You can do your homework and still be disappointed. When Broadway originally came out with their C30-7 model, the models were available with two different style truck sideframes. I wanted the Conrail flavor, but Broadway’s brochure was not detailed enough for me to determine which sideframe they had put on the Conrail model. So I called them and was assured that they had done up a spreadsheet and had made sure that the proper sideframe was on the particular prototype model.
So I ordered the model. When my new toy was received I opened the box and sure enough it had been assembled with the incorrect truck sideframe. So I called Broadway back, talked to a couple people, and determined that there had been an oops. To their credit, Broadway did stand by their product and sent me the proper parts.
So I guess the point is that you can take all the precautions you can, and still get bit.
I always appreciate it when a manufacturer tells me the prototype the model is based on or if it’s generic. Then I can look it up and see if it’s close enough. Of course in S scale steam, any non-brass engine with the desired wheel arrangement is close enough.[:D]
FWIW I’d say there’s a difference between a “fantasy” model and what I might call a “close enough” model. A Penn Central 4-6-4 or a New York Central C-44-9W is a “fantasy” model, showing something that never existed.
On the other hand, USRA steam engines were generally based on already existing engines, and many railroads bought or built copies or near-copies of USRA engines from the twenties into the early fifties. So if a model company has a good model of a USRA mikado and says something like “ABC railroad never owned a USRA mikado, but they had a class of midados on their roster that were very similar in size and appearance, so we’re offering our USRA mike for the ABC railroad”, I wouldn’t exactly consider that a fantasy scheme. I’d say it’s up to the modeller to decide if that company’s engine is ‘close enough’ to use for that railroad or not.
One that I’d like to see is Atlas make their H-24-66 TrainMaster factory painted to represent the Milwaukee and CNW’s nearly identical H-16-66 “Baby TrainMaster” engines. Except for being about 3-4’ shorter, the H-16-66’s made from 1953 on were very similar to the H-24-66, and the two had many interchangeable body parts.
Yes. There is no “perfect system” out here. So what are we to do? Give up? That is what a lot of people do. Andre’s point is still there. And, as you even mentioned----
You did have the right information—which leads to you getting the correct parts. That is the part that a lot of us tend to forget. In order to, sometimes, get the correct part one has to be “one up” on these things. It does happen—
I do not think that it is totally “impossible”–as some seem to think— to find that researching leads to “perfect success” but I’m not going to throw in the towel either. Sure, sometimes you might be “disappointed” in the search but there are these things that lead you say—“Hey! I didn’t know that!”
Remember a similar complaint about an engine on a forum many moons ago, as it turned out the engine did exist but only for a week or so and was repainted, happens all the time when one company acquires another, and if I remember right it was not documented by the company either but someone had a photo. Remember a few years ago when the BN made a mistake and two locos had the same # just like model railroaders!
You did have the right information—which leads to you getting the correct parts. That is the part that a lot of us tend to forget. In order to, sometimes, get the correct part one has to be “one up” on these things. It does happen—
Now here’s something that kind of drops my jaw. There’s disappointment that BLI produced a faux Santa Fe Mike, but there’s no hint of awareness that a Santa Fe Mike and a C30-7 (regardless of road) just don’t go together, period. If one is going to run such a combination, what’s the big deal about a USRA light or heavy Mike lettered for Santa Fe? Steam and 2nd generation diesel? Now THERE’s a fantasy.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go install a FRED on Civil War era boxcar, after which I’ll be installing truss rods on the Amtrak Superliner II cars.
Ummmm, what?? I’m certainly aware that a Mikado and a C30-7 don’t run together. My point in posting was only to say that even if you do the homework to the best of your ability you can still end up with something that can disappoint you. So, go ahead and put your jaw back into position.
Sorry, got you confused with the OP. Thought he was the commenting on the C30-7.
Yeah, you can be disappointed. Sometimes it can cost you thousands. Like the '89 Mercury Sable we bought. Nice car when it was functioning, but it went through 3 power steering hoses in as many years and 3 1/2 years into its miserable life the engine just quit running one day on I-40. It didn’t seize, it just stopped. Did finally get it to run. Traded it in on as soon as we could.
