Charles
Thanks for sending MTH the email and asking about the detail problems. I suspected it might be the model they are going to bring in since the date for delivery is only a short time away in manufacturing and shipping days. I was still hoping that the one they displayed was a pilot model with some changes on the final. I am confident the pumps can be relocation since they have to be castings that are attached to the smokebox. If they are attached, they can be removed and holes can be redrilled to mount them at the correct location. I am not so sure about the marker lights but I have been known to scratch build parts and this might be the time again for that action.
CZ
8500HPGASTURBINE selector Precisely! Brass will run you about three times as much, and no sound. Not really. I paid $550.00 for mine on Ebay. It was never taken out of the box. Some lady owned it. Here is a pic of it when I got it.
selector Precisely! Brass will run you about three times as much, and no sound.
Precisely! Brass will run you about three times as much, and no sound.
Not really. I paid $550.00 for mine on Ebay. It was never taken out of the box. Some lady owned it. Here is a pic of it when I got it.
Just curious how wide of a radius that thing needs. It looks like all the drivers are flanged.
John
"Just curious how wide of a radius that thing needs. It looks like all the drivers are flanged."
The third driver looks like it might be unflanged to me. For what it's worth, I have one of the last Key runs of the 4-12-2 which has an unflanged fourth driver and it works fine on 36" radius. I haven't tried it on less. I have heard that the old LMB versions were much less tolerant of curves, needing 40" or more, and some folks ground off a bit of the frame near the last driver area to add a little more clearance.
I'm turning a little green, Mike.
The good thing about # 10 turnouts is almost anything can use them without any problems.
Who offers # 10 for sale. I had purchased # 8's for years on end to get a sufficient amount for a layout but do not recall seeing #10's.
CAZEPHYR The good thing about # 10 turnouts is almost anything can use them without any problems. Who offers # 10 for sale. I had purchased # 8's for years on end to get a sufficient amount for a layout but do not recall seeing #10's. CZ
In my case I would get the templates from Fast Tracks' library on their site and make my own with stock rail and either CV tie kits or use the PCB ties. In fact, because of how effective the PCB system works with the Fast Tracks turnouts, I would use a hybrid with some of those ties for continuity and the rest would be the modified CV tie kits.
-Crandell
Hi all,
I received an e-mail newsletter from MTH with a link to a video showing their #9000 in operation. They make it clear that the engine does not have the final sound file that will ship with the engines. It sounds like they just loaded it with a file from a GS-4. However, it does give a good look at how their handling 22" curves.
MTH UP #9000 video
dave hikel Hi all, I received an e-mail newsletter from MTH with a link to a video showing their #9000 in operation. They make it clear that the engine does not have the final sound file that will ship with the engines. It sounds like they just loaded it with a file from a GS-4. However, it does give a good look at how their handling 22" curves. MTH UP #9000 video
Well, that may be an engineering solution that "works", but it looks horrible. There's another engine MTH won't be selling me. I don't have anything against MTH, but as long as they insist on making gargantuan locomotives, they can kiss my money goodbye.
Come on people, how about a Harriman Pacific? Light or Heavy. Your choice.
Andre
Ooh--FREAKY! When the loco came around the curve I thought I was looking at a Z-6 Challenger with a mis-placed headlight, LOL! It's kinda/sorta interesting, but I don't see anyplace for it on my layout. However, UP fans will probably be storming the hobby shops. I know if I were a UP fan I would!
Neat loco.
Tom
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!
Articulated 4-12-2! I think not!
MTH has moved the marker lights down to the front of the smokebox so they could be lighted. They might have well made it a 4-8-2 so it would go on 22" radius. What next? My Key 9000 model is looking better all the time.
Far too large for my layout!
Hornblower
I was really keen on getting this engine, despite some apparent flaws. However, as soon as I saw the video, I stroked if off the list. MTH, what the heck were you thinking?! HO isn't hi-rail or tinplate. Making do in my scale means still-close-to-fooling you. This doesn't come close. Sorry.
I understand your point on how it looks going around the track on the curves. The boiler swings way out. Though the gresley gear and the third cylinder chuff is neat. I think this local will look good on 26" or bigger radius. I have 22" at home but this is a little too much for me. Its a $100 higher than the rest of the MTH HO offerings and it does not look good on those curves. I understand more people will purchase it because of the 22" ability, but the MTH HO mikado is just fine for my layout. I will get the j type and the passenger cars by MTH in HO but 12 drive wheels is too much. I have a decapod and that was racey at best.
twhite Ooh--FREAKY!
Ooh--FREAKY!
You can say that again!
MTH has created an engineering wonder. I'm curious why the UP didn't think to articulate their 9000s?
Mark
GTX765
I would like the N&W passenger cars also if they are not hinged or flexible to work on 22" curves. I was just thinking the full length passenger cars might be hinged in the middle or flexible to work on the tigher curves. I hope not, but maybe they will use truck mounted couplers. Now there is an idea we all dislike big time. Just a thought that came to me after seeing the 9000 on the curve.
They coulda pulled a Santa Fe and just hinged the boiler...
