Steam guys. Would you a good 4-4-0 or 0-4-0? Why

kmcsjr Apr 30, 2010

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Would you buy a good 0-4-0 or 4-4-0?

Poll closed May 30, 2010.
  1. Yes

    60 vote(s)
    88.2%
  2. No

    8 vote(s)
    11.8%
  1. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

    16,680
    130
    184
    Lot's of D&H 4-4-0 roster numbers to pick from to get me interested...

    :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin:​
     
  2. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

    1,251
    1
    33
    The old US cars in the 50's and 60's and 70's [haha, 1800!!!] were all mainly 4 axle - we really haven't changed much over 150 years!

    These prototype trucks were lighter though, as were the cars on top. But wheel size by Promontory seems to be an average 30" all around for any wheels on mainline cars or locomotive pilot/trailing trucks. You mgiht see some smaller wheels here and there, but for some reason these whee sizes are mentioned often.

    See, this is where the issue is - the drag on 40 trucks is the same regardless as to whether the length of the cars above the trucks are 20 feet long or 40 feet long. The prototype physics simply do not scale out. So your N scale 4-4-0 will not be able to haul a prototype length train. And it's compounded with the fact that a scale traincar is so much shorter than a "modern" car from the 1920s.

    Basically put, modeling Early HO or Early N is almost like modeling "Modern" narrow gauge in either scale! [which in HO is like working in N!]

    The Bachmann model is a good approximation of a vast majority of locomtives made in the 1860-1890s...it was a Very successful wheel arrangement, once aco¤¤¤¤ing for alomost every locomotive on the rails - and they all look about the same, the same dome arrangement, the same rod arrandment, perhaps slight variations int eh cylinders, whether they were 25 tons or 40 tons! So by the time you scale it out to N scale, the size difference shouldn't be too noticeable between the two.

    The real issue is, then, is that Bachmann needs to redo the original 4-4-0 and bring it up to snuff, even if it is still tender driven! A revised [much revised!] model seems to be the real ticket, particularly if the model has a modular cab, domes, tender load, pilot, and cylinders. Given these aprts, the variaiton could be endless.
     

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