Quote from: racevws on November 16, 2012, 11:20:46 PM

IMG_9438 by racevws, on Flickr

The broken part is acetal (aka Delrin®) - it is impossible to solvent bond, and heat welding is tenuous at best.

Quote from: beampaul7 on August 03, 2012, 12:59:05 PM
High all

Is it just my imagination or are those dynamic break fans on the F-7's bigger than the other fan sizes ala F-9?

You mean dynamic brake fans?  Some "phases" of F-7's had 48" db fans like the F-9's.

"From June 1952, 48-inch dynamic brake fans began to be introduced; from October 1952, all dynamic-brake equipped locomotives had them."  from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F7

The ABBA set that demo'd on the N&W in 1952 had 48" db fans.

Bachmann has this:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1307

Which is insulated in the middle.

Quote from: JRG1951 on May 22, 2012, 03:39:11 PM

What about starting with the Bachmann Aux water tender and adding a coal bunker. I think there was a article In Model Railroader a while back.
Regards
John
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The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale. >>
Arthur C. Clarke

It was in Model Railroading - part of the series to convert a Bachmann PRR K4 into a N&W E-3. 

All of the N&W A-tanks were converted from 15K and 16K gallon tenders, and the this conversion takes them back to the original configuration.  The Bachmann truck are great too

The conversion is also practical with the other guy's A-tanks too.

The current Bachmann Spectrum A-tank is the one to use, the original Bachmann A-tank model was of the A-tanks used during NS's steam program, which are not the same as the ones built by N&W in the early 1950's.

Keeping watching e-bay for the Proto tenders (two different versions of N&W 18K tenders) - I scored one many years ago from someone converting a Proto 2-8-8-2 into some other road's engine, making the tender surplus. 

Occassionally the Sunset K3 and Westside (if I recall correctly) E3 brass models show up at very low prices, especially if the locomotive is damaged; the tender rarely has hard to repair damage, even if the model hit the floor.  The Oriental Y3 models show up from time to time to.  Also, as noted there are also the NWSL models.

Over the years, there have been many operating HO scale hump yards built.  There were articles about one or more in Model Railroader in the 1950's (that DVD of 75 years of MR Kalmbach is offering is probably worth buying before you start an endeavor like this).

Hump yards take space - lots of acreage.  You need to get the freight cars up high enough to let them roll down to the yard tracks.  You have to control their speed with some sort of retarder - and the amount of braking applied with vary from car to car, and where in the train they are supposed to end up.

For most, if they can figure out how to do an HO scale hump yard, they figure out they have not got the space or the time.  For those 0.1% who have the skills, the knowledge and the space, the hump yard is an incredible model.

It is possible - but it is not practical.

It Bachmann has offered the same model (or similar) locomotive with DCC; you can get a new one, and swap the shells.  That is the least expensive easiest method.

If you can get it; 2" thick extruded polystyrene (usually pink or blue) is very good, stable over temperature and humidity; and it is strong and light.  Paint it with latex paint to simiulate dirt, then add scenery and track on top.  Aileene's Tacky Glue works well to hold things (track, buildings, scenery, etc) in place, and yet still is removeable.

You can frame the 2" thick foam with Masonite® (hardboard) - just glue it to the foam, and tack on wood or metal corners.

Quote from: rogertra on November 27, 2011, 03:36:28 AM
Sorry to be blunt but why on earth would you expect a 2-10-4 to handle curves that are bordering on toy train curves?

It's a large locomotive and requires larger radii curves.  22 inch curves are good for first and second generation B-B diesels and steam locos up to 2-8-0s, 4-6-2s and perhaps 2-8-2s but definitely NOT anything larger.  Not only is negotiating 22 inch curves troublesome for longer wheel bases steam but they look stupid doing so.

+1 think more like 28" MINIMUM radius.

The driver diameter is closest to the Spectrum N&W J 4-8-4.

The least expensive/easiest conversion is to put the shell on a Bachmann DCC On Board F unit chassis.

More expensive and not difficult: change the motor in the Athearn unit.

As noted; to keep the original Athearn motor; you need a really large and expensive decoder.

24" MIN for reliable operation, 30+ is much better.  The real thing scaled down could not do 60".

Quote from: GN.2-6-8-0 on July 08, 2011, 09:09:28 PM
WOW! Where did this thread come from.....Bachmanns going to be bring out a Spectrum B&O EM-1 ? Come'on guys fess up ' where'd ya hear about this....

http://mrr.trains.com/News%20and%20Reviews/New%20Products/2011/07/2011%20National%20Train%20Show%20preliminary%20report.aspx?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MR_SpecialEmail_sa_110708_final&utm_content=

Quote from: Pacific Northern on July 08, 2011, 05:30:54 PM
I assume the new 2-8-8-2 is a Spectrum locomotive?

What 2-8-8-2 ?

We only saw an announcement for a SPECTRUM B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4.

Here are some ideas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAMC5oGiuj8
http://www.trolleyville.com/tv/times/sept2009/The%20IHP%20Kawasaki%20LRT.htm

Mantua, Bowser and MDC all offered Atlantics in the past. 

Fox Valley Models offers(ed?) a Milwaukee Road (Hiawatha) Atlantic.

Many many models have been made in brass.

eBay is probably your best chance.