Looking to add to my fleet, Know of Bachmann 44, 45, and 70 ton and Model Pawers DTT but what else is out there.
Arriving soon, apparently.
https://www.piko-america.com/products/52464-usatc-whitcomb-65t
- Douglas
VERY small:
Walthers Plymouth ML-8
BLI Plymouth W-series 35 ton
Athearn EMD Model 40
Grandt Line GE 25 ton
Tyco Plymouth CR-4
Athearn Hustler
Penn Line Whitcomb D-2
Lindsay Vulcan Iron Works switcher
And for some real fun, consider that someone somewhere converted a Climax to diesel. Why not you?
Ed
7j43k VERY small: Walthers Plymouth ML-8 BLI Plymouth W-series 35 ton Athearn EMD Model 40 Grandt Line GE 25 ton Tyco Plymouth CR-4 Athearn Hustler Penn Line Whitcomb D-2 Lindsay Vulcan Iron Works switcher And for some real fun, consider that someone somewhere converted a Climax to diesel. Why not you? Ed
said: "...recently available..."
All of mine are available. Some are more available than others.
A Penn Line is on Ebay right now. The Lindsay will require patience.
Note that the Piko is not available at all. And the Bachmann 45 ton hasn't been available from Bachmann in years.
Presumably something smaller than an Alco HH600/660 or EMD SW1?
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
The SW1 is about a 100 ton switcher. So it's a significant jump up.
Cute though it is.
And those Alcos are about the same. Except not as cute.
When I read the topic title, some of the locos I cited popped into my head. The OP mentions somewhat bigger ones.
tstage Presumably something smaller than an Alco HH600/660 or EMD SW1?
Bachmann also made a Plymouth at some point. Mine runs quite well.
Simon
There's also the BLI Trackmobile and the Grandt Line boxcab
snjroy Bachmann also made a Plymouth at some point. Mine runs quite well. Simon
Remarkably similar to this old one:
7j43k snjroy Bachmann also made a Plymouth at some point. Mine runs quite well. Simon Remarkably similar to this old one: Ed
rrebell 7j43k snjroy Bachmann also made a Plymouth at some point. Mine runs quite well. Simon Remarkably similar to this old one: Ed I remember those, not great running quality. Hear the Walthers Plymouth is great if you can find one.
I remember those, not great running quality. Hear the Walthers Plymouth is great if you can find one.
The walthers units are great. I'd check spring creek model trains and Hiawatha hobbies. They lost them on their site.
JJF
Prototypically modeling the Great Northern in Minnesota with just a hint of freelancing.
Yesterday is History.
Tomorrow is a Mystery.
But today is a Gift, that is why it is called the Present.
rrebell I remember those, not great running quality. Hear the Walthers Plymouth is great if you can find one.
Of all the critters I listed, that's my off-the-shelf fave. I do have one.
I am sure Walthers will do it again. IF they put sound in also, I'll buy one of those, too. And they HAVE to keep the keep alive. Or no sale.
If nothing else this shows how defining a word like "recently" becomes a matter of opinion! And nobody mentioned Lionel's circa 1960 version of the Athearn "Hustler" which came with a rather nice small motor and gearing rather than rubber band drive. And that Gordon Odegard showed in MR how to make the AHM HOn2 1/2 Plymouth switcher (2 axle) a standard gauge locomotive.
Don't forget the neat little Mack BR switcher that SS Ltd offered unpowered as an all metal kit and which if memory serves NWSL offered a power chassis for. It is even "truly" recent because it has been reissued by Wiseman!
HO SCALE MACK BR SPECIAL SWITCHER KIT (wisemanmodelservices.com)
https://wisemanmodelservices.com/HO-SCALE-MACK-BR-SPECIAL-SWITCHER-KIT
Jordan had a plastic Mack 15 tonner and there was also a brass import of a Mack switcher.
Dave Nelson
I still have my Athearn Hustler from the early sixties. At some point I picked up a re-gearing kit. But, I never got to put it together, so it sits in a some-day box. Has anybody done one of those? It probably needs a motor as well.
Or, it might be a static model on a factory siding somewhere.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
My Lionel Hustler was the first sound loco. It sounded like a coffee grinder.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
MisterBeasleyI still have my Athearn Hustler from the early sixties. At some point I picked up a re-gearing kit. But, I never got to put it together, so it sits in a some-day box. Has anybody done one of those? It probably needs a motor as well.
