Everyone who models early steam hold on to your seats! Check out the new loco from Aspenmodel. It is a Tenwheeler 4-6-0 loco http://www.aspenmodel.com/index_am.php?l=ijlln It is fited over a Marklin BR 38 8899 series. It is a beauty!! It comes in kit form and in RTR in green and black. This is just what I have been waiting for since I model the late 1880s and 1890s. Also they have a Vanderbuilt Tender in both kit and RTR. Enjoy! John Bartolotto
Hello John, thanks for the News! The Steam Locomotive looks great but the Märklin-Trucks on the Vanderbilt Tender are horrible. Better buy the kit and place MTL Trucks on the Tender.
Jürg, I looked a their website and the Vandy trucks look like they are a Apenmodel designed and manufactured brass trucks and not Markin. Probably better to go with the kit and then put on the trucks that you like best. John
Hasn't Robert or someone here scratchbuilt a Vandy tender from MTL tank cars? Did we see pictures of that? Neither of these new Aspen Models items fit my period, but boy are they tempting. Might have to come up with a tourist line or something. ;-) Randy
John, it's hard to tell but for me it looks like Märklin Wheels. I bought the Milwaukee Hudson 4-6-4 Kit last week from Epray and I will use MTL Trucks and Couplers on the Tender.
If you compare the Aspenmodel's 4-6-0 with the Marklin Diamond Special's 4-6-0 set for half the price, it makes sense to go with the Diamond Special as they are very similar locomotives. I would think that modifying the cab of the IC loco would not be too hard, to modify make it look more generic in appearance. I will probably buy one of the Aspenmodel kits, and I plan on getting the Diamond Special kit, just for the locomotive, so I can modify it into an NP looking loco. Bang for the buck the Marklin set is a better deal, but for converting the BR38's that I already have into Northern Pacific loco's, the Aspenmodel kit looks like a winner. Now I have to decide if I want to also upgrade to a 5 pole motor for my 8899. Great find John! Now, if they would just do the 0-8-0's and 0-6-0's into slope back tender switchers. (no tank loco's please)
Robert, That is if you compare the RTR Aspenmodel 4-6-0 with the Marklin Diamond Special's 4-6-0. If you get their kit for $179 and then purchase a 8899 there is a cost savings. Modifying the cab of the Diamond Special is easy, but the boiler for the Diamond Special (Casey Jones) is different (note the square hump in front of the cab) from the Aspenmodel and requires significant modification to change it to a 4-6-0 circa 1880-1899 (trust me I did this). So for at least someone like me who models that era the Aspenmodel kit with a 8899 is the way to go. But you are right the Aspenmodel is way more expensive (then again Aspenmodel RTR locos always have been). And with the Aspenmodel kit version I don't get the Marklin old-time passenger cars of which I already have pleanty. Time will come for the 0-8-0s and 0-6-0s I am sure of it. John
Graham Jones has made a shell for a USRA 0-8-0 (white metal) along with a slopeback tender (resin). Andy Hart of Z-Panzer is seriously considering doing a shell for a USRA 0-6-0 with the more common squarish USRA tender (does this one have a proper name?). Drop him a line and let him know you are interested: http://www.z-panzer.com/ Not sure if you are interested in USRA era or only earlier locos, but this is definitely a start. A couple of years ago or so, there was a photo on the cover of ZTrack that had an 0-6-0 conversion with a tender, but I was never able to get any more info on it. Does anyone here have more info (Rob K. you listening?). Randy
I got 3 of Graham's 0-8-0 conversions, but they don't fit the loco's. No matter what I do, there is no way they will fit. They were made by cutting down the Mikado/Pacific shell and carefully splicing to make a master for spin casting. The slopeback tenders are OK. An 0-6-0 shell is needed. This is the most affordable steamer, and I even have a shell for an Nn3 conversion for an English steamer, but we really need a USRA switcher shell conversion for this mechanism.
Hi Robert, I've swapped a few emails with Andy Hart of Z-Panzer, http://www.z-panzer.com/, regarding just this design, and he did express interest in creating this locomotive. I have his armored locomotive and tenders, and am sure he could do a similar (great) job on a USRA 0-6-0 as well. I think he's just now finishing up the armored consist, so this may be a good time to hit him with some emails regarding the 0-6-0. John http://www.ztrains.com
