What would you like to see Genesis or P2K (others?) make! Here's mine: 6-8-6 steam turbine. I believe PRR called it a S1. Also, Virginian's 2-10-10-2. More? how about Milwaukee Road's Little Joe and Bipolar. Wow, I can see them on my pike now in that beautiful Milwaukee Road color!
My wish list to see would be 2 of the trains i like. One is the 2-8-8-4, EM-1 scaled to the real one by the B&O. And the second would have to be a 150 ton 3 truck Shay scaled out to the Western Maryland #6. ok ok i'll go away
I would like Genesis to make an SD70mac in the BNSF Cream and Green scheme, a GE AC6000CW in UP and CSX colors, and P2K make a SD60m For steam I would like to see P2K make a PRR T1, a Q2, a 2-8-8-4, and most importantly a N&W 2-6-6-4.
First off, I would like a 37.50 Big Boy(I am only afraid that the kit form would resemble little more then two chunks of plastic, a bale of copper wire, and intructions that say "for the experienced modeler only"...and for a little more it would be two chuncks of steel. ) I would also like to get a couple of HO Pacers. Just for nostalgia(nausea?) reasons A small jazz quartet might be nice. A replica sreamboat of one from teh Colorado River. Finally on my wish list is one of those metal siding buildings/hangers/shops with concrete floors so I can build something! [ 27 April 2001: Message edited by: Benny ]
Benny, the $37.50 Big Boy was an AHM blue and yellow box and that was the retail price at a department store in Irving, Texas 1973. I looked on the box. The engine is still ready to run, although I have only tried it out once in the photo I posted here. The 2-8-8-0 was 32.98 and the 2-6-6-4 N&W was also 32.98. None were kits, but all had plastic wheels, I found out just now! Throttleman, a distant relative gave a hand drawn inked blueprint dated September 30, 1913 of the Santa Fe 2-10-10-2 that I have copied onto computer a number of years ago to scale. "Uncle" J. T. Wilson (I think) was put on the project to use 2 2-10-2 engines to make one 2-10-10-2 out of. The Santa Fe design department would not enlarge the firebox, so the engine was not successful, like the Virginian RR's was. Because Sept. 30 is my birthday, the original drawing was sent to my dad as a b'day present to be kept for me when I grow up. It had been drawn on old time vellum so was disentigrating when I first saw it. It was to have been my last engine project until I found I could not purchase Mantua drivers anymore. Todays's cheapo plastic drivers wouldn't hold this engine up anyway. I do have a photo of the Virginnian 2-10-10-2 that I can mail to you if I find it. Throttleman: Since you have your e-mail blocked, I can not send the 2-10-10-2 to you. [ 27 April 2001: Message edited by: watash ]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> until I found I could not purchase Mantua drivers anymore <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Since when was this? I bought an axle a couple of months back...but then, it was for an *-8-*, and you are probably looking for *-10-* drivers...OK, I think I see the difference.
Benny, the diference is my 8 Ball Mantua Mogul (2-6-0) had diecast potmetal spokes and hub with brass tire/flanges pressed onto a polished steel axel. That whole engine cost $29.95 new. I bought 3 more pair of those drivers in 1946 for $1.98 a pair on the axel and quartered and Mantua has always had the RP-25 type little flange. These were "Good" wheels! Today, the only "Good" wheels I have found are $16.00 per pair. Even Mantua went to the El Cheapo solid plastic wheels that are flash plated with Nickle so they will carry current for awhile.
