I haven't been too active on the forum lately so this might have already been discussed. But I ran across these today while browsing: http://www.micro-trains.com/cs-N_Fall.php Looks like the period era modelers will get some useable rolling stock and better yet, some rigid frame trucks. It also says that these cars will have simulated link and pin. Curious to see those. Eric
Just recently they announced these two sets coming this winter, the first being USMRR and the second being a collection of southern roads under the label Confederate: http://www.micro-trains.com/cs-N_1211_CW_Union.php http://www.micro-trains.com/cs-N_1212_CW_Confed.php As much as I'd like to have the cars and "The General" what gives me pause is that this is the Bachmann 4-4-0.
While not modeling that period the older and short cars with link and pin have my interest in use as logging equipment. The notice on the cars, sans the locomotive, did not state whether they would be a set or individual cars. My thought is that they will probably be individual along with the sets. So I may just have to modify at least one loco for link and pin.
For you "period" modelers who are modeling the Civil War Era or slightly after, Panamint Models makes a lot of trucks, several cars, and link & pin couplers that can be made to function. I've ordered Eric Cox's (owner of Panament Models) CB&Q 5' passenger trucks for use as UP "Q" trucks under CA, CA-1, CA-3 and CA-4 cabooses, and they are fabulous! I cannot say enough about them, and the detail on them is astounding! These simply could not be done using injection molding technology. Go here: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/panamintmodels?s=0 to see his line of products. Cheers! Bob Gilmore
The latest version of the Bachmann eight wheeler is not the pathetic locomotive that many say that it is. You should purchase the one in the plastic box. Some of the last made in the cardboard boxes are not bad, but the better ones are decidedly those that come in the plastic box. A few things about these creatures: 1. They do not like plastic frog switches. Use metal frog switches, plastic rail joiners and gap and wire appropriately. 2. They require extensive break in. Run the dickens out of it in both directions and at varying speeds. It will show stiff at first. Sit at the throttle with it, at first. After a few laps in each direction it will loosen up and you can leave it running. 3. The best knuckle couplers for these are unimates or older Kato passenger car couplers. I would not know what MTs that you would use. I have yet to figure out what to use for a pilot coupler, though. After extensive break in, they will hold a steady twenty five scale MPH. I have some that will hold a steady fifteen scale miles per hour. They do still wobble a bit, but not as much as the older versions. They are not bad pullers, for their size. I find that the electrical contact on these is more reliable than that of the Atlas/Microace mogul. Do recall Miranda's Maxim as explicated by ke: 'The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is directly attributable to poor electrical contact.' I would assume that the B-mann eight wheelers that MT will use in these sets would be the latest version.
I also have some of Panamint's trucks. Once I get a day where I am not working and its not still raining outside (Colorado, we've got all the moisture here that you really need) I am going to clean up my sets as well as a couple kits I got from Mark Watson and get going on them. The detail on mine is really good, too, way better than I would have imagined. What Brokemoto says here is also what I understand. Spookshow's entry on these indicates that the earlier ones were pretty bad and the more recent ones work okay after a break-in period. I am thinking about ordering both of these sets.
I was vaguely interested until I looked more closely at the "General". Find a photo of W&A #3, like these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_General_(locomotive) and compare to the MT/Bachmann: http://micro-trains.com/cs-N_1212_CW_Confed.php The shape of the boiler and smoke box are totally wrong. The W&A also put the name plate on the side of the boiler, not the cab. I think that MT would have done better to select a less famous locomotive.
I'm interested in the rolling stock. I wonder if they'll be available in different road names as part of the regular monthly releases? Otherwise, I might have to go with a Confederate set.
Its interesting you mentioned that. Not speaking specifically about this set but another one that MTL completely botched it on was the Chehalis Western log train set. They used a Life Like SW 9/1200 and a MTL wooden caboose. The fact of the matter was that they could have used either an Atlas GP 7 or a GP 38-2 with an Atlas wide vision caboose and been prototypical about it. When I asked MTL why they used their choice of locomotives and caboose that were completely wrong instead of what was more protypical, I got a vague repsonse along the lines of "We used what we felt was most appropriate for the set and what we could get the best price on to keep out profit margins up." They also did not do ANY research to find out what was even prototypical for the particualr set. As far as I am concerned MTL does their sets that way THEY want to do them and bypasses the R&D dept. In my opinion they get an "F" grade on their sets.
