IHC 4-8-2 Mountain

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Anybody own any steam locomotives made by International Hobby Corp.? What's the quality like?

I'm looking at a 4-8-2 Mountain--here's the manufacturer's page:

http://www.ihc-hobby.com/cgi-bin/bsc.cgi?sn=94522298TKB52P391842J147R56050

Seeing it discounted online and am considering purchasing.

Any opionions welcome--thanks!

[simon1966]

I do not have this particular model, but do have 3 or 4 of the others Mikes, Consolidations and Pacific. They run OK, they are relatively easy to convert to DCC, in my case I have put Soundtraxx sound into 2 of them. They are very generic, in that all the models of the same type are the same, just with different road names on them. They are not very well detailed, with molded on detail, and shiny metal applied parts. I don't think that they are worth the list price, but significantly discounted they are a good deal. Just don't expect them to compare to a BLI or other higher end plastic model.

[Anonymous]

I don't have the Mountain, just the 2-6-0. Anyway, the IHC Steamers are good, smooth running engines, at least for the price. They are made by Mehano of Slovenjia, Detail is not comparable to LL Proto 2000, Bachmann Spectrum or Athearn Genesis. Detail wise they are comparable to older Rivarossi stuff, but the running qualities are far better. If the price ist good, it maybe worth the try. You can always add detail parts...
I would shop around, however. 105 bucks is not a cheapo. Try other online dealers, sure they beat this price.
Regards
Martin

[Fergmiester]

I have 4 and find them to be nice runneres with good pulling ability. They run smooth and fairly quietly. Their detail is generic and not as crisp or accurate as say Bachmann or LL. But for the Money they are a good buy.

Fergie

[dave9999]

When I purchased my Spectrum Mountain, I was also looking at an IHC. The difference
in price was not significant enough to buy the IHC... it was cheaper, but it was nowhere
near the quality of the Spectrum.

I guess if you are into adding your own detail parts, or if detail is not important to you, then
the IHC locos are a good value. Good luck, Dave

[cheese3]

i have a 4-8-2 made by IHC and i find it runs great, it is smooth, quiet and can pull alot. Detail is good and looks great weathered. Here is a picture...

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cheese3

i have a 4-8-2 made by IHC and i find it runs great, it is smooth, quiet and can pull alot. Detail is good and looks great weathered. Here is a picture...

Looking at the picture, it looks like the engine has old Rivarossi-style deep flanges, not NMRA flanges. Is that right, or is it a trick of the lighting?

[Fergmiester]

Apart from their new 2-10-2 release all IHC Steamers have the deeper non-NMRA standard flanges. To tell you the truth I don['t may much attention or even notice the difference unless I pay close attention.

Fergie

[cheese3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Brunton

QUOTE: Originally posted by cheese3

i have a 4-8-2 made by IHC and i find it runs great, it is smooth, quiet and can pull alot. Detail is good and looks great weathered. Here is a picture...

Looking at the picture, it looks like the engine has old Rivarossi-style deep flanges, not NMRA flanges. Is that right, or is it a trick of the lighting?

i have no clue, but like fergie i dont pay much attention to it.

[selector]

I enjoy my IHC Mike very much. It is clearly not in the league of P2K Heritage steam, nor of BLI, but mine has my only Tsunami in it, and it runs very well...sounds GREAT!

If yo had the time and inclination, you could improve the looks of the loco without a great deal of effort or cost. I added a "steam generator" just forward of the cab of my Mike using a small barrel from another kit and a piece of shaped, thin, sprue as the stack. Only a mean-spirited nitpicker would bend for a closer look, raise an eyebrow, and look at me. [:D]

[Anonymous]

My only complaint with the IHC steam locos that I own is their wheel flanges are too deep for code 83 switches (Atlas).

However their new 2-10-2 loco advertised in MR claims to be RP 25 compliant.

[ort007]

My experience is so-so. I have two IHC steamers, 2-8-0, and 4-4-0. They look OK, but both have two speeds; full out and stop! When the voltage (DC) gets high enough to start the motors, they take off running. There is no low speed operation. The 4-4-0 is especially bad. When the voltage drops, it locks up so abruptly it tends to derail it's consist. I sent the 4-4-0 back to IHC to have them adjust it, and it came back as is, so evidently, they found no problem with "full speed" and "stop".

BTW, here is more on this topic (just two days ago!)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=55034

Ort007

[Virginian]

I have one IHC left, an 0-8-0. It does not have huge flanges and runs great at all speeds. It did have silver railings and wheel rims/flanges so I painted those and I still plan to add some details. It runs as good as the P2K, but it doesn't look as good, but then it did not cost near what the P2k one did.

[Anonymous]

I have one of these. I bought it years ago, early after my return to model railroading. It is an excellent runner and a powerful puller. While the flanges are a bit deeper than RP25, I had no trouble with it on Walthers/Shinohara code 83 track. My B&O-decorated model came with a ridiculously incorrect tender (tries to be a Vanderbilt but fails, I've been told that this goes back to the earliest release of the model which used a tender-mounted motor); I recently replaced it with a Spectrum Vandy tender and it looks MUCH better. If a good runner is your main priority, this model can't be beat. If better appearance is more important you should get the Spectrum, which was not available at the time that I purchased the IHC. Be careful about buying this model on E-Bay as earlier versions (earlier as in 20 or more years ago) may not have the same running mechanism. Also, and as others have noted, do not assume that all IHC locos will run this well; they vary quite widely depedning on the original designer.