Watash, Of all people I hate to be the one to say this but your wrong!!! I bought 4 locos from Mantua in the last 4 years and I have to say that their is not any plastic in the wheels on the drivers!!!!! They are still Potmetal I can't say forsure that they are Potmetal or Zamac. But I do know for a fact that their is no plastic involved in any of the drive wheels!!!!!!! The last Mantua loco I bought, was bought straight from the Mantua company in New Jersey The builders date on this loco is 1996. The whole loco is cast. The tender is a different story though its plastic. They do have plastic wheels on one side of the pilot truck and the same for the trailing truck, but the other wheels on the opposite side are in fact solid Nickle!!!! The drivers are Nickle rim with the flange and the spokes are potmetal. All the wheels on one side of the loco (the drivers) have a thin fiber between the wheel flange rim and the spokes to isolate it from the other wheels. And their is NO traction bands on any of my Mantua loco's!!!! Even the tender wheels are made just like the pilot and trailing trucks one side has a plastic wheel and the other side has a solid Nickle wheel. And the trucks themself are in fact cast to carry electric. But like I said in the begining of this post of mine I hate to be the one to say that your wrong. I have seen other Mantua loco's that are new out this year and they to are the very same way!!! I have yet to see a Mantua with plastic spokes on it. You may be getting the merger with Mantua and TYCO confused because at that time Mantua and TYCO were manufacturing together in the same buildings and Mantua was doing their thing and TYCO was doing their own thing and all this went in Mantua boxes to be shipped out to suppliers and distributors. So in reality you had a TYCO quallity (very poor quality) in a good quality box with the name Mantua on it. And then you could look at another box with Mantua on it, and see something completly different and that was the orginal Mantua loco in a box marked with the right manufacturer on it (which is good quality) See the difference??? But still to this day Mantua is using the old ways of manufacturing thier loco's with Potmetal or Zamac spokes on the drivers all of them. Being I maintenece alot of different companies loco's I can tell what manufacturer made what and almost when in a date of year just by the sight of it. The only thing I actually have against Mantua is the fact that they used those worthless open frame motors. They last yes for awhile, but in time they become junk. Now they are making retrofit can "Sagami's" that are a way better motor to power their loco's. I like the quality of the new can motors though! "Sagami" is one of many leading can motor companies in the world today. They make the greatest, and nonetheless the very smallest can motors made with a good amount of strength for its size. The whole can motor by Sagami measures around 1 inch in length and less then a half inch in diameter, and for that size is strong. [ 27 April 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
My wish list would include: a GP15-1 with a better drive, and decent detailing, than Walthers' offering; a ready-to-run UP caboose, with the cupola done right; U23B and U30B diesels with scale-width hoods; for the Russian decapods to FINALLY come from Bachmann Spectrum, and; a basement with a house on it
Hey guys, Will Clark here! I bought my Rivarossi Big Boy for $210 down in Baltimore, MD, I've run it a few times and that loco is as quiet as a mouse even at high speed, thanks to the flywheel it has. Here's my advice if you want your steam locos to run quiet, if there's room enough in the boiler, buy a flywheel and install it. Sure makes a smooth, quiet ride on the layout!
Just occured to me about the Mantua drivers. I do Have a very old version of the 0-4-0 booster, and half of the drivers is plactic. I ordered just one axle, and now I wish I got the second one too. The difference is quite a bit of weight when held in the hand. If they are metal coated, They found some really dense plastic
Would like to see a HO model of: C & O Alleghany 2-6-6-6 Steam Loco Obviously Rivarossi was going to make this unique steam loco but never fell through. Only if there was some company out there that can make it to look like Rivarossi's or better.
UPBigBoy: You will eventually get your wish because Rivarossi is making the Allegheny! No matter what has been said I have it from a consulting source for Rivarossi that it is being made. In fact they have re-done cab now because it wasn't quite right on the first model. Still don't know who will be the new importer, but they are hoping to have them over here late this year. We shall see---I'm thinking Christmas Gift! Maybe P2k will make the 2-6-6-4 to give it some competition.
Boy how I love the sound of that!!!! Rivarossi still wants to sell to the U.S.A. I can't remember who said it though but you sure did make my day!!!!!
Well, where else do you think The Rivar wants to sell? I mean, in what other country is there absolutely no competition, yet a free market full of easily appeased buyers? Now if they start casting their boilers again, some one be sure to tell them that I will be first in line!!!(well, that and replace the drivers with solid metal R25, and exchange out that motor for something that can keep its cool under pressure!!!) I welcome The Rivar full heartedly knowing that their product is an inspiration to us all, they make that which we all love and want for our own.