People who know something about the subject have told me that the Bachpersonn eight wheeler is really an 1870s locomotive, and not Civil War era. It is the closest thing in N scale to an 1860s locomotive, which is why, I suspect, that MT chose it. The first mogul appeared in 1863. The Atlas/Microace is an 1870s locomotive, as well. The MDC/Athearn offerings are 1880s era power. It appears that MT is designing these sets more for collectors than operators, which would explain their questionable choices for motive power. They included a Bachmann 'prairie' in their logging set. While there has been much improvement to that mechanism, I doubt that the locomotive will pull the cars, even on straight and level. The idler trucks on that locomotive detract seriously from the pulling power. You get better pulling power if you remove the idler trucks and operate it as the USRA 0-6-0 that it is. The other matter is the one live tender truck on the stock offering. It creates a tremendous amount of drag on the locomotive. If you will purchase a SPECTRUM USRA switcher tender, flip over the drawbar and attach it to the locomotive, you will address many of the problems. Still, the idler trucks will detract from the pulling power. I suspect that MT chose the 'prairie' over the 0-6-0 because the logging roads liked the 2-6-2 wheel arrangement. As most logging roads could afford neither the real estate nor the contraptions for turning locomotives (they could barely afford the locomotive), their power ran in reverse as much as it did forward. Trailing trucks served to guide the locomotive when it ran in reverse and cut down on driver wear. They used the LL SW in another logging set. Another poster has commented on that one. They used a MP eight wheeler on the weathered B&O freight set. The MP eight wheeler does not pull well. The wipers on the stock tender create drag on the locomotive. The half wheels live tender makes the locomotive stall frequently. In the twentieth century, B&O eight wheelers were strictly local passenger power. I suspect that they did choose the eight wheeler over the mogul because B&O had some eight wheelers that lasted into the late 1940s, while their last mogul was clearly a nineteenth century creature. The exception is, of course, B&O's 'Chicago Moguls', which were little more than 0-6-0s with pilot trucks. Still, the tender shell will fit onto the B-mann SPECTRUM USRA switcher tender chassis, with a little work, so the purchaser could make that minor modification if he wants to operate that set. I liked MT's FTs. I do wish that they had kept up the locomotive manufacturing in N scale.
Joe has said there are more body styles on the way after these and also another truck style. They will probably come with working couplers and include the link-n-pins in the package. I plan to run them with the Atlas 4-4-0.
I do find it interesting about the picture showing the 4-4-0 with link and pin. Wonder if they'll offer the link and pin as a standard conversion package...
As previously stated in this thread, link and pin Civil War Era coupler of two types are already available from: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/panamintmodels along with accurate models of two types of Civil War Era Union cars and scads of trucks, which are much more detailed than anything MT will produce. Two other "period" (I'm not sure what year or road their prototypes were) cars are available from this site: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/cgnscale Cheers! Bob Gilmore
Republic Locomotive Works has great Civil War Era cars: https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/index.php Hmmmm, looks as if Micro-trains will do the same the cars Republic already did ...... (USMRR box, flat, and caboose) Stephan
I have worked on one of the newer Bachman 4-4-0's for a friend and all it needed to get it running good was a bit of easy work. Disassembled it, sanded off the paint on the frame below the wheel slots, cleaned it all up, reassembled it and lubed it sparingly. Ran it in for a few laps and it runs really well at slow speeds and quicker. This was one of the older ones, i think, in the B&O Royal Blue set. So if tghe 4-4-0 they are using is better, well that won't be a detraction for me. The Bachman Prairie in my MT logging set exceeded my expectations right out of the box. Put it on my brothers layout and pulled all of the sets cars just fine. 2% grades and curves, so we added more cars and it did a good job pulling quite a few more. In short, the older B-man steam had issues, the newer is much better. So, I guess ordering some of these must be in my future! Thanks for MT filling a needed niche!
