Hello all, there seem to be be two types of IHC Premier locos for sale on Ebay, one with the beige box and the other with the purple box. Anyone know which is the newer variety and which has the better features? Thanks, Rob.
UPDATE: checked again, apparently the premier series only comes in the purple box, the non-premier in beige or yellow boxes. I assume the premier is the improved version, right?
Hi, to my knowledge there were three "tiers" of IHC's engines.
Lowest tier had one piece shell.
mid tier had separately applied handrails, stanchions, and uncoupling levers.
Top tier had details plus blackened siderods.
Im not sure which ones came in which boxes, but I do believe those were the only tiers they released. They all should have more or less identical shells, lighting, and mechanisms. Only differences should just be the details mentioned above.
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
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Trainman440They all should have more or less identical shells, lighting, and mechanisms. Only differences should just be the details mentioned above.
I seem to recall when buying a few "Premier" series IHC locos back in the day that the addition of both sides of the tender wheel electrical pickup — along with the associated connecting wire — was an added feature of the series.
Regards, Ed
Lastspikemike Be aware they have pizza cutter wheel flanges. There were a few later models with NMRA RP25 flanges which you might prefer if you can find them. These were in bigger red and gold boxes labelled Premier Gold Series. The boxes were presentation style with flip up lids similar to Lifelike Proto 2000 blue boxes. I have a Mikado and a Santa Fe, both of which are very good runners, reasonably well detailed and will accept a DCC decoder in the tender. At least the Santa Fe will, haven't actually looked inside the Mikado tender. These were made for IHC by Mehano of Slovenia. Made in China though. I like these very much for the money I paid.
Be aware they have pizza cutter wheel flanges.
There were a few later models with NMRA RP25 flanges which you might prefer if you can find them.
These were in bigger red and gold boxes labelled Premier Gold Series. The boxes were presentation style with flip up lids similar to Lifelike Proto 2000 blue boxes.
I have a Mikado and a Santa Fe, both of which are very good runners, reasonably well detailed and will accept a DCC decoder in the tender. At least the Santa Fe will, haven't actually looked inside the Mikado tender.
These were made for IHC by Mehano of Slovenia. Made in China though. I like these very much for the money I paid.
Actually, I do beleive all three runs had flanges (although not RP25) that were small enough to navigate code 83 track.
The original rivarossi/ahm models that these were based on however didnt.
LastspikemikeBe aware they have pizza cutter wheel flanges.
Trainman440Actually, I do beleive all three runs had flanges (although not RP25) that were small enough to navigate code 83 track...
I bought this Mogul, by IHC, over 30 years ago...
...mainly because it was on sale for only $15.00. I added the number boards and a different headlight, and shortened the oil tender somewhat, converting it into a coal burner.
It did have the pizza cutter flanges, but by connecting jumper wires from an old powerpack in my workshop, and while holding the loco upright and running at a moderate speed, I was able to bring a cut-off disc in a motor tool in contact with the oversize flanges. I held if there for only a few seconds at a time, continuously moving on to another wheel, for fear of overheating the metal wheels enough to deform the plastic centres of the drivers. Holding it in that position kept the cutting residue from getting into the mechanism, and the job didn't take too much time. I did replace the wheelset on the lead truck and those on the tender, too.The main issue with the loco was its higher-than-usual voltage requirement to get the motor running, and I always ran it with a somewhat similar brass Mogul...
...which would pull the IHC loco and the trailing train. Once things got up to a decent speed, the motor in the IHC loco kicked-in, and the two ran quite well together.
I later remotored it, and did a few more "upgrades" to both Moguls. Both got new cabs (from Bachmann Consolidations) plus a few extra details, and both had their tenders re-worked. I also added more weight to both locos, and they run well together, and pull better than ever...
I've re-worked another brass Mogul, this one to match a specific CNR prototype, but I need to build a new tender body for it, as the stock one is not suitable for the number on the cab...
It has a special meaning for me, as I saw it, as a child., in this condition...
It was repaired and put back into service.
Wayne