30 big boys
- Thread starter blackz28
- Start date
Alcomotive
Grandson of an ALCO Builder
Holy smokes! I mean steamer! Dang! Me jealous
ShermanHill
Well-Known Member
otiscnj
Well-Known Member
Hmmmm. Nice collection. Years ago, in the 1970's when I was a kid, steam, and the transition era was 'the thing,' that model railroading was the focus of many of the magazines, in terms of what they covered, in terms of model railroads, etc., at that time. By the time I was born in 1962,, most steam was retired, and the only place you could find it, which actually wasn't too hard in those days, was on a tourist railroad. I knew about what Big Boy was, as my father had worked for the UP, before being drafted for service in WWII, and after he got out, in 1945 or 1946. When I told him that I liked the PRR, his response was 'that's a terrible railroad; run very poorly.' As we had lived in Philly when I was born, and ridden it many times as a youngster, to go downtown with my Mom, or to get to and from my Mom's Mom's place, It basically was the railroad I was most familiar with.
As I got into model railroading in the 1970's I considered that some day, I might have a railroad museum on a future layout, when I'd have a number of large steam engines, but they'd be for fan trips/museum special movements. What I was interested; in, in terms of high horsepower locomotives, I decided at that time, was more along the lines of DD40AX, U50C, and GE turbines, (all diesels, not steam), except for maybe a UP Big Boy due to my Dad talking about them, and a PRR T-1, as I liked the lines and symmetry of the wheel arrangement, not to mention that the Bowser T-1 had a reputation for outstanding traction, with the ability to pull anything behind it. In the 1970's Athearn occasionally would run a batch of DD40's, with dual motors, but no flywheels, and there was no HO U50 model, or turbine, except for brass. Anyway, I decided way back then, that if I ever wanted to collect some sort of massive locomotive, I'd stick to the large diesels, etc, and not get wrapped up with the whole steam thing, that I had never really experienced.
Today, I have an Athearn DD40AX, and a U50, + a couple of DD40's(dual motored of course, and several with flywheels), but no turbine, yet. If I ever have so much money that it doesn't matter what I spend, I will get a big boy for my collection, in addition to a PRR T-1, but don't know when or if that will ever happen in this life time.
FWIW, the Riverossi Big Boy used to be advertised as going around 18" radius curves, which a lot of people made due with in the 1970's, or if they had the room, maybe 22" radii curves. Only place in a lot of cases of anything larger, was a model railroad club, that due to the dues, could afford larger curves, due to more space than most home owners had or could afford at that time, or at least that's my impression.
As I got into model railroading in the 1970's I considered that some day, I might have a railroad museum on a future layout, when I'd have a number of large steam engines, but they'd be for fan trips/museum special movements. What I was interested; in, in terms of high horsepower locomotives, I decided at that time, was more along the lines of DD40AX, U50C, and GE turbines, (all diesels, not steam), except for maybe a UP Big Boy due to my Dad talking about them, and a PRR T-1, as I liked the lines and symmetry of the wheel arrangement, not to mention that the Bowser T-1 had a reputation for outstanding traction, with the ability to pull anything behind it. In the 1970's Athearn occasionally would run a batch of DD40's, with dual motors, but no flywheels, and there was no HO U50 model, or turbine, except for brass. Anyway, I decided way back then, that if I ever wanted to collect some sort of massive locomotive, I'd stick to the large diesels, etc, and not get wrapped up with the whole steam thing, that I had never really experienced.
Today, I have an Athearn DD40AX, and a U50, + a couple of DD40's(dual motored of course, and several with flywheels), but no turbine, yet. If I ever have so much money that it doesn't matter what I spend, I will get a big boy for my collection, in addition to a PRR T-1, but don't know when or if that will ever happen in this life time.
FWIW, the Riverossi Big Boy used to be advertised as going around 18" radius curves, which a lot of people made due with in the 1970's, or if they had the room, maybe 22" radii curves. Only place in a lot of cases of anything larger, was a model railroad club, that due to the dues, could afford larger curves, due to more space than most home owners had or could afford at that time, or at least that's my impression.
blackz28
Well-Known Member
have some strange " weathered rivarossi" & grey 4002 from rivarossi & MTH & BLI versions but the best runners are the athearn big boy with the old 2007 MRC decoders .
im going with TCS WOW DECODERS in the ones that dont have any decoders yet
Attachments
