Joe, Your profile says northern Colorado. Caboose hobbies seems to have lower prices than you are paying. Unless yours are coming with DCC installed. http://caboosehobbies.com You may want to check them out as they are somewhat local and you can save shipping. They also are very good on returns. I found my Heritage 0-8-0 on sale there for 120.00$
Each of my engines has a sound decoder which automatically raises the cost by 70 - 110 dollars. I only paid 80 for my 2-8-0, the sound decoder raises the price though.
I purchased my 0-8-0 from Caboose for 262.50 in January this year, and yes it has the QSI decoder installed.
I had a hunch, that was why I asked about the decoder. Caboose customer comment #2 I like the fact that I get to test run everything before I buy it. I even go so far as to make them run a couple of the same engine so I can get the best running unit. CCC#3 I believe they will install a plug and play decoder free if you buy it the same time as the engine. Leastways they do for N scale.
Chip; Now that everyone has offered their opinion about who makes the best steamers, without specifically answering your question, I'll answer it. I don't know if they saw that you wanted to model "My rail is Southern and I am concentrating on steam." or not. If someone told me they wanted to model a certain RR I would NOT recommend engines the RR never had, no matter how good they were. My Recommendations. Proto 2000- 0-8-0 USRA switcher. Only USRA switcher SRR had. Spectrum- 4-6-0 Depending on how accurate you want to be this can suffice, or just makes a great place to start to model one. Spectrum- USRA 2-10-2 Most accurate plastic & diecast model for a SRR engine on the market. BLI- USRA heavy & light 2-8-2 See "Spectrum 4-6-0 comment" Sorry, there is one more I left off from my original reply. Spectrum- USRA light 4-8-2 Very good match for SRR Ts-1 class 4-8-2. To do the SRR in steam the only other choice is Brass. In Brass, whose prices for these locos with few exceptions can be had for $200 each, give or take $50 to $75. But unlike the other locos mentioned these are exact for the SRR. Overland Ks-1 2-8-0 PFM F-1 4-6-0 PFM Ps4 4-6-2 Key Ss-1 USRA Light 2-10-2 Akane Ss USRA Light 2-10-2 PFM Ms-4 USRA Heavy 2-8-2 (2-versions) PFM USRA Light 2-8-2 (Not really SRR engine as modeled, minor detail changes will make it one) Westside Tractor 2-10-2+2-8-0 (This is the one loco that will cost more than $400. Prescion Scale Company has announced a SRR Ls-1 2-8-8-2, but I think these are pushing close to a grand, if not more, and as articulated locos go, small compared to others.) The SRR was completely dieselised by May 1953. Diesels appropriate for SRR in this time period; (I will include only the ones I can really remember without looking up.) ALCO's RS-1, RS-2, S-1, DL-110, PA-4 EMC/D FT, F-3, F-7, E-6, E-7, E-8, SW-1, SW-7, NW-2, NW-5, GP-7, GP-9 Fairbanks Morris Trainmasters and Baby Trainmasters. (The Trainmasters were unusual in that they had lowered porches and steps on the ends since they were generally used between two EMD locos.) Here are some of the steamers I have;
Nice lot Carey!!! What are the brands? firemanchip: I been getting some good deals recently on Ebay on the Brass Steamers. I've bought a Tenshodo 0-6-0, a PFM 2-8-0 and a PFM 2-6-2 totalling $390.00 with shipping included. They all run beautifully on my DC track. Not saying that Ebay is the best way to go but it could be an option. Just look for the sellers with good feedback history and you should be fine. verse
Thanx Verse! These really are just a few of the SRR steamers I have. I've been trying to collect and run all the SRR steamers on the market since the 1970's. I'm missing only the Westside tractor, which I would love to have, the PSC Ps-4s, which are good engines but compared to the older PFM, are a lot more "fragile" and just don't pull as well. Besides I couldn't justify three Ps-4s. After those two I'm missing the Empire Midland 4501 Ms-1 2-8-2. That was just a plain old POS. I do have in plastic the Spectrum 2-8-0 and 4-6-0, which although are not exact, are close enough with some detail changes. But to your question. The top pic, is one of the 4-6-0's that were based out of my home town of Selma. In fact this one was my Dad's locomotive. I got it before he knew I had it but he recognized it immediately! I painted it according to his instructions. The SRHS argued with me about the roof colors stating that NO SRR engine ever had a red roof. This one did. I even have the original paint order and the drawings showing this paint job. There is even "patches" of the colors used painted on the drawings to match the colors to be used. Out of commemoration of him and the old shops in Selma, I've put red roofs on every loco that was either based in Selma or spent time in the shops there. The engine is from PFM. Second pic is of a Ks-1 class 2-8-0. Neat little model! Its one of Overlands first efforts. Third is an Ss-1 USRA 2-10-2 from Key. SRR's 2-10-2's were all USRA Lights, but there is a difference between the first bunch called Ss class and the Ss-1's. The wheelbases of the Ss class were found to be too long for some curves the locos were used on. They were then fitted with Franklin lateral motion devices for the front drivers. The Ss-1 just had the wheelbases shortened a few inches to avoid the hassel. So they look shorter and "chunkier" than a regular Ss. Last is the famous Ps-4. Its a PFM model, which I think is a better model than the two Ps-4s from PSC. I can out pull any two of those with my single PFM one. I'll keep this one. I also have two versions of the Ms-4 USRA heavy mikes of the SRR. They are currently in my shop getting some minor detailing for specific numbers and will be painted soon.
