Bachmann is announcing some new On30 stuff at the NMRA convention: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/newsimages/2009%20NMRA%20pdf/358_sales.pdf Included are an On30 articulated 2-6-6-2 locomotive with tender and a wood side door caboose.
I really like the On30 4-6-0 which I've heard is based on an ET&WNC engine. I'd be interested in getting one to convert to On3. -Cody
Cody- Seems to me someone did just that type of conversion this past year or so. Don't recall what Group talked about that project though. Boxcab E50
I've converted a Bachmann Porter and inside frame Forney to On3 and both were pretty painless. I've also read a couple articles in the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette about regauging some of Bachmanns other models. I guess the Climax is one of the easier ones to convert. -Cody
Cody-the Bachmann On30 locos are pretty easy to convert to On3. Since you have already reguaged a Porter, you know what to do. The OF Forney would relate to the 2-8-0. The Climax might be fairly easy, but the Shay may need new bolsters built..that might take some thinking. I have reguaged the 2-6-0 and BLI's 2-8-0 to On3 for others and it is all simple enough, just takes a little time and care. Woodie
Thanks, GS! This video has the answer to another question I had... whether the front "engine" swings out on corners, which is closer to prototype than if it were just pivoting on the boiler. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-gEhXUSpkw Adam
I'd sure like to know if the sound is only sync'd to one engine, or both. If you've ever heard a real mallet and the two engines are not in time, (normal situation), it's really interesting listening to them both working. Boxcab E50
On the real thing, a support under the boiler slides on a greased pad located on the front engine. Really cool to see on a sharp curve. Boxcab E50
Actually, on a mallet, you only hear exhaust from the low pressure cylinders (front engine). The high pressure cylinders' (rear engine) exhaust is used in the front. On a simple articulated (N&W A, C&O H-8, UP Challenger), you do have exhaust from both engines. The same applies for duplexes (PRR T-1, B&O Abraham Lincoln). The following is a video of one of the few operational mallets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_wDrEGJpts Note that the exhaust is 4x per wheel revolution, not 8...since only the low pressure exhaust goes up the stack. A really cool feature would be sound cards for engines which could switch between simple and compound operation (N&W Y-6b). Michael
I was probably describing my interest incorrectly. The low pressure steam does come into the smokebox in such a way that it does effect the sound. Instead of a bang, bang, bang on a shotgun stack, it's more like a bark, whoosh, bark, whoosh. Hard to describe. Been aboard and also worked on one of them... Boxcab E50
