Railking 1 Gauge Big Boy

TraditionalCatholic Jun 2, 2009

  1. TraditionalCatholic

    TraditionalCatholic TrainBoard Member

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    Well, several weeks ago, I went into my LHS, and they had the engine I've been dreaming about since I was literally three years old. A G gauge Big Boy. Well, since I have a job now, and have for several months, I managed to figure out how I could buy the thing and did. After a few small problems that involved repairing some power traces on the main circuit board, everything seems to be working well.


    I actually had to take the locomotive to a wonderful G gauge modeler known as "Rayman4449" (He's not here on Trainboard, unfortunately) who lives about five hours from me so that he could perform the repair, as I felt it was beyond my capabilites. He repaired the engine and wouldn't allow us to pay him anything; a truly wonderful person and a blessing to have in the hobby. For your enjoyment, I've provided some photos and a few YouTube clips I have uploaded, some on Rayman's layout, and some on my own driveway railroad:


    Onboard the tender: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeN69-bYxYA"]YouTube - MTH Gauge One Big Boy Onboard[/ame]
    With Rayman's three Big Boys: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3D6BHEv9rA"]YouTube - MTH Gauge One Big Boys[/ame]
    Starting from a dead stop: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj2Pzv_rJQg"]YouTube - MTH One Gauge Big Boy[/ame]
    Onboard footage showing boiler swing: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG_LYzueYfw"]YouTube - MTH One Gauge Big Boy[/ame]
    Another video of all 4 running shot by Rayman4449: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi__f72EedU"]YouTube - MTH BigBoyx4 Video 27[/ame]


    You can also check out Rayman's site at: rayman4449.dynip.com
    He has some great photos of his layout and rolling stock as well as lots of good info.


    Photos:

    Compared to my Athearn N scale Big Boy: [​IMG]

    Night Running:
    [​IMG]

    Four Big Boys at Rayman's:
    [​IMG]

    Big Boys on Rayman's Entry/Exit Ramp at dusk: [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 2, 2009
  2. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    :tb-cool: :tb-cool: :tb-cool: :tb-cool:​
     
  3. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    I like how you made your layout, it's nice. I notice you must live in one of those home developement areas, do you have any trouble with neigbors or any one else with the track laying out in the open and all? We have metal theives around my area, if it's metal, they will try and steal it which is why most of the homes in my area are now vinyl siding instead of aluminum. Many homes have been stripped clean in these times when no one is home. My sister had to call police because someone was trying to rip aluminum siding off of the house next door to her. It's terible, people will steal anything to make money, this is another reason why mine is inside.
     
  4. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Great Locomotive, Although having seen MTH's next to USA Trains, I don't know which I like better as they are both good pullers, quality details, and well built~ Those videos just have me drooling over that locomotive. Steam Locomotives now are becoming more and more real and starting to pull me away from Diesel (Although my little stainz still has my heart ^^)

    EMD:
    Metal thieves? We have junk people who steal crap out of our backyards here for scrap metal. I was refurbishing a mountain bike when It got stolen. I had it registered with the police department which they can't find it because these junk stealers scratch the Metal stamp off it. Another problem I had was my friend Dave and I were welding a metal bridge together for him, well we had to run to the Local Hardware store to pick up some more wood for the walkways and when we came back, the garage door was busted open and the bridge stolen.
     
  5. TraditionalCatholic

    TraditionalCatholic TrainBoard Member

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    EMD: The only layout that I have is the one that is set up on the driveway. All the photos are not my layout, they are on Rayman4449's layout. He has had no problems with vandals in his area, pretty much everybody in the neighborhood loves the trains, and you can't see the track from the street. The USA Trains Big Boy is a fantastic model, but requires 15ft diamater turns or larger, and also is around $3500 instead of $1300, so the USA was way out of my budget, being that I'm only 16 years old, and we only have 8ft diameter turns.
     
