I thought I'd add a twist to the "Favorite Real Steam Locomotive" topic. What's your favorite model steam locomotive and why do you like it so much? If you have any photos please share them, we all would like to see!
I only have 2 steam locomotives in n scale. I have a KATO Mikado and a Rivarrossi Bigboy. Both run fine although I did buy tires for the Mikado which improved performance by 100%. The bigboy is more for display although I do operate it occassionally. i have succeeded in running 40 grain hoppers behind the Bigboy with 2% grades. [ 21 April 2001: Message edited by: Colonel ]
My favorite I suppose is my PRR A5 switcher. It is built on an Atlas 0-4-0 frame and superstructure below the running boards, The boiler is from a Minitrix 0-6-0 and the cab is from a Minitrix 4-6-2. These parts were left over from building a PRR H10, which was the subject of an article I wrote for MR in 1975. The tender is the original Atlas (Rivarossi).
Nice picture of your N scale Big Boy Coronel! Cool Gregg, I hope you'll have some pictures of your favorites soon.
I am enchanted by articulated locos, so here are my three favorites. The Wierhouser Lumber, (Mantua), Norfolk and Western, and the UP Big Boy, (Rivarossi), all new.
My favorite locomotive will be my little Fleischmann American style 0-6-0 teeth puller just as soon as it gets back from Doc Patton's Shops. Yeah, I know, it's really small, but I would put money on it against a big boy any day!!! Ok Ok, so it might lose going at it alone. For that reason, I am looking to find a duplicate so it truely can take on the big boys!!!
Benny, I'm pretty sure that the Big Boy would win out, don't forget it's a strong loco with a powerful punch. Unless you own a Allghany 2-6-6-6, then it might beat it!
Will, model for model, I suspect Benny's 0-6-0 could actually out pull a Rivarossi Big Boy and here is my reasoning: The Rivarossi engines have rubber tires for traction because of the light weight. The 0-6-0 is all metal and well built. When the little 0-6-0 would lean into the big Boy, the rubber tires would prevent the Big Boy's drivers from slipping, so would over-heat the motor burning it out and or melting the plastic boiler. In reality: eng.....wheels....DBTE....DBHP B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4 115,000..? C&O......2-6-6-6 110,200..8,000@45mph U.P......4-8-8-4 135,375..6,280@37 S.P......4-8-8-2 124,300..6,000@40 N&W......2-8-8-2 166,000..5,400@25 So it depended on the Draw Bar Tractive Effort, to start a train, but any diesel could start a train. It was the designed Draw Bar Horse Power that determined the speed at which the maximum effort for effeciency was achieved. With scale models, its not how fast it will run, that's kiddies's toy trains stuff. The thing is how smoothly will the engine run, and will it pull all the cars your layout can hold? I have added cars until the caboose was almost a car-length away from the engine, and pulled the train without tipping over the cars, but you have to start very slowly and very gently. Another engine pulled 188 cars!
Will, you must remember that this little guy has a drawbar of about 1.5 lbs...and it will pull more, given the chance. Two of these little guys together would be about 0-6-6-0, getting into the ball park. I know, this is a really small engine, but ask John Patton(7600EM_1) about it. He knows. I figure about four of these would gladly have a go at the old six pounder. They are what hooked me on steam(well, one of many things)
I know you guys will find this hard to believe, but I too have had some steam in my past. I had two Favorites in HO. UP FFE 4-8-4 Northern by Rivarossi and my absolute Favorite...USRA Heavy Mikado 2-8-2 in Southern by AHM-Rivarossi.
Yeah but here's a sneaky plan I have, add more weight to the Big Boy and leave the rubber "boots" on. So just ponder this tought, if the Big Boy can pull 40 cars, imagine what it can pull with added weight plus rubber "boots".
Will, I have Benny's 0-6-0 Flieshman in my shop right now and it out pulls my repowered Big Boys!!!!!!!!!! With speed as well not just at slow power to the motor its a runner!!!!!!!! My Big Boys pulling weight is actually less then Benny's little 0-6-0!!!!! My Big Boys pull 1 to 1.5 pounds!!!!! His little 0-6-0 pulls 1.5 pounds plus!!!!! I did the test on the pulling weight and I did NOT push the issue!!!!! I didn't want to risk the motor in his loco to burn it up so I seen it was pulling 8 onces more (half a pound) then my Big Boys and left it at that!!!!!!! I'll bet money that if you were to rewire one of the 2 locos against each other and couple them together the little 0-6-0 would drag the Big Boy even with traction tires and more weight. While the Big Boy is running in the opposite direction!!!!! That little 0-6-0 is one mean machine!!!!! Benny as soon as I know the check you sent clears in the bank it will be on its way back to you!!!!! I will do one last test on it and an overall check on things like lubercation, and clean wheels before I package it up. I'll e-mail you the day its in the mail. THANK YOU I appreciate it....
