have a parlor car (on a 57-mile road for gosh sakes) that did have steam heat and therefore had to be coupled directly behind the locomotive...all the rest had stoves. Interesting point was that the railroad owned several box cars that had a centrally located stove to keep produce from freezing and therefore spoiling (milk cars were too well insulated for that to be a worry). I suppose a smoke jack, protruding from a box car or two, wouldn't be out of the question.
Jeff - I like your handle just the way you have it. Happy Spring also. We will be "on the road" (not railroad - more's the pity) for the next 3 to 4 months; but will try to stay up with the forum via our laptop.
Ray
Couple of points--First the old AHM Reno/Genoa models are actually oversized for HO. I don't think they are quite S scale, but definitly oversized. If you ever get the chance, compare one with a brass PFM Reno and you'll see.
As for electric headlights, they started coming in around 1900, but inertia with the railroads was rampant, and they were often slow to accept new stuff. And there was also the matter of expense. Those generators cost money, above and beyond the cost of the headlight itself. In some cases, the large railroads had large inventories of parts for "old" stuff and didn't want to have to start inventorying new stuff. I might also point out that not all of the old box headlights used kerosene. Some were designed to use gas generated by calcium carbide (the same stuff used in miner's head lamps prior to electric battery lights). The gas (acetylene, IIRC) burned much brighter than kerosene. Often, the tip-off to carbide lamps were two small tanks mounted near the stack. You poured some water in the tank with the calcium carbide, and the chemical reaction generated the gas which was fed to the headlight.
Oil, Acetylene, electric light comparisons.
http://books.google.com/books?id=OTooAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA717&lpg=PA717& You can download this book.dq=locomotive+acetylene+headlights&source=bl&ots=wFZXe_crUz&sig=LQQpnX09pPHHTTEE260LayBE1YQ#PPA713,M1
http://books.google.com/books?id=F002AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA125&dq=locomotive+acetylene+headlights#PPA124,M1
Car lighting and heating. Probably more than you want to know. Air brakes are also in this book. You can download the book.
http://books.google.com/books?id=qyhWAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Westinghouse+Air+Brake+%3B+New+York+Air+Brake+%3B+Car+Lighting+%3B+Car+Heating+...&lr=#PRA3-PA45,M1
I have Pocher, Tyco and AHM locos and they are a little over size. I understand that model railroading is an analogy of the real thing and all analogies break down somewhere. Mine break down at this point and with code 100 rail, plus radii I use on my layout. I can live with it.
Rich
Ebnut and RichG - I had a Gem brass American 4-4-0 and you are absolutely correct in saying that it was much smaller than either the AHM/Rivarossi, Bachmann, etc. Americans. When I sold it, at a train show, the buyer wanted to know if it was HO and not some smaller scale! Even with the oversized models that were produced, I don't think there is enough room for a decoder - and there certainly isn't enough room for a speaker. Oh well...maybe some gifted electrical engineer will come up with a decoder that will fit (sound would probably have to be in a trailing car).
We are vendoring a train show today and I am down to a Bachmann Jupiter and an AHM Bowker. All the other engines of this genre have sold in the past year and I can't seem to find any others. Naturally we will search the "junk bins" for old time Bachmann et.al. cars that are in need of a loving home.
Have a great weekend,
Ray
I thought I would pass on an interesting story about old time locomotives and trains show sales. Yesterday we vendored at a local train show and did fairly well (just a little under last year's sales at the same show...I'm sure having the show on Easter weekend didn't help matters any). I had a Bachmann Jupiter engine [4-4-0] and an AHM Bowker locomotive [2-4-0] for sale in the $20 range. A gentleman came up to the booth and said he wanted to purchase both engines for a 10% price reduction. As I was about to agree (I had schlepped these locomotives to countless shows and didn't want to bring them home yet again), two other fellows said they would pay me $5 more than the asking price! For the next 4 or 5 minutes these three individuals began bidding against each other. The end result was that I sold both engines (we decided to split up the "package") for twice what I was asking!!! Hmmm, it seems to me that there definitely is a market for old time items.
It gets more interesting: one of the fellows (the one who purchased the Bowker) is an aerospace electrical engineer for one of the big NASA/defense contractors in Huntsville. He said he was going to install a DCC + sound decoder in the engine. [This AHM locomotive is not tender drive.] I mentioned the Z-gauge decoder and he marched over to a fellow that sold all sorts of Digitrax material and had a long conversation with the vendor. As he was leaving, he announced that by next week he would have a DCC/sound equipped AHM Bowker engine!! Unfortunately I didn't get his name or address as I would love to know how he makes out (I told him about this forum so maybe he will post his results). He said, after the Bowker, his next challenge was to put [at least] DCC in a Bachmann Jupiter. As I have said before: there are some really intelligent and talented people out there.
BTW: I did pick up a couple of Pocher "junker" flat cars and an AHM tool car (30') that will look really nice after repainting/decorating and weathering. It is always good to recycle some of your earnings.
Ray
I would also like to see how he manages to get DCC and sound in a Bowker. I got one of those locos in the early 1980s (still have it ... somewhere ... in pieces, likely) -- great looking little engine, but an awful runner. The huge motor fills the cab, and then some. I wish him luck with his sound project -- he's gonna need it.
Quote from: CNE Runner on April 12, 2009, 11:22:19 AM
I thought I would pass on an interesting story about old time locomotives and trains show sales. Yesterday we vendored at a local train show and did fairly well (just a little under last year's sales at the same show...I'm sure having the show on Easter weekend didn't help matters any). I had a Bachmann Jupiter engine [4-4-0] and an AHM Bowker locomotive [2-4-0] for sale in the $20 range. A gentleman came up to the booth and said he wanted to purchase both engines for a 10% price reduction. As I was about to agree (I had schlepped these locomotives to countless shows and didn't want to bring them home yet again), two other fellows said they would pay me $5 more than the asking price! For the next 4 or 5 minutes these three individuals began bidding against each other. The end result was that I sold both engines (we decided to split up the "package") for twice what I was asking!!! Hmmm, it seems to me that there definitely is a market for old time items.
Actually, this kind of doesn't surprise me. I've been looking for a junk Bowker for parts (headlight, tender shell, for example), and lately even junk Bowkers seem to be selling for more on eBay than I'm prepared at this time to pay for a junker. :-\
Quote from: Jim2903 on April 13, 2009, 02:43:55 PM
I got one of those locos [Bowker] in the early 1980s (still have it ... somewhere ... in pieces, likely) -- great looking little engine, but an awful runner.
Mine was, too--an awful runner--until I switched to an MRC Railpower 1370 to power my little pike, and now my Bowker runs a heckuva lot better than it used to.
And speaking of these Rivarossi engines being oversized for HO, surely the Bowker is even more oversized in comparison to the Genoa, etc. The Bowker was purchased by the V&T as a yard engine.
Quite possibly this summer I may get to see the Bowker and the Genoa "in the flesh" at the California State Railroad Museum. :)
If you want to see the Bowker run, look up the movie classic "Union Pacific". She is an important "supporting actress". The loco was rescued from a logging railroad in Nevada in the 1930's and put in running shape for the movie, And yes, the Rivarossi model is oversized compared to the original. I think this may have been part due to the fact that Rivarossi wanted to use that big pancake motor in all their models, regardless of prototype fidelity.