New N Scale 4-4-0s!!!

[joegideon]

I just- 20 minutes ago- had delivered two (undecorated)Model Power Americans. They're just gorgeous and run smoothly and silently! The undecorated models come with a bag taped to the outside of the box, containing: extra cab[two window; the engine arrived with a B&M-type arch-window cab], extra pilot- footboard type, extra smokebox front w/center-mtd. h'light, extra cylinders-piston-valve... it comes with "D" valves, an oil tank- and just a bunch of stuff! You can roll your own- B&M, SP, M&P- I paid 95 bucks per. Great deal!

N has had a dearth of small locos- and some of the ones that are out there, notably the ex-MDC Athearn 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s are mediocre at best(Athearn had a full-page ad for these engines a few months ago- a close-up of the front- and, had I been in charge of the advertising, I would have fired whomever approved the shot. It looks like a Tonka Toy.

But not these little 4-4-0s! There will be a 2-6-0 version in Jan., 2006. It appears to be a B&M 2-6-0 boiler.

Great stuff!

Snyder
Monterey

[brokemoto]

It is a 'modern' eight-wheeler, something of which N scale is in sore need. It runs well. The details are a marked improvement over the USRA lights. MP has the runnability down. The USRA lights, despite their three pole motors, ran nicely. Both had excellent slow speed control. The pacific and mikado both suffer from lack of a traction tyre. Yes, there is a retrofit, but it is difficult.

The eight-wheeler will pull two RR HWs and an express car up a one per-cent grade, which is close to what the prototype would do.

This thing suffers from two things.

The first is poor quality control. I have tried five to get two that run properly. It will get to at least six, as I have a third at home that had a problem that did not show up on the F not-so-LHS test track.

The second problem is that MP's archaic construction methods are detrimental to its operability. The tender has only half-wheel pick up. The contact wipers can create drag on the locomotive. It also has contact wipers on the drivers. All of the above are 1970s construction methods. The locomotive also has wires that flex. At some point, these will come unsoldered.

I laud MP for addressing a need in N scale: decently running small to average sized steam. It does, however, need to update its construction methods. Kato and Bachpersonn can make a split frame chassis with all live drivers. Those two also have needlepoint tender trucks that allow all wheel pick-up on the tenders. The final touch would be a stiff wire live drawbar.

I like the appearance of these things. They run well. WIth newer construction methods, they would be more reliable, thus they would operate well.

There is a difference between runnability and operability.

I plan to upgrade mine by putting the Bachpersonn USRA switcher tender shell onto a Kato caboose chassis and soldering wires to the pickup strips in the caboose. (I will make new floorboards for the caboose shells and add trucks to make useful cabooses).