I still have a faded red ATSF with simple plastic rods and a noisy drive.  But like the enegizer bunny it keeps going and going.  Its converted to onboard battery power with a simple on/off toggle on the front of the tender.  I did have to replace the headlight bulb(with a LGB bulb and socket), but the drive refueses to die.  She has lots of miles, plating is starting to wear off the tread on the pilot truck wheels even.   A replacement Annie drive is planned along with a repaint into black ICRR colors in the future.  Anybody else have an old ten wheeler still racking up the miles? 

But not 1870s, more like 1900 era ICRR 382.  But with modular tool design so the cab can be changed, along with headlights ect.  Bachmann could not only do the 382 from the wreck.  But 384 which was Casey's actual assigned engine, then delete the clestory on the cab roof and do so many other typical ten wheelers of that era that were tall drivered.  Most were passenger power exclusivly at first, but then mixed trains became the norm.  The old AHM/Rivarossi holds its own in the detail dept today but thats where it ends. deep flanges, a noisy 3 pole motor and poor gear ratio hinder an otherwise steller looking model.  Hornby, the now owner of Rivarossi says the tooling for that model is long gone.  So here is where Bachmann can step in and produce a steller model with 21st centruy technology and sound.  Reproductions of Casey's 6 chime boiler tube whistle exhist and have been recorded.  So even accurate sound can be done.  Follow up sales could be achieved by doing the 60' steel frame truss rod passenger cars he pulled.   And more than the IC used those coaches.  That night he had 6 cars. Baggage, RPO and four passenger coaches.   The late 1890's thru 1910 era of locomotives and rolling stock is very poorly represented in HO or most any scale.  But the era lends itself to smaller layouts and spaces by the smaller nature of engines and cars of the era.  Casey's beloved 2-8-0 #638 would also make an excellent small layout engine and that design was used by many railroads in that era.    Bachmann has revamped most of the other engines in the line up like the Jupiter ect.  Time for some new small power for small layouts!!   Mike the Aspie

I have an older white box era brill trolley, green "desire st" paint scheme, that has both axle gears split.  This renders the trolley non operational.   I inquired about sending her in, just want to make sure Bachmann has some trolleys in stock incase a replacement is needed.  I have zero use for a diesel or steam engine, wouldnt look right running around tight radius street trackage.    Thanks in advance.  Mike

Does anybody have a scrap set of original trucks for the first run 36 ton 2 truck shay?  I my be possibly picking one up that has 2 axles that are nolonger being driven by the motor, just freewheeling.  I do not plan to run it much, so the $250 cost to replace the whole truck with a new set off fleabay isnt really in the budget.  Just looking to restore it back to all wheel drive.  I see nothing on the parts dept unless the axle sets from the 55 ton 3 truck shay will work in the early trucks.   Thanks in advance   Mike

Any of my fellow On30's good at weathering locomotives?   I am building the 3rd truck kit from Backwoods Miniatures for my Climax and would like to have it and the locomotive weathered to match the picture on Backwood's website.  Our one guy that is fairly local is backed up for several months with kits to build, paint and weather.  Thanks in advance.  Mike

After the long awaited Heisler.  I suggest Bachmann produce a 3 cylinder shay.  There is even a real world prototype still in around to measure up.  The Alishan shays in Taiwan.  That is a real world 30" gauge shay.  Would make a nice On30 model and easily modified for any backwoods logging empire.   Mike

I am curious here who would sign up and order a D&RGW prototype engine if Bachmann made one.  Say a T-12 using a modified ETWNC chassis with new boiler, or a K class using the pre exhisting 2-8-0 drive system as a basis.  BLI has the C16 covered, along with AMS/Accucraft.  I would rather see a K28 or K36 if it was done.  More of those still running but my bet is on a K27 as Bachmann seems to follow what they have done in other scales.  So a K27 or C19 would seem logical.  Or do we think Bachmann will let BLI, MMI ect handle the Colorado stuff and go with an eastern 2-8-2 EBT engine?  I am sure any of the above would be welcomed with welcome arms.  I do feel if On30 is going to start getting taken more seriously, then some prototype engines need to get produced and less of the obscure and oddball.  The mallets are nice but of odd prototypes.   How about some  known versions like Rayonier, or Weyerhauser, Sierra RR ect.  Bachmann has the lead position in this scale, others are even slower to bring out items and many modelers I have spoke dont take the scale seriously due to the engines produced.  I can get past the 6" narrower gauge differance from On3, but we need some well known engines along the lines of the Tweetsie ten wheeler.   Mike

Bachmann took a couple of the covered bridges and turned them into a saw mill for a display layout.  I would like to see them produce that saw mill as a regular Plasticville building.   A small saw mill is sorely needed in the On30 logging groups.  Espicaly for the modelers that dont care for wood kits or dont need a large saw mill.  MIke

Opinions please on using Bachmann's Dynamis DCC system for a small layout.  Will only be operated by myself, no one else.  1 or 2 locomotives only on the layout.  Will just be 1 right now.  I ask as I can pick one up fairly cheap.  I know there is little love for this system in the modeler at large population.  I used to have NCE, it was a nice system as well.  I do not care for Digitrax at all.  Thought this time about keeping the control and motive power all Bachmann.  Anybody using this system on thier On30 or other scale layout and can comment what they like and dislike?   Thanks in advance.     Mike

I am going to do the Backwoods Miniature 3 truck conversion to my Climax, really wish the 3rd truck could be driven by the line shaft.  Hopefully in the future, Bman will do a 3 truck version of the Climax and a 3 cylinder/3 truck shay.  The Climax is a nice size already for a 3 truck model, my only suggestion to Bman would be to offer the 3 trucker with Walscherts valve gear instead of the current inside Stephenson valve gear.  Bachmann has a good thing going here with thier On30.  I sincerely hope they give it their full attention as much as possible with new products.  Disconnect logging cars, similar to the ones Kaydee does in HO scale would go well with their small loco's.   The one aspect of ON30 that is igniored is buildings beyond the wood craftsman kits.  If Bachmann brought out a series of buildings, a series of logging themed ones, they would fill a huge open void to many modelers.  A small backwood sawmill, single stall engine house, company town/houses, company store, rerun the logging camp cars.  Would make the roll out of the Heisler even more special.  Bman's parent company holds the cards in China, so they should be able to get premo plant time for production.  They have really stepped up their HO product line, how about some good attention to the On30 line!!?