That’s life. Sometimes it hands you lemons. When that happens, according to Ron White, you look for someone whose life has handed them vodka and you have a party.
Yep…happens to the best of us. I used to model SP exclusively until the two merger’s of the SP(DRG&W and UP) which gave me this once “brilliant idea” to model all three roads. I ordered 2 Athearn GP-50’s in D&RGW only to find out that they never owned a GP-50. So with some research I did find that NS and UP owned a few, so I broke out with the floquil paint, air brush, and microscale decals and did them the right way.
Now that there are 5 roads on my layout, (SP, UP, DRG&W, SF kodacrome, and NS) I’m starting to have the inclination to just go back and model the SP exclusively again because it’s my original “favorite” road. All i’ll have to do is sell off both GP-50’s and a C30-7 (both UP and NS which SP never owned) and everything else can be re-painted into SP again. I want to go back to “SP only” because my layout’s locomotives are out of an orginal “time frame circa.” In other words, there weren’t too many F-7’s, Alcos, and E-8’s running during the AC4400 and 70 MAC days in which now, all three generation diesels are on my layout. I’m seriously thinking of returning my layout to the SP in the 60’s and 70’s so i can run F and E units, Geep 9’s and some of the first big power before the safety cab days. Anyway, I’m getting off the subject now but, this (the GP-50 fiasco) is what caused me to research a locomotive before putting the money down for a new loco from then on. Some things like purchasing the wrong loco are just good learning tools if you learn from the experience. It can keep the expenses down to a dull roar and keep a more prototypical railroad in order.
Okay, for one thing, these Mikes are not an “expensive” model. BLI made the NH I-5 4-6-4, and that’s a $450 model. In fact, all the railroad specific models currently on their website (NYC Hudson, Santa Fe 2-10-2, SP Daylight, Reading T-1, PRR I1a, SP Cab Forward, N&W Y-6b) are all $350 to $500. These Mikados are generic USRA type models without railroad specific detail parts. They list for $250. They are the least expensive steam engines that BLI makes these days. Might that tell you something?
Here’s a quote from their website listing these models: “BLI’s models follow the original designs closely. Railroad specific variations are not modeled on these locomotives.” (emphasis mine)
Secondly, BLI seems to be well aware that many RR’s they are doing these for never had USRA Mikes. When I contacted them about the NH Heavy Mikes they are doing, they knew that the numbers they had picked for their models were numbers the NH never had (3026 and 3027). They had done so deliberately so as not to fool anyone into thinking these were accurate NH models. I, along with several other NH modelers, convinced them to release these USRA Heavy Mikes in the number scheme of the NH’s J-2 class Mikados (3104 & 3106). See, while the NH never had USRA Heavy Mikes, they did have their own class of Mikes that are very close to USRA spec., being just 3" shorter in height, 3 feet shorter in length, and with a different cab and some detail parts. They did, however, have the same wheel spacing and size, valve gear, trailing truck, etc., and the boilers were quite close with the USRA being a little larger. With a “NH cab” and some detail parts, these BLI Heavy Mikes would make a close model for a NH J-2. I am happy about it because no one has ever made a model of NH J-2 in brass and probably never will as the NH only h
Fantasy, shhmantasy! Nothing wrong with that. I prefer “What if?” better
What if the D&H never sold the PA’s? What if the Maine Central & B&M were still a separate companies? What if CN never existed & we still had the Grand Trunk?
Anything is plausible with “What if”!
Athearn did a “What if” with a Milwaukee AC4400 last year. I thought that was absolutely brilliant!
I missed the production run so I never got one. Shuzzbut!
PA’s, F units as well as the latest GE offerings in front of D&H, CPR, VIA & Amtrak passenger cars running with AC4400’s haulin freight. Life is good here.
If the wife would have allowed it, I would have gotten an AC6000 in CPR livery just because it was CPR & yes I know CPR never had one.