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
When I saw the side view at the beginning, I thought to myself "the cylinders and boiler move relative to one another" and sure enough - holy overhang, batman! It nearly hits the water tower on that demo layout.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
markpierce twhite Ooh--FREAKY! You can say that again! twhite Ooh--FREAKY! MTH has created an engineering wonder. I'm curious why the UP didn't think to articulate their 9000s? Mark
Mark:
I think we just saw the reason that UP went in for 4-6-6-4's. Seriously, I've got 34" and 36" radius on my layout, but I STILL think the way that MTH baby is built, I'd still get boiler overhang. I expect it on my articulateds, but a long-wheel based non-articulated? Nah! I think I'll stick with 2-10-2's.
As a static model, I'll take it. Running it on anything less than a 28" radius would hurt the eyes--
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Considering the price they want for this orphan, it'll hurt the pocket book, too. Quite disappointing all around.
At this late stage, it would be too much to hope that they get it stopped and fix some of the problems to make it more palatable. I would almost rather it pivoted at the rear axles, not the front for crying out loud. I would only be able to image the beast on tangent track....although....hmmm....that was almost what it was relegated to running on anyway.
Naaah.
That thing's got a bigger overhang than my Bowser Challenger! And I used to think the Bowser with its realistic articulation had a massive overhang. And what's with the blue interior light, anyway?
I'm not a big critic of inaccuracies (I have an AHM C-LINER), but for $550, even I would say that's a bit unacceptable. I wonder if it would have gone around the 22" radius with four of the axles blind, and then included flanged drivers for those who had wide enough curves?
They should make the DDA40X next and articulate the middles of the trucks for operation on a 15" radius.
_________________________________________________________________
selector Considering the price they want for this orphan, it'll hurt the pocket book, too. Quite disappointing all around. At this late stage, it would be too much to hope that they get it stopped and fix some of the problems to make it more palatable. I would almost rather it pivoted at the rear axles, not the front for crying out loud. I would only be able to image the beast on tangent track....although....hmmm....that was almost what it was relegated to running on anyway. Naaah. -Crandell
Crandell:
Y'know, I've been doing some serious thinking about this locomotive today, and frankly, after seeing the video, the question I've come up with is "WHY?" We're talking about a very unusual loco relegated to one railroad and never tried by another, and one that was really limited to certain divisions of that same railroad because of its extreme non-articulated wheelbase length.
We're already seeing model 2-10-2's designed for small radii that have HUGE overhangs and evidently some mechanical problems eventually resulting from traversing those small radii--so why a giant like this? Articulateds can be produced to that will take a 22" radius with ease, though I really don't care for the 'double articulation' that necessarily knocks out a lot of detail just to get the second set of cylinders to move. But I can live with that, and I'm frankly happy that guys with less generous radii than mine can also run some articulated steam. I mean, Heck, you know by now that I'm an articulated FREAK, LOL!. And let's face it, historically articulation was designed to get a large loco around standard curves on the prototype, so why not the necessarily sharper curves on a model railroad? I can live with that--heck, even my big, brass prototypically articulated Akane Yellowstones will traverse a 24" radius if pressed to it. That is, if the overhang doesn't wipe out any adjacent scenery, LOL!
I don't want to sound like a nay-sayer, or a snob, because I don't think I'm really either, but I really think that the Mfgrs have passed the limit with big non-articulated steam designed to 'fit' on any radius. Especially that 9000. As I mentioned before, that locomotive just looks FREAKY!
As I said before, this would be a great semi-static model hanging around straight locomotive- service and ready tracks if one thinks spending several hundred dollars for such is a worthwhile use of hobby funds. But I already have such a model in the form of a still-boxed Intermountain AC. (I won't divert this thread and explain the loco's shortcomings.) I'm still hoping Intermountain will have a fair trade-in deal to exchange for a mechanically-improved model they've promised to issue.
PS -- Hey gang! We've finally found an "articulated" locomotive Tom doesn't like.
Tom, I've never known you to dislike a "good golly" steamer, so with your comment, I'd say it should be the kiss of death for this engine...it doesn't get Tom White's Seal of Approval. What else is there to say?
It would be like marketing an RC F-16 with a propellar on the front. When you inquire, the answer is, "Well, it has to fly, doesn't it?"
I was extremely happy upon the announcement of this, and was eager to buy it.
After that video, I won't ever buy it. No, that articulation is horrid. And I am a big UP steam fan... Too bad, its a great engine that has just been ruined.
I'll stick to my virtual ones in my railroad simulator, thanks.
Hoople I was extremely happy upon the announcement of this, and was eager to buy it. After that video, I won't ever buy it. No, that articulation is horrid. And I am a big UP steam fan... Too bad, its a great engine that has just been ruined. I'll stick to my virtual ones in my railroad simulator, thanks. Mark
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
dave hikel a video showing their #9000 in operation.
Wow, welcome to toy-train land.
Midnight Railroader dave hikel a video showing their #9000 in operation. Wow, welcome to toy-train land.
Actually that would be more reason for it to be seen as a static display. I couldn't see it being used for a toy train railroad thingumahoover. I was thinking of my previous estimate of 28" -- now I'd say 30" minimum. Anything less would make the eyes burn...
And who thought the idea up to articulate the frame at the front?
The articulation was an eye-popper, and not in a good way. But I also noticed the crosshead twisting as it moved, reflecting light like a shiny mirror being moved in the sunlight. Then there were the severed blast pipes.
Did someone say "Oh!" or "Oy!" above?
Oy, oy!! Who does the product development over there?