I have got the taste for steam and love it. I have a pair of Bachmann GS-4’s and a BL1 J and seem to handel my bench well. There are still a few 18" turns but they could be done away with in short order.
Reason I ask is two fold.
K-10 trains LHS has talked me out of steam for some time. Finaly bought steam and over all not a problem. Asked Ken about the Big Boy or a Challanger. Onces again I was told to stay away from them.
Before I bought the BL1 J I looked at there site and said the J would take 18" turns with no problems and they are right.
Mag reivew says the New Athearn will all so handel 18" as well.
K-10 all so has Big Boy’s by Rivarossi at $289.99. Less than the BL1 J I just bought. But again was told to stay away from it. Not a fan of Rivarossi after there passanger cars but engines may be better?
Any one want some diesels? There is something about steam that warms the heart and mind. Yes one of my PK’s E-6’s, Erie Bulit , F7’s and the BL-2’s could drag the BL1 around the bench. But steam still say RR to me.
Guess the onces you have Steam you will never go back.
I hate to be a spoiler, Ken, but I think you are wide-eyed and on the loose. I would urge you to stop and think a bit.
Sure, you have learned the delight of steam engines. You are also learning a lot about model railroading in general, and it seems to me that you have gone off on a tangent. You have only recently begun to think about changes to your trackplan, but at the same time you are thinking 18" curves and how a Big Boy will do on them. In one breath you talk of 18" curves not being around for long, and in the next asking if a Rivarossi is going to be a good locomotive, etc.
Whoa! Where is this going? Is the horse driving the buggy, or are you? Seriously, I don’t know the first thing about a Rivarossi Big Boy, but it wouldn’t be on my short list when others have recently come out and been given the thumbs-up. You seem to have deep pockets, at least compared to me, but you are laying down the dollars at such a rate recently that I would think you could desist for a couple of months and then buy an Athearn Big Boy after you have sorted out the tracks that you will ask it to negotiate.
I have tried to encourage you over the months, and to help in any way I can, but here I find myself wondering just where you are headed. If steam is to be the be-all and end-all suddenly, I would take it upon me to begin some serious study and learning to find out the ins-and-outs of steam modeling, including how to make them run well and on what types of track. While I couldn’t help but smile at your obvious enthusiasm for steam (good for you, since I share that enthusiasm), I now urge some restraint, some enjoyment of the three steamers you currently have, and get your layout arranged so that, if a Big Boy comes along, it will be a good one and will make you happy with your preparations for it.
I am not sure, but I believe the Rivarossi Big Boy uses older tooling and is not up to the level of the current offerings from the other manufacturers. Based on what I have seen of you from your time here, I would say you probably are going to have to have a Big Boy before you can slow down a little. They do not come bigger, so once you have one of those you can slow down and take stock.
I too, am a steam lover. But, even with the latest and greatest models, I find it is not at all unusual to have to do a little tweaking to a new model to get it to operate just right. I merely mention this so you don’t get surprised down the road.
Hello cudaken, I have two of the Rivarossi Big Boys and they handle 18" curves just fine, having said that however I agree with the previous posters that you should get your track work settled including the curve radii. The Rivarossi Big Boy as previously noted isn’t the “best one around” compared to the Trix , Precision Craft Models (the sound equipped diecast boiler not the big buck brass job)the Athearn Big Boy is probably another fine choice judging by their Challenger. If you are dead set on the Rivarossi B Boy definately stick to the newest production version you can find (can motor in the boiler, RP 25 flanged wheels) they are much better runners than the older editions, any Rivarossi outside of the 2-6-6-6 Allegheny aren’t anywhere near as detailed as the competition’s newer releases, the Riv B Boy is also equipped with a traction tire (form your own opinion on thisand I think one of it’s competitors has traction tires also) and is relatively light in weight. With any articulated steamer you get the smaller the curve radii is the more that locomotive is going to be hanging out over the curve possibly fouling trackside detail such as catenary or scenery.
Cudaken, you’re beginning to sound like a kid in a candy store with your sudden desire to have everything steam.
I don’t know why your local hobby shop is so dead set against anything steam, but as others have said, you need to slow down and think things over before running out and plunking down big bucks for a Big Boy.
