riogrande5761 I was born in 1959, but didn't start paying attention specifically until I was probably around 9 or 10, which was 1970 or early 70's. At that time I was an Air Force kid living at Travis Air Force Base and the SP mainline traveled past a farm where we stabled a family horse outside the base. From then on it was all SP SD45's, tunnel motors and SD9's in my world.
I was born in 1959, but didn't start paying attention specifically until I was probably around 9 or 10, which was 1970 or early 70's. At that time I was an Air Force kid living at Travis Air Force Base and the SP mainline traveled past a farm where we stabled a family horse outside the base. From then on it was all SP SD45's, tunnel motors and SD9's in my world.
Well I am only two years older than you, and I had the good fortune to have my father build me my first layout at age 10. Pretty big for my age - two 5x9 platforms in an L shape with grades, tunnels, hidden staging, etc. And I started working in the local hobby shop at age 13, joined a well known club at age 15.
The more I learned about trains, the more I became interested in the older ones, not the ones I saw every day.
Yes, it sure sounds like you have seen enough steam to know what it is about. Strasburg has one very special aspect that is key to its unique atmosphere - it is not a "museum", it is not a "non profit" preservation group, it is not a government park - it is a for profit privately held commerical enterprise that moves freight as well as its "tourist" passengers. It does not just run on "special occasions" or week ends, etc - it runs every day of the week for most of the year, all day long. Durig the busiest season, regularly scheduled steam trains pass other regularly scheduled steam trains 4-5 times a day - that does not happen anywhere else in the country any more - maybe in the world.
So, Strasburg, maybe more than any other steam preservation operation, shows us what day to day steam railroading was like. Trains run every hour, on the hour, all day long - and every half hour in the busy season.
And, I like diesels too, but again I am most interested in 1st generation diesels - the one that "did it", the ones that replaced steam.
On my layout, it is 1954, the newest locos are a pair of "brand new" SD9's.
Nice comparing thoughts,
Sheldon
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL richhotrain Sheldon, don't include me on your "Bachmann bashing" list, I said they were OK. But, I am beginning to think that you are on their payroll as Chief Apologist - - LOL Seriously, though, I go by personal experience and statistics. Proto Heritage - 3 steamers, never had a problem. BLI - 7 steamers, 2 returned for repairs, both fixed. Spectrum - 7 steamers, 3 returned for repairs, never saw them again, of the other 4, the 2-6-6-2 is fine, the 4-6-2 sucks, and I sold the remaining two because they were poor performers. What more can I say? Rich OK, a K4, 2-6-6-2 and thumper - which locos were the others? The first to go was a C&O 4-8-2 heavy mountain. The copper wipers over the drivers were bending and breaking off, causing intermittent power losses. Bachmann claimed to no longer have parts, so they kept it and sent me a replacement. Second to go was a PRR 4-6-2. I misspoke when I said that 3 were sent in, never to be seen again. This one was sent in, "repaired", and returned to me with the same problem, intermittent power losses. It remains a problem. I never it sent it back again because I was told by Bachmann that they no longer had replacement parts so they would have to send a different loco. I didn't want to give it up in that way. Third to go was Thumper, a U.P. 4-8-2 Light Mountain. This little sad sack went back and forth 3 times. On the fourth time, it got replaced with an ATSF 4-8-4 DCC On Board loco that now serves as a paper weight - - - LOL. The DCC on Board stuff is horrific, worse than Spectrum. The C&O 2-6-6-2 is a beauty. I will give Bachmann credit for that one, a Spectrum coal drag. Some day, I want to put sound in that sucker. I had an ICRR 4-8-2 heavy mountain but sold it. My other Spectrum is a DMIR 2-10-2. I must concede that I have not had problems with it. I think that it is a DCC On Board. It replaced the faulty C&O 4-8-2. Rich
ATLANTIC CENTRAL richhotrain Sheldon, don't include me on your "Bachmann bashing" list, I said they were OK. But, I am beginning to think that you are on their payroll as Chief Apologist - - LOL Seriously, though, I go by personal experience and statistics. Proto Heritage - 3 steamers, never had a problem. BLI - 7 steamers, 2 returned for repairs, both fixed. Spectrum - 7 steamers, 3 returned for repairs, never saw them again, of the other 4, the 2-6-6-2 is fine, the 4-6-2 sucks, and I sold the remaining two because they were poor performers. What more can I say? Rich OK, a K4, 2-6-6-2 and thumper - which locos were the others?