  6. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    TraditionalCatholic, just keep in mind the UP Big Boy MTH version is a 1:32 scale version and the USA version is a 1:29 scale version. The USA Big Boy is also all diecast, the MTH version is not. I finally got to see the USA Big Boy version at the ECLS train show and what a huge awesome locomotive it was. Since you freind seems to have a tom of yard room, he should upgrade to 20ft diameter curves if he doesn't have them already.

    I enjoyed all of the pictures, they are all great and impressive.
     
  7. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    What does Raymond do for a living, I wish I could afford all of those Big Boy locomotives, 3 @ $3,500 each, wow. I want 1 of each Accucraft Rio Grande K series locomotives, but I know that isn't happening, those start at $4,500 each, I like the K-37 the best. If I had the money I would have a serious Accucraft Rio Grande collection. Accucraft rolling stock starts at $100 each and goes up from there.
     
  8. TraditionalCatholic

    TraditionalCatholic TrainBoard Member

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    Raymond only has one USA Trains Big Boy. The others are MTH's that he paid around $1300 apiece for. He already does have 20ft diameter turns and #6 switches all around. All Aristo Stainless with MTH DCS. I'm not going to disclose what Raymond does for a living simply because I'm not sure that he wants that information disclosed on the internet.
     
  9. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    TraditionalCatholic, I was just using a figure of speech or in my area that is a saying when a person says it about another, it means they wish they could afford something like that. Anyway, between you and Raymond, you guys have nice locomotives, nie job on video with them running all lashed up together. Looks like Raymond didn't hold out, he went all the way when it came to his layout, stainless steel 20ft curves and #6 switches, all good moves, now he can run what ever he wants.
     
  10. Colormepearl

    Colormepearl New Member

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    Has anyone considered the Aristo Mallet? I wanted a Big Boy, but could not afford even the MTH. So I bought an Aristo Mallet, on e bay, new, for $600. with a three axel trucks, Vanderbilt tender. I could not be more pleased! It is huge, heavy and will pull a house off it's foundation. I detailed it out with QSI sound, and one of one speaker system, which is four speakers. All led lighting, it is awesome, and makes me just a tad less in heaven, than the Big Boy would have.
     
  11. Robbie

    Robbie TrainBoard Member

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    Colormepearl,
    as TD's brother (he appears to have ignored this forum for quite some time), I should state that we DID in fact buy an Aristo Mallet before the Big Boy...unfortunately after three in a row DOA from the factory with massive quartering issues resulting in destroyed gearboxes after under five minutes of running, we decided that the Big Boy was worth the extra money.

    A year and a half later, it's still running strong and hasn't given us any issues. It's an insanely strong puller (It'll pull my Bachmann 2-8-0 and K-27 backwards, WITH a ten car AMS train) and has no real weak areas mechanically that I can find.

    I'd recommend one to anyone.

    We ran it at the local train show again on our display this year and had a blast. Pic included.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Seacoast

    Seacoast New Member

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    The MTH Big Boy looks like a great engine. Does anyone know if MTH will produce this engine again in Large Scale?
     
  13. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    Great locomotive !!! I'm just going to sit here and drool and drool and drool ...... Beats my little 4-6-0's evrey time!
     
  14. bobbyboe

    bobbyboe TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Sean, MTH is coming out with a new BIG BOY in August of this year. It is called 4-8-8-4 Imperial Big Boy Steam Engine - With Proto-Sound 3.0 item #30-1582-1 and the list price is $699.95. Hope this helps. BOB
     
  15. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    If they can get the sound to have depth such as the real engine, that 'whoomp' behind the exhaust, should be quite impressive!

    Boxcab E50
     
  16. Seacoast

    Seacoast New Member

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    Bobbyboe I am just reading this now- at $699 dollars MSRP it is most likely MTH's HO versoin with Proto4 and sound. A G gauge version has not been made to my knowledge. Unless I wrong. Please show us a link.
    George
     

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