Hello all,

Who manufactures an HO 'cow/calf' switcher? and also, what is the prototype length of the 'calf'?

Thanks for the help or directions where to find the answers.

lanny  (very, very blessed Christmas and happy new year to all)

Sheldon,

I certainly agree with your reasoning on the need for more Mikados and Pacifics as well as others you mentioned in your post. I've often wondered why mfg. seem so hesitant to get more Mikados on the market ... and I mean by this 'more Mikados that are not USRA style'. Seems like a huge segment of prototype steam is being neglected.

I know there is a lot of discussion as to 'why' and I don't want to add to the discussion ... but it would be so nice to see some truly 'new' prototype steam being offered by mfgs.

lanny

Well here I go again    (sorry Gene)

What would be wrong with Bachmann (or anyone, for that matter) producing a 'generic' Harriman 4-6-2 and a 'generic' Harriman 2-8-2. Most modelers would happily make necessary 'kit bashing' changes for road specific locomotives if they had the right boiler/cab shape to begin with.

Happy and very blessed Christmas/holiday/New Years to all,

lanny

Any one of them as long as its a Harriman based Pacific 

lanny

The 'Favorite Spot' is one of the best and safest places to purchase Bachmann on eBay. There are many good dealers ... he is one of the very best for price and service.

Another great place for safe, honest dealing and very reasonable, even low prices on eBay is 'the trainhaus'.

both, along with others, are reputable, safe and less expensive then on line stores.

I've purchased from both places and always been happy, but especially 'The Favorite Spot'

lanny

What I have found helpful on removing tenders is first of all, remove detail parts that might attach to both the shell and the chassis.

After that, see if there are any screws that need to be removed (you should NOT need to remove the truck screws).

The use 'toothpicks'! Pry gently in one place just enough to slip a flat tootpick in the opening. Do this carefully, patiently and slowly all around your tender. If you find one area particularly difficult to pry open a tiny bit, check to see if there is a screw or detail part to be removed.

Generally, once you have several toothpicks inserted, the tabs will pop free.

Follow Gene's advice for regluing the broken tabs. Once glued let them set for a day before puttin the shell back on.

hope it works for you

lanny

Could you be a bit more definite about who manufactured your locomotive, how long you have had it ... etc.? The more information like that you can provide the better chance you will have of receiving some help. There are some helpful experts on this forum, but they need these kinds of details.

lanny

I tend to agree with Sheldon ... but I have never worked with anything larger than Lionel 'O' scale.

Setting aside 'realism' as in prototypical model railroading, I really believe that for a 6 year old, something that can take lots and lots of 'bangs' and 'hard usage' and still get 'back on track and run' is the ideal.

Since I don't know about anything above 'O' scale I defer to other who do know ... but this is for a 6 year old boy, and I personally can think of nothing more discouraging that a beautifully detailed and expensive large model that slowly (or quickly) looses parts and perhaps breaks down from 'six year old' hard usage.

I also can think of nothing more discouraging to a 6 year old then constantly being told 'don't play so rough with that train!'

While I am not a Lionel fan, they do make a large variety of engines and equipment that, though not prototyical scale, are rugged. I would seriously consider the 'rugged' aspect more than anything else.

Have a wonderful and happy holiday whatever your choice may be!

lann

Sheldon,

Thanks for that ... until something more definitve comes in, your breakdown of the various grades 1, 2, and 3% is very helpful. And if the 2-8-4 can pull 10 cars with wheels reamed and free rolling, perhaps a bit of judicious weight adding can up that to 12? 10 - 12 is very reasonable in my opinion.

Again, thanks for the helpful breakdown until we get some more definitive info.

I think the possibility of a Bachmann "ICRR" 2-8-4 kit-bash has just increased a bit for the 'Strawberry Creek Division of the ICRR' 

lanny

Hi csxnxdan,

Thanks for that report. That is helpful. 33 100 ton hoppers on level track doesn't sound too bad ... in fact, IMHO that sounds pretty good. Now some of us are eagerly awaiting a report on how they do on 2% and 3% grades!

