Just got announced/vendors now taking pre orders. Interesting little loco, motor's in the tender (cab looks more scale than the 2-6-0). No dcc. I will have at least one, anyway. Your thoughts, guys?
The Disney version looks like it has a taller cab than the Atlas version. From http://www.lowellsmith.net/ I'm getting a few.
This just made my day infinitely better. If it does run well, I may be easily tempted to buy two as well. Then I can finally model the San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern with (hopefully) smooth-running 4-4-0's with no work required other than a repaint!
The Lowell Smith one is only available at Disneyland. Anyone got one, actually ran it and wants to make a report? And Mark Watson's (improved) ventilated box cars are a great match for them. How did he know?
I have been doing a little research since the Atlas annoucement of the impending release and have still been coming up short on some information, even looking on the other board. I'm going to assume that this loco has both pick-up from the drivers and tender unlike the Bmann version which has only tender pick-up but I have not been able to confirm this. The other thing of interest is the design of the pilot. Originally these little tea kettles had link and pin on the front and later most got knuckle couplers. Quite a few of these little fellas had long lives steaming in light branchline freight and passenger service into the early 1950s. The few Bmann versions I have have all been converted to a new pilot with MTs reflecting that later service and I would do the same with this model if the pilot is a separate piece. Converting the Bmann locos were a bear. So if I can find the answers to those questions I'll probably get in line for at least two undecs to do up in basic black. And the older Bmann 4-4-0s that actually run good and pull reasonably well will probably have a few retired to have the tenders gutted and converted auxiallary water cars for electrical pick-up to improve their running. The limited tender pick-up being thier only shortfall. The Bmann engines left will either get pushed to the back of a weed overgrown storage track, or I'll attempt a Nn3 conversion with one, or maybe even bash two together for another 4-6-0
"...or maybe even bash two together for another 4-6-0" Oooh, oooh, oooh... I know! I know!!! Clinchfield's "One Spot!!!" http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2440377 Splice the chassis and the siderods similar to what was done to turn a Kato Mikado into a USRA heavy 2-10-2... Dang it... I might yet have to buy one and parts... B (
Jerry, couldn't you use some old-timer shell parts and an Athearn 2-6-0 chassis? My 2-6-0 is one of the best running steamers I own (swiss watch!). That kicked-out driving wheel is so dang cool.... I'd never seen the #1 before.
well you can still wire dcc even if it isnt dcc, it just takes a little finesse, you can always wire a lenz in the cab and run the wires between the engine and tender, you can fit a lenz in almost anything.
"Jerry, couldn't you use some old-timer shell parts and an Athearn 2-6-0 chassis?" I am not really sure but it appears to me that it would be difficult to do since the "One Spot" had such a small boiler. I really do not like the Athearn straight boiler steamers because the boiler is on the thick side. Here's another photo of the engine as Black Mountain 1, showing it at Erwin before she was ever rebuilt for use by the Clinchfield... don't remember who shot it or where I found it...
Jerry I see exactly what you mean. Quite an undertaking, but boy would that be cool! Maybe you could get one of the forum guys to 3d-print it for you!
Mark, best shameless plug of the year!! Those are FANTASTIC!! Looking sharp. I've not seen that level of detail before on that kind of N accessory.... Get one painted up, please, and post it behind one of your reworked old timers!
Very nice! We are especially interested in the shorty flatcars. All they need is some trucks from Panamint Models (also on Shapeways).
Any idea if the Disney 4-4-0s are available and for how much? I have some friends going down there this weekend and they offered to pick one up for me while they're there. I know they're only being sold at the Uptown Jewelers shop in Magic Kingdom. If it's available, I'll be sure to post pictures and try to answer questions about it.