[bobwrght]

I have two of them (IHC) and they run just fine. Good for the price. I added my own detail . This was what i was looking for. I payed around $75.00 or less for each. Look around. The Spectrum is very nice but you will have to remove alot of detail if you are adding yours. I also have two of the Spectrum.

Bob

[railandsail]

Anonymous

I have one of these. I bought it years ago, early after my return to model railroading. It is an excellent runner and a powerful puller. While the flanges are a bit deeper than RP25, I had no trouble with it on Walthers/Shinohara code 83 track. My B&O-decorated model came with a ridiculously incorrect tender (tries to be a Vanderbilt but fails, I've been told that this goes back to the earliest release of the model which used a tender-mounted motor); I recently replaced it with a Spectrum Vandy tender and it looks MUCH better. If a good runner is your main priority, this model can't be beat. If better appearance is more important you should get the Spectrum, which was not available at the time that I purchased the IHC. Be careful about buying this model on E-Bay as earlier versions (earlier as in 20 or more years ago) may not have the same running mechanism. Also, and as others have noted, do not assume that all IHC locos will run this well; they vary quite widely depedning on the original designer.

Yes I do realize this is an 'older' subject thread, but I was looking for info on the IHC version of the C&O mountain loco. This was the very first steam loco I bought when I re-entered the hobby a number of years ago. It was on sale at a very attractive price, and it was just the sort of good looking steam engine I wanted. It ran marvelously, so much so I bought a second one, then weathered the two of them, and finally I would double-head them (without DCC).

I still have those 2 locos somewhere in my storage trailer. I also acquired a few of the Bachmann versions with there much superior vandy tenders. I've not run these as I sold my layout and went without for many years. I'm now building a new layout, and look forward to running both the IHC pair and the Bachmann pair.

These locos also got me hooked on C&O steam. I like the 'busy-ness' of the flying pumps.

[railandsail]

Wish someone would build a plastic model of the C&O H7,..

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30786

 

I may try to kit-bash one eventually.

[Southgate]

Old thread, yes. Still worth noting how great these IHC (Mehano) steamers run, and weathering alone goes a long way for realism. 

I have three of their moguls, and they don't have problems on my Micro Engineering code 70 even with the taller flanges. Perhaps ME track's smaller spike detail helps here? Dan

[doctorwayne]

Southgate

....I have three of their moguls, and they don't have problems on my Micro Engineering code 70 even with the taller flanges.....

I have one of their Moguls, and other than having a higher starting voltage requirement than the brass Mogul with which it usually runs, it performs well.  I've modified mine a bit, and added some weight, and just recently replaced the motor with a low rpm can that was a drop-in fit, which took care of the starting issue....

When I first got mine, I turned down the deep flanges, using a cut-off disc in a motor tool.  To do so, the motor was hooked directly to a power pack, and, with the loco held upright and running at about half-speed, the face of the cut-off disc was brought into contact with the flange, at the bottom of the wheel, to avoid getting the removed particles of metal in the motor or gears.  Each driver was done, in-turn, for only a few seconds at a time, in order to prevent overheating the tire and perhaps damaging the plastic centre.

I didn't bother with this operation on the lead truck, though, and simply replaced the wheelset with another, and also changed out the tender trucks.

Wayne

[SeeYou190]

I never thought much of IHC locmotives, even though I never owned one.

.

Then at the Atlanta Train Show last weekend I saw an HO layout with a great running steamer I did not recognize. I was quite surprised when the owner told me it was a box-stock IHC product with just some detail paint.

.

I might need to give IHC another look.

.

-Kevin

.

[Southgate]

doctorwayne

 

 

Southgate

....I have three of their moguls, and they don't have problems on my Micro Engineering code 70 even with the taller flanges.....

 

 

I have one of their Moguls, and other than having a higher starting voltage requirement than the brass Mogul with which it usually runs, it performs well.  I've modified mine a bit, and added some weight, and just recently replaced the motor with a low rpm can that was a drop-in fit, which took care of the starting issue....

 

Hey, Wayne, what motor did you put in your mogul and where'd ya get it?  Nice work, too. the piping looks good on it. Dan

[doctorwayne]

Southgate

Hey, Wayne, what motor did you put in your mogul and where'd ya get it? Nice work, too. the piping looks good on it. Dan

 

Thanks, Dan.  To be honest, all I remember is that I looked on-line and simply stumbled across a site that offered five small, low rpm can motors for, I think, $13.00.  I figured that the price wasn't too high for me to take a chance, and that likely the motors would be of a quality similar to what was originally in the loco.  I'm putting another one of the same motors in a brass Mogul.  The original was an open frame motor, and while I had replaced the magnets with rare-earth types...it ran better, but the motor still more-or-less filled the cab, while the can should allow me to add a simple backhead made from styrene.

The original IHC motor measures 14.5mm Wide X 19.5mm High X 24.5mm Long, while the replacement is 15mm Wide X 20mm High X 24.5mm Long, and both have the same shaft diameter and length, so the worm is a press-on fit.

Sorry, but I don't recall the name of the company or the seller, as it was at least a couple of years ago when I bought them.

Wayne

[SpaceMouse]

I have a 4-4-0 and it is the best running steamer I've ever owned. I once clocked it at 20 seconds to run 12" with no hesitation. 

[Southgate]

Thanks for the reply, Wayne. I have picked up a few motor finds as well, great deals. But i also couldnt tell ya where now. 

[railandsail]

I had a pair of the IHC mountains, and they ran very well. I even double-headed them,...without DCC. Just fine.

I believe IHC has gone out of business.

[ATSFGuy]

Is Mehano still in business?

Are the IHC' 4-8-2's easy to convert to DCC?