Steam Loco query

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Maxitrains

Maxitrains

Member
OK Guys, here I need all the Experts help, since I'm getting more into this hobby and modelling a US layout, I only have U.S. Deisel engines so far to run, and I also got about 3 steam locos which are European, these I had bought before making up my mind what layout I was up to, so now I would like to get at least one U.S. steam loco to run with passenger coaches on my layout. I would also like it to be from the 40's era, and since my layout curves are a bit tight, it has to run easily on those. Now this loco I would like some detail on it, but not spending a fortune.

Could you kindly suggest some locos ( and passenger coaches ), possibly with pictures and names ( since I donno the names :P ) so that I can decide on one.

Thanks everyone your help is appriciated.
 
You say your curves are a bit tight can you be a bit more specific??
within the 18 to 24 inch radius i would stick with 4-6-0s or 4-6-2s on the other hand if you have larger radii you can look at 8 coupled motive power such as 4-8-2s....4-8-4s.
 


Don't know the exact radius but my guess is between 18 and 22 not more. I can only say that the SD40-2 runs tight and exactly on my curves. If you could point me to brand and model I would appriciate it.
 
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If you don't mind the streamlined look, the BLI N&W J 4-8-4 is an excellent runner and would fill your requirements. Runs well on tight curves.

Failing that, try the BLI J1 4-6-4 Hudson, also good on tight curves. It was an engine designed for the NYC.

If you want something slightly smaller, the BLI Pennsy K4s Pacific 4-6-2 does well on tight curves.

You'll notice that I have a bias toward BLI so far. I can only recommend what I know, although I don't own the first I mentioned, the J. I also have a BLI NYC S1b Niagara 4-8-4, but its drivers were about 7" more in diameter than the J's, so its scale driver wheelbase is that much longer...meaning it isn't great on anything less than about 23". I had mine running on EZ-Track 22" curves quite reliably, but it isn't the best choice.

Believe it or not, you can probably get the new Athearn UP FEF to run on your curves, and I would guess that the same applies to their Challenger, an articulated engine that is a real eye-catcher. Be sure to investigate at their site, though, to make sure you get an engine that will run on your curves.

Passenger cars are a whole nuther matter. The cheaper ones from IHC or MDC Roundhouse can be made to run well, but they will take a lot of work. I finally banned all my such cars, and now run a set each of Bachmann Pennsy heavyweights and Walthers NYC heavyweights...they run well and look quite good. Also, each comes with lighting provisions, although you have to instal something on the Walthers as an extra...but the sub-frame infrastructure is all there. The Bachmann set is fully lit. It increases weight and therefore towing resistance, so don't expect to tow long strings of heavies up your 3% grades...ain't gonna happen. They really are quite heavy, and will also need lubing to run nicely.

There are other choices. Bachmann makes some very nice Spectrum class engines, including their own Pennsy K4s, a heavy mountain, and a superb smaller 280 Consolidation that was model of the year back 7 or 8 years ago when it first came out...not too sure of the exact year.

If you do get something that doesn't work, sell it on ebay and buy something else. Also, as you probably know, all manufacturers stand solidly behind their names and their products. You can be sure to eventually have a fine runner if you should happen to get a lemon.
 
Having seen so many of your pictures, I think I have a good idea what your layout can tolerate in the way of steam locomotives. I would really recommend the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation. It will handle your sharper curves with ease, is very well detailed, and pulls very well. You can get it for about USD 115 plus shipping, and that includes an installed DCC card.

As far as passenger cars, I tend to agree that money spent on the Bachmann Spectrum line of cars is a good investment. They look good, have a cool swiveling coupler arrangement that makes it possible of them to handle 18" curves, and are fairly inexpensive for lighted cars. Walthers cars are also nice but I think they are too expensive and would hav eproblems with some of you curves. The newer Rivarossi/IHC cars run fine for me although the level of detail is below both the Bachmann and Walthers cars. The price is also a lot lower. :) The older Rivarossi/IHC/AHM cars with the plastic wheels and deep flanges were a lot of trouble to make run right and I'd avoid those.
 
Can someone kindly post a picture of how the 1940's passenger coaches used to look like, so when I'm looking over the net, I will be able to purchase the right thing!!!
 
Maxi, do a search using "Bachmann Spectrum passenger car" instead of coaches and you'll find them. There are some at http://www.ehobbies.com/bac89520.html with pictures.

The United states was in a period of transition in the late 1940's. Almost no passenger cars were produced during World War II so the big boom in new cars was after the war. You'd see everything from heavyweight cars built in the 1920's like this 1921 built cafe-observation car:

00019511.jpg


To new lightweight cars like this UP lounge car:

up-di302aij.jpg


They often ran in the same trains right up until the 1960's but this varied by specific railroad. Basically, as long as you get steel cars with enclosed vestibules, there's a good chance that the car could have been around in the 40's.
 


GEEE these cars are long, I was thinking of short passenger cars, if they existed in the US, cause over there it seems that everything was Extra large :P

I was thinking of soemthing like this maybe or shorter

b6f9_1.jpg


I think anything longer then 60 scale feet will get stuck somewhere on my layout, since its mostly curves and all between rocks. In fact I have to adjust everything so I can be able to run my SD40-2 which is between 65 to 70 scale feet. Also my station siding is not very long so I have to adapt cars to its lenght.
 
