Some may find the statement that SP's AC-9 is the most beautiful articulatede arguable, but I can't say I'm one of them. And as much as the cab forward is such an SP signature locomotive, These AC-9s just look so much more proportional, even graceful, at least to me.
I meant to add the applicable "quote" to this reply. Oops.
Burlington Steam alexstan twhite Okay, two more from me. First is a 1966 or so Tenshodo model of a Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2, for a time, the most powerful articulated ever built. This baby has been re-balanced and rare earth magnets added. I use her to raise and lower the garage doors, lol! Second is a Westside import of a Rio Grande L-105 4-6-6-4, for my money, the most beautiful Challenger ever built. Here she is winding a freight up the 2% grade of Yuba Summit. These older brass articulateds are NOT light-weights, they'll usually tip the scales at close to five pounds, just for the locomotives. If you want plenty of power for long trains, these are your babies. Tom Mate, the locomotives and the layout scenery are both stunning. Tom I understand the concept of balancing a locomotive but how does one balance a articulated with its two sets of drivers?
alexstan twhite Okay, two more from me. First is a 1966 or so Tenshodo model of a Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2, for a time, the most powerful articulated ever built. This baby has been re-balanced and rare earth magnets added. I use her to raise and lower the garage doors, lol! Second is a Westside import of a Rio Grande L-105 4-6-6-4, for my money, the most beautiful Challenger ever built. Here she is winding a freight up the 2% grade of Yuba Summit. These older brass articulateds are NOT light-weights, they'll usually tip the scales at close to five pounds, just for the locomotives. If you want plenty of power for long trains, these are your babies. Tom Mate, the locomotives and the layout scenery are both stunning.
twhite Okay, two more from me. First is a 1966 or so Tenshodo model of a Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2, for a time, the most powerful articulated ever built. This baby has been re-balanced and rare earth magnets added. I use her to raise and lower the garage doors, lol! Second is a Westside import of a Rio Grande L-105 4-6-6-4, for my money, the most beautiful Challenger ever built. Here she is winding a freight up the 2% grade of Yuba Summit. These older brass articulateds are NOT light-weights, they'll usually tip the scales at close to five pounds, just for the locomotives. If you want plenty of power for long trains, these are your babies. Tom
Okay, two more from me. First is a 1966 or so Tenshodo model of a Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2, for a time, the most powerful articulated ever built. This baby has been re-balanced and rare earth magnets added. I use her to raise and lower the garage doors, lol!
Second is a Westside import of a Rio Grande L-105 4-6-6-4, for my money, the most beautiful Challenger ever built. Here she is winding a freight up the 2% grade of Yuba Summit. These older brass articulateds are NOT light-weights, they'll usually tip the scales at close to five pounds, just for the locomotives. If you want plenty of power for long trains, these are your babies.
Tom
Mate, the locomotives and the layout scenery are both stunning.
Tom I understand the concept of balancing a locomotive but how does one balance a articulated with its two sets of drivers?
Burlington:
Actually I probably used the term "Balance" incorrectly. What I've done with some--not all--of my brass articulateds is to strengthen the springing between the boiler and the front set of drivers to give more even contact with the wheels to the track. The 3 Yellowstones received new, tighter springs, and the Tenshodo front set of drivers received more weight. A lot of times, the front driver sets of brass articulateds are a little "light" as far as tracking and pickup. I just try to distribute the weight a little more evenly.
I
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I’ve enjoyed everyone’s contribution to this thread, but must admit from back when I was a “Lurker” I’ve admired the Heavy Steam fighting the grade on the Yuba River Sub. Sticking my neck out, was the AHM / Rivarossi Y6b the first “affordable” HO articulated?? Cheers, the Bear.
Bear:
I think so. I remember buying my first Rivarossi sometime in 1965 or so--it was listed as a "USRA Mallet" instead of what it really was (Y6-b) and I think it set me back about $59.95 or so (this was when the Akane Yellowstone cost about $110.00). The Rivarossi had hinged articulation, pizza-cutter wheels, and the first models picked up current from both locomotive and tender, so there was a lot of contact on the track. For its time it was pretty smooth running, and it could haul almost anything you wanted to put behind it. Mine gave me quite a few years of good, yeoman service---I kit-bashed it into a "kinda-sorta" Rio Grande L-131. Looked good enough for me. I liked it.
A head-on view of the PCM Y6b entering Seneca Yard.
This image file seems to have deteriorated since I uploaded it seven or eight years ago. At least, it certainly doesn't look focused...but it used to be. Anyway, the Rivarossi H-8 is descending into Seneca Yard over the combination girder bridge that crosses the Seneca River.
Burlington Steam I remember seeing AHM BIG BOYS for $39.95 at Longs Drugs back in the late 70s.
I remember seeing AHM BIG BOYS for $39.95 at Longs Drugs back in the late 70s.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Okay, one last one from me. Can't leave the thread without a group portrait of my 3 "Never Was" Rio Grande Yellowstones. They all date from about 1964 and they all run just as smooth as ever.
Great photography, great models and some really fine layouts guys. Thanks.
Nothing too exotic. An Athearn Challenger renumbered to 3985 leading a short excursion on the BRVRR.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
oops found 2 more!
