Does anyone know if FVM is planning to produce a non-Hiawatha, conventional version of the 4-4-2? Would love to have a few (ok a small fleet) of these little bruisers. Suggestions:
metal frame with plastic body
separately applied, etched metal detail parts
standard DC operational available with DCC or DCC+sound option
priced under $200 for DC (can afford the fleet) and under $400 for DCC+sound (just one is still good)
The only other 4-4-2 I know of in N Scale is the Black River Pennsy E6 http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/br442.html. These things are quite hard to find and not the greatest looking models. If FVM is already producing non-USRA steamers, I’d imagination a PRR Atlantic might be in the works.
Some steam locomotive chassis are generic enough to be readily adaptable to other prototypes, and the N scale as well as HO markets have seen many examples of this, but the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha engine was purpose-designed and unique. It was not a streamlined shell dropped onto an older locomotive (as the Milwaukee did with some similar looking vintage 4-6-0 s) but custom built. Moreover, it was unusual for Atlantic type engines in that the main rod connected to the lead driver – very much like an old American standard 4-4-0, rather than to the rear driver as was the case with most “classic” 4-4-2 engines circa 1900 to 1925 such as the Pennsy or CNW or other interesting large driver Atlantics.
Also Matt’s design for the Hiawatha pretty much fills hte shell with stuff, so it would be a considerable re design to try and fit all of that within the normal Atlantic boiler.
The day seems to be over when manufacturers such as Mantua or Model Die Casting would try to find multiple uses for their tool and die work. But if Matt was inclined to make further use of his investment in the Hiawatha 4-4-2 tooling, about the only thing that comes to mind would be a Canadian Pacific Jubilee 4-4-4 of the F2a class which also had the main rod to the lead driver and in other ways did resemble the Hiawatha engine “under the skin.” Even the B&O’s Lady Baltimore of about the same era, also a 4-4-4, had the main rod to the rear drivers. What I don’t know is if the motor etc could be crammed into the semi streamlined Jubilee boiler which looks like the runt of a litter off Royal Hudsons.
The CP conversion would not be exact but would surely be close enough to please most C