richhotrain Sheldon, don't include me on your "Bachmann bashing" list, I said they were OK. But, I am beginning to think that you are on their payroll as Chief Apologist - - LOL Seriously, though, I go by personal experience and statistics. Proto Heritage - 3 steamers, never had a problem. BLI - 7 steamers, 2 returned for repairs, both fixed. Spectrum - 7 steamers, 3 returned for repairs, never saw them again, of the other 4, the 2-6-6-2 is fine, the 4-6-2 sucks, and I sold the remaining two because they were poor performers. What more can I say? Rich
Sheldon, don't include me on your "Bachmann bashing" list, I said they were OK.
But, I am beginning to think that you are on their payroll as Chief Apologist - - LOL
Seriously, though, I go by personal experience and statistics.
Proto Heritage - 3 steamers, never had a problem.
BLI - 7 steamers, 2 returned for repairs, both fixed.
Spectrum - 7 steamers, 3 returned for repairs, never saw them again, of the other 4, the 2-6-6-2 is fine, the 4-6-2 sucks, and I sold the remaining two because they were poor performers.
What more can I say?
Rich
OK, a K4, 2-6-6-2 and thumper - which locos were the others?
The first to go was a C&O 4-8-2 heavy mountain. The copper wipers over the drivers were bending and breaking off, causing intermittent power losses. Bachmann claimed to no longer have parts, so they kept it and sent me a replacement.
Second to go was a PRR 4-6-2. I misspoke when I said that 3 were sent in, never to be seen again. This one was sent in, "repaired", and returned to me with the same problem, intermittent power losses. It remains a problem. I never it sent it back again because I was told by Bachmann that they no longer had replacement parts so they would have to send a different loco. I didn't want to give it up in that way.
Third to go was Thumper, a U.P. 4-8-2 Light Mountain. This little sad sack went back and forth 3 times. On the fourth time, it got replaced with an ATSF 4-8-4 DCC On Board loco that now serves as a paper weight - - - LOL. The DCC on Board stuff is horrific, worse than Spectrum.
The C&O 2-6-6-2 is a beauty. I will give Bachmann credit for that one, a Spectrum coal drag. Some day, I want to put sound in that sucker.
I had an ICRR 4-8-2 heavy mountain but sold it.
My other Spectrum is a DMIR 2-10-2. I must concede that I have not had problems with it. I think that it is a DCC On Board. It replaced the faulty C&O 4-8-2.
Did Bachmann ask you if you wanted a different locomotive, or did they just send you another one with a note? I am surprised they didn't send you your old one back too, don't know what they would do with it.
Kyle Did Bachmann ask you if you wanted a different locomotive, or did they just send you another one with a note? I am surprised they didn't send you your old one back too, don't know what they would do with it.
Kyle, typically the service department will call or Email you to let you know they do not have a direct replacement. They generally give a choice of serval locos of equal or greater value to choose from, based on what they have in stock at the time.
In my case, I sent in several new old stock defective doodle bugs I purchased recently, they called and offered me the new doodlebug and coach combo, in a choice of several different roadnames. My originals were unlettered and did not come with the coaches. But I recieved the new versions with the coach for no charge.
Years ago with a different loco, they sent e a different roadname, and returned my old shells for me to make the swap.