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Yes, we do things BIG over here. :) The cars in your picture are open platform, wodden construction passenger cars that were completely obsolete on mainline trains by 1900. They wouldn't fit in with a modern layout at all.

For shorter passenger cars, you'd be better off with Model Power Harriman style cars. This is an example made by Model Power:

9904.jpg


These show up all the time on e-bay as well since they were originaly made by Model Die Casting. They are a scale 67' and would fit into your era just fine.
 
:S, don't much like the shape :P who inveted these cars, didn't have any idea of style :P they look like a coffin with wheels :D with that lenght I am not sure if I would fit one in the station siding.
 
Well, it was the president of the Union Pacific, a guy named Harriman, which is why these are called Harriman coaches. :) They actually look better in person, The roof is rounded rather than having a typical clerestory roof because he added ventilators to the top of the car, like those you see in the picture. These cooled the cars more efficiently than clerestory windows and that was important in the pre-air conditioning days.

From what I can see in your picture, it looks like you have plenty of room to me. That station track has at least four 40's foot cars so that means the station mainline should be able to hold a steam engine like a 2-8-0 and four 67' coaches. You may be confused by American railroading operations. Passenger trains stopped at the station right on the mainline in small towns. They didn't divert to a siding for loading or unloading passengers. That track in the back of the station is what would usually be called a team track, where passing freights dropped off cars for unloading by local businesses.

The 67 foot Harriman's about as small as you're going to get that would be running in the 1940's. I can't see why there should be a problem with them on your layout. You can always use the old style 34' cars like the ones in the photo above the station if you're just running a tourist line but tourist lines were uncommon in the 1940's and they wouldn't be running on the mainline with other freight and passenger trains.
 
I think you are right about the size of the siding, I think I was miscalculating the lenght, and also I was thinking that these cars are alot longer, forgetting that the small cars I haveare 20'ers. But I don't think I will be running more then 2 passenger cars behind the loco, since I don't have long straight mainlines it would be bulky to have long trains running. That station is not more then 12" long as far as I remember so I don't think that 4 x 67' passenger cars will stay near it, you have to calculate the lenght from the switch, leading to the left side, not from left to right.

Maybe I will have to change those switches too, that are leading into the station line ( on the right ) since i think they have a wide angle. I got my Bachmann LMS, shown in the picture below, that when i switch it into the station, most of the times it derails. So I am guessing that similar wheeled locos will do the same ( I don't know if it derails because its OO gauge ).

4-6-6.jpg



That track in the back of the station is what would usually be called a team track, where passing freights dropped off cars for unloading by local businesses.
Click to expand...

The bak track is mainly what I was plannig to do, leave box cars there for unloading, but there will also be a road passing from there, so the rails will be covered so cars and trucks can drive normally.
 
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A 67' car is a little over 9 inches long. The station length itself is not the issue, it's that you need to add a platform to each end of the station. It looks like you've got about 30" to work with and that would be enough for at least 3 67' foot cars. The engine will stop beyond the station so you don't need to worry about it. Also, most trains don't load all cars. In a four car train, only two might be open for loading and unloading since one might be a baggage car and the other an observation car. The cars that aer open for loadig and unloading are the only ones you need to get in front of the station and platform.

I can't tell exactly what that rear track connects to. The right side looks like it switched into a stub end siding. If that's the case, why have a switch there at all? Just have trains back in the cars they need to spot from the left hand switch. The other option is to move the station back and have the house track in front of the station. You'd then jave a switch leading to a straight track instead of a curve, which should cut down on the amount of derailments. A house or team track that was also used as a public roadway would be very unusual since it's hard to unload a box car without blocking the road and getting a lot of drivers mad at you. :)
 
OK, here's a slightly wider detailed view of the station layout with sidings, I a;so marked the lenght of the part where the station line is.

Station_side_mk.jpg


I hope this helps
 
I don't think those shorty wooden coaches were even used on work trains in the '40s. Most of them probably were set up permanently somewhere as an office or something, if the railroads found a use for them at all.

As far as the station platform length, some railroads put the entry vestibules end to end between two cars, which will allow one car attendant to service two cars for loading/unloading. This allows the other car attendant to do things inside the train. A setup like this doesn't need a long platform; the most you need is two car lengths.

Today, here on some Amtrak routes, the station stops have platforms so short, you have to go to another car to get off. They only open one door to do this, though another reason is that there's only one conductor aboard and he can only handle one entry.

Platform aside, your other concern would be if you can get your entire train into the platform siding without fouling the switch on the left.

Here's another choice for HW cars. Look for the older Athearn Blue Box ones, or some of the newer RTR ones:

http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Standard+RTR&CatID=THRP&PageSize=72

They are shorter than the normal HW cars like the IHC ones that I linked to earlier. They may be the ticket for you.

Kennedy


Kennedy
 
You know a 2-8-2 Mikado locomotive would also look good as well it was used in passenger and freight. As for passenger cars I use a bachman RPO a Athearn baggage and a bachman coach I put a pair of markers on the rear of the coach and thats my local. But have you thought about a doodle bug by bachman and maybe a coach alot of smaller railroads did that for local passenger service. Best of luck and I hope this helps. Russ
 


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