Thanks Carey. I've just recently started buying the PFM make steam engines, I like the details and the weight. I have more engines by Sunset Models because I admire the level of detail on the products the only minor draw back is that they're not as heavy as the PFM ones. I affraid of Key and OMI because of the prices but who knows what the future hold , I just might stumble upon a fortune. I'm going the be adding a number of the P2K steamers to my collection , yes I don't just run them I collect them. Here is my most recent Ebay purchase.
Verse. Great pictures! That is a sweet little engine. Why don't you run them. Thats what they're made for.
Is that bottom loco the ps4 you mentioned? I read up on some history of the road and it seamed to me the ps4 was pretty well used on the Southern. chip
Yes it is Chip. Its the PFM model. I like it a whole lot better than the PSC versions. Heavier, better balanced and will pull the studs out of the wall. One day I'll puta Tsunami in it. With the size of the tender and it already being drilled out for a speaker for the old PFM sound system, it will sound fabulous. The Ps-4 was the premier passenger engine on the Railroad. Used on most of the name trains, and one was even streamlined for use on the Tennesean. Variation on the USRA heavy pacific.
Gotta have one! It's absolutely awesome. Where and how much? I know it is an expensive one, but I would rather get what I want than spend money on something I would not be satisfied with. Thanks for the pics and the word....................Chip
You see them on E-bay fairly regularly, and as I said give or take 200. I've seen them go for as little as 125 and as much as 400. You could also check Caboose Hobbies in Denver and other fine retailers of used brass, although these may be priced differently.
After reading what has been said about Life-Like Steam Engines I bought an 0-8-0 Undecorated. All I can say is it is really great looking and very very smooth running. I am extremely happy with it and will be awaiting future releases. Keith
I guess pfm is no longer in business. Did your ps4 come painted? Like I said I am new to this and learning as I go.Thank for the info.
No PFM is no longer in business. The particular PS-4 I have was from the last run of this loco from them in 1975 I believe. None came painted but many owners have painted them or had them painted. I painted mine. Easy paint job.
Carey I do run them occasionally. They all run great. BTW I bought another over the weekend. It's a PFM model. verse
Are these collectables that should only be run on occasion or can they be a main loco on the line? -Chip-
Just my opinion: Originally, BRASS (as they were called), were beautifully detailed for display, and painted with a brassy colored Bronzing powder paint, for "looks", but very few ran well. AS the market grew, some of the super detailing was subdued, the price went way up, but they still didn't run well, and a business grew for people re-motoring them. Some of the latest BRASS is better at running and can be factory painted at extra cost. For the price, I would expect each one to run excellent, look excellent, and have perfect paint and working knuckle couplers, with a fireman and engineer on board, and be heavy enough to pull my Cadillac! I run every engine I have, or rebuild it to where it will! With proper lube and TLC, any BRASS engine should be able to continue to run at least as well as a $30.00 Mantua Mogul 8 Ball engine that is still running well after over 45 years, or I wasted my money on the BRASS one! I found that if you re-motor the BRASS one, you destroy its "Collector" value, so what have you got? A $2K paper weight that looks gook. But that is just my opinion.
