Spectrum 2-6-6T Masson Bogie

[Chris9017]

Well, we a lot of beautiful engines out on the Spectrum lines, and I was thinking that an engine we rarely see available on the Market for a decent price is a 2-6-6T Mason Bogie locomotive.  There is one that still survives and that's the famous Torch Lake locomotive at the Henry Ford Museum, although she's a standard gauge, the engine was originally a narrow gauge and a lot of Mason Bogie engines were narrow gauge.  The 2-6-6T was a very beautiful engine, and I would love to see one available from the Spectrum line.  With the list price of $1300-$1500 and an average selling price of about $600-$900 they would sell fairly well, and would no doubt be stunning models, and would probably out sell Accucraft for their high price Mason Bogies.   It's an engine that has been under rated, and it should be made more available on the market, and I would love to see them available from Spectrum because I always wanted a beautiful Mason Bogie engine. 

[Marilyn]

Agreed a beautiful locomotive.  As Matthias Forney wrote of Mason's locomotives they were 'Melodies Cast and Wrought in Metal'.
However, the 2-6+6T was fairly specific wheel type to the DSP&P (I believe FC Central de Mexico) had few standard gauge in that particular arraingement.

I am not sure of the market for such a locomotive especially with the general slowdown of the market.  However, the heavy 2-6+6T that was DSP&P "Buena Vista" was sold if I remember to a lumber and then a construction firm so might sort of fit into Bachmann's general niche.

[Skarloey Railway]

One of the Boston Revere and Beach Lyn 0-4-4s, 2-4-4s or the 2-4-6 might fit in nicely alongside the existing Forneys and as they ran till 1929 they may appeal to rather more modellers.

By comparison, all the DSP&P Mason bogies were gone by 1899 and not many modellers model pre 1900.

[Chris9017]

How would you explain the popularity of the 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s since they are from the 1870s, so I'm sure a 2-6-6T Mason Bogie would be just fine.   2 for the Denver South Park & Pacific in different Colors, painted unlettered Lake Russian Iron, Painted Unlettered Olive Green Russian Iron, and painted unlettered Red Russian Iron.   

Bachmann Spectrum Must Consider the Mason Bogie because I really want one on my model railroad collection, and I don't want it to cost an arm and a leg like the Accucraft ones do.

[Skarloey Railway]

How would you explain the popularity of the 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s since they are from the 1870s, so I'm sure a 2-6-6T Mason Bogie would be just fine.   2 for the Denver South Park & Pacific in different Colors, painted unlettered Lake Russian Iron, Painted Unlettered Olive Green Russian Iron, and painted unlettered Red Russian Iron.  

Bachmann Spectrum Must Consider the Mason Bogie because I really want one on my model railroad collection, and I don't want it to cost an arm and a leg like the Accucraft ones do.

The Mason Bogies were rare beasts and in the case of the DSP&P versions, specific to one railroad and only ran for a couple of decades. By comparison, the 4-4-0 & 2-6-0 worked on railroads all over the US and in modernised form survived into the 1930s and 40s.

If you're a collector who'se happy just to run his trains more or less 'out of the box' then I can see why a Mason is attractive, but if you want a model RR that follows prototype practice (like Kevin's Tuscarora RR) then it's just too much of an odd-ball.