They do what they can based on what they have in stock at the time.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Kyle Did Bachmann ask you if you wanted a different locomotive, or did they just send you another one with a note? I am surprised they didn't send you your old one back too, don't know what they would do with it. Kyle, typically the service department will call or Email you to let you know they do not have a direct replacement. They generally give a choice of serval locos of equal or greater value to choose from, based on what they have in stock at the time. In my case, I sent in several new old stock defective doodle bugs I purchased recently, they called and offered me the new doodlebug and coach combo, in a choice of several different roadnames. My originals were unlettered and did not come with the coaches. But I recieved the new versions with the coach for no charge. Years ago with a different loco, they sent e a different roadname, and returned my old shells for me to make the swap. They do what they can based on what they have in stock at the time. Sheldon
Just to add a little to what Sheldon said, a few weeks after you send in a defective loco, Bachmann gives you a call to report on the status of your loco. Typically, they will tell you that they no longer stock the parts, so they offer you the option of choosing a replacement, as Sheldon indicated. Most often, they no longer stock the type or road name of the loco that you sent in, so you are left with the choice of selecting a different type or road name of loco or getting your old loco returned, unrepaired. Their policy is not to return the old loco if they send you a new one. As Sheldon indicates, if they have the same type of loco, only in a different road name, you are in a real dilemma. Which do you want , the old one or the new one. I never faced that dilemma because they never had the same type of loco that I had sent in for repair.
Now, all of this applies to locos that they no longer stock, locos that are out of production. If you have recently purchased a defective loco that is still in production, you will have better luck in getting your loco repaired or at least replaced with the same type of loco, if not the same road name.
The problem is parts, or lack thereof. Unlike BLI, who stocks parts for older locos, Bachmann does not.
Incidentally, back when I had to return these locos for repair, I had to send in a check for $20 in each case. That is not a big amount, so I am not complaining. There is a lifetime warranty, but it is not totally free.
In spite of all of my problems with 3 of the 7 steamers that I bought under the Bachmann Spectrum name, I am not anti-Bachmann, but I am not a big fan either. My days of purchasing steamers are over since I now much prefer passenger diesels, but given the choice I would buy a BLI before I would buy a Spectrum.
Alton Junction
ATLANTIC CENTRAL The more I learned about trains, the more I became interested in the older ones, not the ones I saw every day.
To some degree, that has been the case with me too. I started out buying and modeling pretty much 1980-1995 time frame as that was freshest in my mind and memory. As I've gotten some nice color books and video's on the D&RGW, I pushed back my modeling interests well into the 70's and even succumbed to some stuff as old as 1965, which I've deemed my absolute earliest cutoff. I've sold off nearly everything later than 1990 also. So to some rate, I've become interested in older stuff than what I freshly remember. Even the 1970's memories of the SP in Davis and crossing the causeway to old Sacramento are pretty vague and fuzzy. So in a way, my back dating is a lessor extreme of what you did, and a great deal of it is based on my books and video's, not first hand experiences.
I do have an acquaintance who I knew when I was in graduate school who was of similar age, maybe slightly younger, who decided to model the D&RGW in 1953 - way before either of us were born. It does happen. He was in the unique position of having the finances to afford the brass required to truly model the D&RGW in 1953. Basically there is virtually no correct steam in plastic; the only correct steam were really 2nd hand engines like the UP Challengers and ex-N&W - no proper D&RGW steam. Anyhoo....
Yes, it sure sounds like you have seen enough steam to know what it is about. Strasburg has one very special aspect that is key to its unique atmosphere - it is not a "museum", it is not a "non profit" preservation group, it is not a government park - it is a for profit privately held commerical enterprise that moves freight as well as its "tourist" passengers. It does not just run on "special occasions" or week ends, etc - it runs every day of the week for most of the year, all day long. Durig the busiest season, regularly scheduled steam trains pass other regularly scheduled steam trains 4-5 times a day - that does not happen anywhere else in the country any more - maybe in the world. So, Strasburg, maybe more than any other steam preservation operation, shows us what day to day steam railroading was like. Trains run every hour, on the hour, all day long - and every half hour in the busy season.
I mentioned Sacramento 1991 because what I experienced was probably like Strasburg on steroids due to the fact that Rail Fair 91 was going on - not the norm for the Sacramento museum. That's why I provided the you tube link so you could see it wasn't just a static museum experience. The thing with Rail Fair at the Sacramento RR Museum that I went to in 1991 is it wasn't just a "static" museum. There was something like 20 steam engines all operating and a few of them you could ride behind. Maybe it wasn't "day to day" operations, but there was a large number of steam engines in operation including western steam!
Anyhow, my wife currently works in a job where she gets no vacation, but hopefully one day we will get up there and see it while we are in the area. Some day I'd like to move back west but that won't be for a few years.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983