I'm also wondering if anyone knows if there are any 'empty places' over the drivers inside the boiler where 'lead shot' weight could be added?

Someone a long time ago had a great thread on where weight is best distributed in steam locomotives for optimum pulling power. Wonder if anyone would care to give a quick overview of that subject again?

Gene ... a question for you. What is the steepest grade on your layout that the 20 car frieghts will have to deal with?

lanny

I certainly agree with the concept of being 'overly careful' about purchasing on eBay.

I have bought and sold quite a bit on eBay, only getting 'stung' a very few times, thankfully ( But not because of any 'superior intelligence, believe me . ). I just try to be overly careful.

There is one thing that really helps prove whether you might be getting scammed or not ... ask very prying, detailed questions. Honest eBayers will carefully and fully (and quickly) answer. Ebayers with something to hide will be evasive in their answers or may not answer at all.

Some of the prices on eBay for model trains are laughable. But the serious sellers with reasoanable prices (of the ones I have watched and at times, purchased from) generally sell their products.

Buyer beware 

lanny

Quote from: SteamGene on December 04, 2007, 02:07:02 PM
Lanny will tell you about the Paducah box shopped on IC steam as sand domes got replaced. 
And it just keeps on going.
Gene 

Well, Orsonroy could tell you a lot more about Paducah domes (those 'square boxes'  Actually some ICRR had sharp squared edges (specially the newer large steam), others smooth rounded edges on the rectangularpaducah dome. And as Gene has said, within the 'shop' life of any given ICRR, there were variations of the Paducah dome made. ICRR is famous I think, for variation within any given series. I'm not totally sure there is such a thing as a 'standard' ICRR steamer  But they're fun and a challenge to try and kitbash.

lanny

Gene,

That's almost as good an answer as finding three 2-8-0 s at a garage sale that were supposed to be for parts but all work!    Thanks very much ... here comes the extra power needed to get those 12-16 car frieghts up the grade.

Thanks Gene!

lanny

Okay ...here's the deal. The ICRR Mountains and maybe even Mikes as well as the 2-10-2s often pulled a 'cistern' (ICRR homemade water car). Thanks to Orsonroy's diagrams, I  can bash a couple of non-Specrum tenders into a reaonabl water car that is the exact length of the Bachmann DCC 70 ton diesel (the new one with one motor).

It would be a 'stand alone' unit run on DC only to help on my steep grades and would up trian lenght by 3-5 cars I think.

What, if anything, do I have to do to the 70 ton circut board so it will run okay in tandem with regular DC locomotives ... do I have to remove or cut any capacitors in order to run in okay with the regular DC engines? I know there will be 'wheel slip', but do I have to do any electronic stuff to the 70 tonner. I have very heavy duty DC MRC powerpaks so power is no problem. This will run along with a Spectrum DC heavy mountain, or a Spectrum DC 2-6-6-2 or a 2-8-0.

Any electrical adivse appreicated ... I hope I can just leave it alone, kit bash the 'cistern' and add some power that way. The trucks will not be accurate ... but kind of close and I can live with that for now.

thanks for advise!

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the comments on the Bachmann 2-8-4. I am glad for anything anyone has to offer. I can wait for the 'pulling power' test. If I like what I hear I'll get one (sorry to my very good friend 'Orsonroy' who knows that these don't really match very closely the ICRR 'super berks' ). It will require a really major 'kit bash' to get it to even 'resemble' the early ICRR 2-8-4s that eventually were traded or rebuilt in favor of the 4-8-2s.

If the 2-8-4 Bachman is a good hauler like their Spec heavy Mountain, it would be fun to do that anyway because a brass ICRR 2-8-4 runs $1000.00 +!

Anyway, I apprciate any and all comments regarding this new Bachman locomotive!

lanny