Steam locomotive kits

[vsmith]

RUBY

Nothings better to start with...[:D]

[cacole]

Other than my Mimi live steam engine, I run everything on 12 Volt rechargeable batteries and CVP Products' AirWire 900 wireless DCC system, including a Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation, Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul, Bachmann Shay, Heartland Doozie Railbus, and Northeast Narrow Gauge Dunkirk.

As I began construction of my back yard empire, I knew that it would be next to impossible to dig trenches for electical wire in caliche, so I settled on battery power.

Now that I also have a live steamer, keeping the track clean enough to run anything using track power would really be difficult. With battery power, it does't matter what the track looks like.

[ghelman]

Thanks John B.

If I coverted the currency right it would be a little over 330 US plus whatever the shipping would be. Probably about the same for live steam. Honestly I kind of like the look as well. When I first started with GRR I liked the old mid to late 1800 US style locomotives. But, I am finding some of the Euro styles very interestng. Thanks for the tip.

[John Busby]

Hi ghelman
http://www.ipengineering.co.uk/page50.html
If you check out the above link
you will see what I mean about being expencive
by the time you have the basic kit and all the detail and upgrade bits to finish it to a suitable standard of detail and got the control cct board you will have outlaid quite a bit
regards John

[John Busby]

Hi Torby
I dont think those in the UK who run battery power with very expencive
locomotives that have full onboard speed control and all metal construction will take too kindly to them being called toys.

ghelman
you have three choices
1 convert a locomotive and I mean do it properly with full controls
2 bring in a very expencive one from the UK the trick will be finding one a lot of the manufacturers don't have web sites.
3 start with a pile of matierial and scratch build your own
done properly you can run a train even when you canot be botherd turning on the power[:D]
regards John

[Tom The Brat]

All locos come track powered. Batteries you add. Except for some old toys, that is.

[ghelman]

OK you all just saved me from making a mistake. Thanks. Battery powered then. Can you buy an inexpensive battery power locomotive or is this something you have to add?

Thanks again everyone for the word on steam. One day I may still want a live steam locomotive, but, maybe on a dedicated layout. Another thing for my wish list.

[Curmudgeon]

To give you an idea, I sold a couple of track-powered locos for a guy who went all live-steam.
You could see none of the treads. It took forever to clean them down.
Just an FYI.
TOC

[cacole]

One of the cheapest live steam kits that is commercially available today is the AccuCraft Ruby, an 0-4-0.

But as others have said, if you want something to clean your track prior to running other trains, you don't want a live steamer because they spew oily residue on everything.

[Curmudgeon]

He's right.
On-board battery r/c is the thing you need for a track cleaner.
Those sputtering boilers can make a mess not only initially, but when your wheels track the stuff all over.
Of course there will be those who never, ever use steam oil and will tell you they run 1200 feet in 10 minutes and never have had a problem.....but that they go through 12-15 locomotives a year.

TOC

[Chompers]

if you are going to use live steam to clean the tracks, you will need to wipe them down with a rag to get the oil and grunge off the rails before any electric engine will rune will.

[ghelman]

TOC,

Yes live steam. Should have mentioned that.
The purpose of the live steam at this point is to clean the track before I run my track powered trains.
Something fun/interesting/somewhat easy to build.
Inexpensive yet not cheap. <$500.00 US
Mainline or logging is not important.

Thanks

[Curmudgeon]

As in Live Steam?
There are LOTS of kits for those.
How serious about Live Steam are you?
How much money you want to spend?
Mainline or logging?
TOC

[ghelman]

Any recommendations on a good entry level steam locomotive? I know you can buy them already built, but, I would like to try a kit. Thought I would assign it cleaner duty, as my track is powered. Seems if I run it around with a cleaner car before powering up, it may save some backbending.

Thanks for any help.