1st my modified Bachmann H4 which you can see on the earlier video that it now has a bald face,i having replaced the smokebox cover eliminating the front mounted air compressors. also it was heavily weathered.
2nd is my Great Northern class R2 2-8-8-2 no.2059 the most powerful engine ever owned by the G.N rated at 150000lbs of tractive effort with the booster engaged. a true beast. well thats all of my articulateds,enjoy!
2nd is my Great Northern class R2 2-8-8-2 no.2059 the most powerful engine ever owned by the G.N rated at 150000lbs of tractive effort with the booster engaged. a true beast.
well thats all of my articulateds,enjoy!
Tom: Beautiful locos – I’m guessing you have quite a few of these on your railroad.
Deluxe – The AC 9 is one of my favorites (being an SP fan)
Burlington: Love the new post – you also have quite a roster of big beasts
Dinwitty: very cool triplex. Awesome work to get the beast to run. Made the youtube link clickable - no luck with the forum thread.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/193541.aspx
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
o.k last 3
1st my Key imports Allegheny,followed by my Rivarossi copy
lastly my Y6B by BLI
De Luxe SP AC-9 2-8-8-4 in action! With its skyline casting 'the prettiest of the articulateds'
SP AC-9 2-8-8-4 in action!
With its skyline casting 'the prettiest of the articulateds'
Second is a Westside import of a Rio Grande L-105 4-6-6-4, for my money, the most beautiful Challenger ever built. Here she is winding a freight up the 2% grade of Yuba Summit. These older brass articulateds are NOT light-weights, they'll usually tip the scales at close to five pounds, just for the locomotives. If you want plenty of power for long trains, these are your babies. Tom
Burlington Steam Arrrrrrgh! sacrilege it's missing it's UP shield!! seriously that would have been a hard one to part with.
Arrrrrrgh! sacrilege it's missing it's UP shield!! seriously that would have been a hard one to part with.
I looked everywhere and couldn't find the UP shield. You just don't know how hard it was to part with it, posting those pictures wasn't easy either.
Mel
Nice to see more photos!!
Keep those pics coming.
This is exceptionally fine photography and the scenicing technique is fantastic!
Three of mine are "never-was" Rio Grande Yellowstones, based on the Missabe M-3/4 giants built by Baldwin. My excuse is that Rio Grande wanted more Baldwin Challengers (which they did) but the War Board had frozen the design, so having "borrowed" the Yellowstones from Missabe anyway, Rio Grande just had Baldwin build ten for them. At any rate, that's MY explanation for this monster 2-8-8-4 in Rio Grande livery, lol! The loco is a 1964 Akane import that has been re-balanced and the original open frame motor given new rare earth magnets. This baby can kill at 10smph with a train so long you'll forget where the caboose is.
My best three:
PCM Y6b being readied for work.
Lionel HO Challenger with smoke lifters, the Greyhound variety.
Lastly, a Rivarossi H-8 Allegheny.
come on guys ,don't stop now.
On loan to the railroad a Pennsy HH1 .....really a Y3 bought from the NW,this model built by Gom of Japan with fantastic detail.
This is my Bachmann EM-1 which only needed an bit of a upgrade to its paint. beautifully detailed and a fine runner. Great Northern Class N3 2-8-8-0 no. 2023 eases in to couple behind GN.2059 a 2-8-8-2 to set up a monster style doubleheader.2023 is a PFM import built by Tenshodo in 1976.
This is my Bachmann EM-1 which only needed an bit of a upgrade to its paint.
beautifully detailed and a fine runner.
Great Northern Class N3 2-8-8-0 no. 2023 eases in to couple behind GN.2059 a 2-8-8-2 to set up a monster style doubleheader.2023 is a PFM import built by Tenshodo in 1976.
New model release: Key is doing a run of cab forwards in O scale that are spectacular. West coast brass expert Gary Schrader is helping with production on this model and the results are stunning. Hands down the most accurate model of this loco to see a production run… Take a look at the link:
http://www.keymodels.net/id36.html
Wow, a wood burning articulated who woulda thunk it! trainnut1250 Are you a Winston Link fan by any chance?? He certainly had a dramatic flair, but to be fair it’s those lesser known or even unknown photographers that have aided my research. Besides despite the magic of digital photography and software trickery, I’ll only ever be a point and pray photographer. While not heavy metal, please excuse me for slipping this photo in. I took this photo of a scratch built 1:24 scale 3”6” narrow gauge model of the Taupo Totara Timber Co #7, 2-4-4-2, that I referred to in my first post at a recent show. Cheers, the Bear.
Wow, a wood burning articulated who woulda thunk it!
trainnut1250 Are you a Winston Link fan by any chance??
trainnut1250 Are you a Winston Link fan by any chance?? He certainly had a dramatic flair, but to be fair it’s those lesser known or even unknown photographers that have aided my research. Besides despite the magic of digital photography and software trickery, I’ll only ever be a point and pray photographer. While not heavy metal, please excuse me for slipping this photo in. I took this photo of a scratch built 1:24 scale 3”6” narrow gauge model of the Taupo Totara Timber Co #7, 2-4-4-2, that I referred to in my first post at a recent show. Cheers, the Bear.