Ok guys, Now for my 2 cents in this conversation. I have to stand beside Watash as the both of us are HUGH on steam loco's!! I love the Mallets (articulated)as well. So Watash you and I both are into the articulated steam loco's!!! Anyway My favorite has to be 2 of the many I own. The first one has to be my Rivarossi U.S.R.A 2-8-8-0 EL-5 #7165 B&O. Its a new loco and runs like no other loco I own! Its the PRIME MOVER to all the shows I go to to run trains and never once has it failed me!!!! And its been to all the shows i've been to since i've gotten it 4 years ago. And the second one and the last one goes out to my Rivarossi (ex. Big Boy) thats now a "Yellowstone" 2-8-8-4 EM-1 #7600 B&O. Its still original in the power and drive train. The only work done to it is, the customization to the body to model a EM-1 from a Big Boy. This loco was manufactured in 1960 and still runs and pulls as if it was new till this day!!!! It also goes to the shows that I and the EL-5 does but it hasn't been to as many with me being its owner I can't say if it was been to others before I got it or not. But it plays its roll in the shows now as well with the EL-5 does. Being that one loco (the EL-5) is new, and the old loco (the EM-1), they both run together, and you'd never think that ones 1960 and the other is 1998!!!!! They run great together!!! And make a total of 36 inches of motive power in HO scale on the track!!!!!! You all will get to see this 3 foot of motive power once all my last shows pictures are done being developed!!!!!
Now for my 2 cents, if you will, Tied for #1 on my list is my "Big Six" 2-10-2 from Rivarossi, and my USRA 2-8-2 Athearn Genesis engines, both B&O. My Big Six has the old Rivarossi drive and runs very good, especially since John worked on it. I took it up to the Maple Festival and we ran it with his EL-5 as the Hyndman Helper. on his train. Read under the Favorite Real Steam locomotive string as why this one is. The Athearn Genesis engine runs smooth with it's Samhongsa Drive & detailing to the n'th degree. Both are prototypical to the real things from out of the box! #2 goes to my Clinchfield Challenger, 4-6-6-4, also from Rivarossi. Runs smooth and pulls great and it gives a great thrill to watch the drive rods on the wheels working in step! It also has an interesting history I put in another trainboard string. #3 ia another Rivarossi Engine, the 2-8-4 Berkshire from Pere Marquette. It's a good runner, but try this history. The C&O had tested an Erie 2-8-4 to make a heavy freight hauling engine on it's grades. They took the design of the Berkshire, and streched it to add another driver, and somemore additional tweaking, (69" drivers, larger boiler, balancing, etc...) and came up with the finest 2-10-4 Steam locomotive made. It was so good, the Pennsylvania Railroad tested it and made 125 of thier own, while the C&O owned 40! If you own or see a Rivarossi Berkshire, compare it to a picture of the C&O's or Pennsy's 2-10-4.
Then I challenge those who own and operate the Marklin Big Boys, thsoe suckers boilers are cast iron and weigh a heckuva lot then those Benny's. So the challenge still stands, between Marklin & Benny!
I think the Markline and Fleishmann are both 3 rail pick up. If I'm correct, you could string a huge chain between them so one is going west on one block, and the other going east on the next block, and the Big Boy would have greater traction. Like Benny says, with 3 "Benny's" I think Benny would slowly pull the Big Boy into a short at the block separation. Its like the tale I posted when a steamer "accidentally coupled to the rear of an F unit, and drug the F backwards before anyone realized what had happened! Its just a guess.
This fleischmann is two rail. The Marklin might make me run. The challenge stands. Until I find three more of these little guys. But all in all, I think we will accomplish a lot more if we couple it in front in the same direction Happy rails to all of you!!!
Benny, does the silver button on the bottom of the frame operate the coupler? I thought that was a pickup shoe like a Lionel for 3 rail. I will look in my box of oddities, I may have a few of your kind of couplers, and can send you another hook for the front coupler, if I do. I bought a bunch of Mantua couplers and some odd one like yours were in with them. I like them for switching!
