I have an order for several Intermountain AC-12’s since Dec 07. I have seen some rotten reviews on thier “running” qualities ie; loss of quartering etc, with rave reviews about detail. Anyone out there have any experience/comments? Last thing I need is another expensive shelf display.
I have not heard anything good about the Intermountain cab forward. They seem to have allot of issues with working ability with track work. Not because its on tight radius it just has some issues with track work. I saw one at the club and the owner was furious. He could not get it to move at all at first and when he did it did not like the switches or the radius. I will wait for the BLI/PCM AC-12, it will be pricy. Though it will be diecast and have chuffing smoke i believe.
Thanks for that! It confirms my fears.
I have heard that the newer release of the Intermountain has had a great deal of the running issues addressed and will hopefully have an improved drive train mechanism.
There was an intitial run at my LHS several years ago when it first came out, and its top speed was only about 25smph, which was rather on the slow side for a prototype whose top speed was manufactured by Baldwin to be in the 70+ MPH range (these locomotives were FAST when they needed to be. I remember.)
If Intermountain is able to correct the running flaws of the first run, it might be a locomotive worth owning, because the detail is fantastic. However, the locomotive is ‘prototypically’ articulated, that is only the rear set of drivers toward the tender actually articulate, the front set under the firebox and cab are fixed, as per a protoypical articulated. This would probably limit the practical radius of the loco to at least 28" radius, otherwise the boiler overhang might wreak havoc on scenery too close to the tracks.
Frankly, I hope that Intermountain can successfully re-do the drive train. BLI’s announcements of locos tend to be a ‘wait and hope’ type of thing, lately.
Also, the AC-12 can also be used to represent other later classes of the AC’s, beginning with the 8, 10 and 11 series (the AC-9 was a standard cab-backward 2-8-8-4 built by Lima) if one wants to have a rather large fleet of these handsome babies. In fact, way back when Akane was producing this loco in brass, they advertised it as an AC-8-12 series so you could number it within those classes.
Tom [:)]
The first run Intermountain has many problems with the drive train for sure. I purchased one and it runs extremely well, but it was never run on a layout. Intermountain has stated they plan on offering previous owners a special purchase for the first run buyers when the new model comes out. I am on their list but have not received any notification that any final decision has been made for a trade in or whatever. This information was given out at the Anaheim trade show last year by Intermountain to anyone that talked to them so we might have hope the new model will run and be useable.
Tom is right about the detail and looks of the model. It is a nice looking, well detailed model that has only one problem. The steam dome is not correct but is acceptable for the most part. I went down to the CSRM and took several pictures of the 4294 from the second floor to determine what was not right about the Intermountain model, at least in my own opinion.
I too have hopes the new model will run very well and look as nice as the first run. My thought is they need to include springing in the drivers to work on minor trackwork changes and change the gearing to allow it to run correctly. I hope they retain the normal articulation, but the problem with the drivers going out of quarter and out of gauge has to be solved. The first run
CZ:
Get those brass ones RUNNING, by golly! [:P] I’ve got 2 Akanes, one Max Gray and one Sunset, and with lots of TLC and just a little ‘tweaking’, they run really well. And they’ll pull anything you can put behind them, at least from what I’ve found.
It doesn’t take much.
Tom [:P]
Tom
They run. One is an Akane and the other one of the great AC-12 by Key. It runs very well. I sold my Overland Cab Forward about two years ago prior to the Intermountain arriving. My thought was the Intermountain would be very nice and have sound installed, which it did, but I also thought they could be run. The SP whistle is very good and the sound is OK until you get past 15mph. At that point, the gearbox is heard since the 1 to 48 gear ratio limits the speed to 30 mph or so. I am hoping they do offer a deal on the next one so I will pick one of those up with the sound installed.
CZ
CZ–
Here’s hoping that the Intermountain re-issue will be everything that we’d BOTH like it to be [:-^]. It’s too good looking (despite that AC-6 steam dome) not to be a popular model if they get it right.
Though I wish that someone–BLI or Genesis, perhaps–would come out with an AC-6, the true ‘transitional’ AC. That’s my all-time favorite.
Tom [:)]
I have one of the original issue. It has about 5 hours of running time on the club layout with absolutely no problems. The only complaint I have is the fact that they don’t have traction tires and therefore can’t pull anywhere near what an engine of its design should be able to pull. I will say though that it is undoubtably the most detailed steam engine that I own. And that covers 62 of them.
Dick
Texas Chief