I just bought a re-geared Hustler with a Cary boxcab body and Kadee couplers that somebody did a nice job on. Runs nicely and that cast body sure helps tractive effort. Trying to figure if I can stuff DCC and a stay alive into it.
carycatalog1983page07.jpg (740×1020) (hoseeker.net)
s-l300.jpg (300×225) (ebayimg.com)
Gonna be the plant switcher at my railroad tie manufacturing and creosoting plant (which was originally going to be narrow gauge until this beauty came into my life)
File:Photograph of Ties Awaiting Creosote Treatment - NARA - 2129633.tif - Wikimedia Commons
Also used to make bridge timbers (as in trestles, culverts, etc)
tstagePresumably something smaller than an Alco HH600/660 or EMD SW1?
ALCO HH660 was about 206,000 lbs and the SW1 was about 198,000 lbs
I'm not sure I'd call 65 tons "very small". I know GE intended its 70 tonner as a branch line unit for major lines, even though it ended up as a staple of short lines. It's a revealing glimpse into how short lines need to make every penny count, that when the Rahway Valley asked for a quote from GE for MU kits, they decided it was cheaper to double head with two enginemen and two firemen
Rahway Valley Railroad
Rahway Valley Railroad Co. (trainweb.org)
Very interesting railroad.
The P&LE sold you post cards by Howard Fogg
P&LE Postcards by Howard Fogg (silogic.com)
but the RV would give you girls by Vargas
paperwork_callingcard_cleopatra.jpg (1132×2688) (trainweb.org)
paperwork_callingcard_echo.JPG (312×746) (trainweb.org)
paperwork_callingcard_helenoftroy.jpg (291×709) (trainweb.org)
paperwork_callingcard_neptunesdaughter.JPG (291×700) (trainweb.org)
Railroading was overwhelmingly a man's world back then and RV President George Clark would have undoubtably had a loud and profane reaction to any attempt at changing it
A
A deciding line could be the 45 ton limit for one man crew. That would put the GE and whitcomb 44 tonners in the category. You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan
Well the Mack BR is very interesting but what to do about power and what will fit? I have some PDT's and I think a Flea and also a rather rare now Bull Ant. While we are at it, I need to repower a brass 44 ton that was on the cover of RMC of feb 2018. Have not been able to fix the existing power train on this one, still has the brass inerarts that was reworked but something must have happened in shipping. Electronics are fine though.
Southgate 2You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan
I will keep this in mind.
I was disappointed with my Bachmann 44 and 70 ton locomotives.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
BEAUSABREI just bought a re-geared Hustler with a Cary boxcab body and Kadee couplers that somebody did a nice job on. Runs nicely and that cast body sure helps tractive effort. Trying to figure if I can stuff DCC and a stay alive into it.
Hi BEAUSABRE,
I'm pretty sure that you will be able to install a sound decoder, one or two sugar cube speakers and a keep alive. I have put Loksound Micros with two speakers and a keep alive in these locomotives:
The Loksound Micros are very small, and their keep alives can be mounted separate from the decoder. The baffles for sugar cube speakers can be quite small and still produce decent sound, although the bigger the baffle the better.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
SeeYou190The new Bachmann 70 ton runs well but has an old motor that has a cogging sound at very low speed, same as the old one did only new one is DCC. Don't have a new 44 ton, old ran well with the two motors, the one motor one did not quite sweem to run as well. Also cost is not an indication on how well an engine works, got some Bachmann S4's, two ran perfectly out of the box, bought another and it is in for repairs for second time, never ran right from the get go. Southgate 2 You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan I will keep this in mind. I was disappointed with my Bachmann 44 and 70 ton locomotives. -Kevin
Southgate 2 You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan
rrebell SeeYou190 The new Bachmann 70 ton runs well but has an old motor that has a cogging sound at very low speed, same as the old one did only new one is DCC. Don't have a new 44 ton, old ran well with the two motors, the one motor one did not quite sweem to run as well. Also cost is not an indication on how well an engine works, got some Bachmann S4's, two ran perfectly out of the box, bought another and it is in for repairs for second time, never ran right from the get go. Southgate 2 You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan I will keep this in mind. I was disappointed with my Bachmann 44 and 70 ton locomotives. -Kevin
SeeYou190 The new Bachmann 70 ton runs well but has an old motor that has a cogging sound at very low speed, same as the old one did only new one is DCC. Don't have a new 44 ton, old ran well with the two motors, the one motor one did not quite sweem to run as well. Also cost is not an indication on how well an engine works, got some Bachmann S4's, two ran perfectly out of the box, bought another and it is in for repairs for second time, never ran right from the get go. Southgate 2 You see Keystone Locomotive Works GEs on the bay now and then. By replacing the rubber tube connectors with NWSL u joints, you get the best running 44 tonner ever made, IMHO. Dan I will keep this in mind. I was disappointed with my Bachmann 44 and 70 ton locomotives. -Kevin
My Bachmann 44 ton and 70 ton locos run fine, all are the newer single motor versions.
Sheldon