As far as the Rivarossi brand is concerned, they are now owned by Hornby of England, who has moved assembly from Italy to China, so they are probably equivalent in quality to any of the other brands coming out of China, such as Athearn, Broadway Limited, Lionel, Bachmann, etc.
My advice, for what it’s worth, is to do a little more research about the different brands and what they have to offer. From my perspective, I will avoid Athearn as long as they continue to use MRC decoders. Their detail and running qualities are excellent, but their electronics is the worst of any on the market, and it’s against my principles to buy something with a sound system that I would just have to tear out and replace.
Ken, it sounds like your goals & druthers are changing.
I started out only 2 years ago in this hobby and my first loco was a diesel simply because I liked the way it looked - didn’t really know anything about it or what era it ran in or how diesel operations worked etc. While I am no expert by a long shot I have spent the time learning and along that route I ended up realizing that what I really liked - one of my “druthers” - was steam and early diesel. I sold my first loco.
So, long story short - I re-evaluated my plan, decided what era I would model as that dictates what kind of businesses and structures etc. etc. etc.
Has anyone actually seen one of the new Chinese/Hornby versions of the Big Boy? I have one of the later Rivarossi production models from the Italian days and it has the lower profile wheels. It is an OK model, has run just fine with no adjustments.
Try a spectrum steam, without all the goodies and learn how to make them run well (they are really cheap on ebay) and that way you don’t waste alot of money if you make a mistake. Once you get that down you can take on other projects that have a much higher initial investment and if you buy a high end steamer and can fix their little problems you will be much happier than having to send back problems to the manufacter and most problems are minor. On this fourm you will hear people rave all the time about the great deal they got on this and that and alot of times its because of someone else not being able to fix minor problems (used to get alot of mdc shays that way and it was most often a peice flash someone forgot, 5 min fix).
Most Big Boys and Challengers can make it around 18" curves easily, but look a little silly, which is most likely why you’ve been told to stay away. If you don’t mind how they look going around tight curves, than go ahead and get them.[:)] My Bowser Challenger looks silly going around my layout, but I got used to it pretty quickly.[:D]
The new Rivarossi steam engines use the old shells from the 60s and 70s, which still look pretty good I think, but their drives are supposedly excellent. I’ve never heard a negative thing about the new Rivarossi drives, except for the 4-8-4s derailing occasionally. Once I can afford one of their Alleghenys (whenever THAT may be), I’ll do a review and tell all about it.[:D]
Selector and Darth my friends and the other great people that have posted. Yes I am like a kid in the candy shop, Feb this year I had 1 Cheap Life F7-A and 6 cars and snap track.
As far as the deep pockets, well I have been very lucky of late at the new job. I have made bounes out the caboose and was the top sales person of the month with $70,000.00. The bounes for that feat was what bought the BL1.
Yes I have learned a lot and I am getting better at this. Plus I love to tinker.
Just a case in point my weak GS-4 Bachman is now dragging 17 cars at 65% thottle up the 2% grade.
As far as doing research, that was the reson I started this post. I wanted to pick the brain’s of the more advances people about the Big Boys.
Slector, only reason I asked about the 18" turns is because it stated in the Mag review they would handel them. My 18" turns could be gone in 2 hours max. But till I need to replace’s them I will not fix what is not broken. New section of my bench wood is being cut this Wendesday, ice storm has sure slowed that down. But when it is up and running the 18" will be gone shortly there after.
As far as the chip and sound in Athearn. Hee, Hee, I am still DC. Thanks to T-Stage I just got my first DCC set up. It is only a Bachman E-Z but for all most free, it is the first step.
Why K-10 keeps talking me out of stuff, well I guess he just does not like head aches!
There will be a Challanger here Tuesday! But, [:D] it was made in 1970 by Dodge, tuning the T/A carb’s for a car friend.
Ken congrats on being top salesman of the month. You are a man after my heart. I love the old mopar muscle cars. My old army buddy e mailed a while back and told me that he had just sold his 70 hemi cuda and retired early. I went with him when he bought the car new. That was all he talked about while we were in vietnam. sorry I got off topic Dave
I assume we are talking HO here, but even in N scale the challegers/bigboys look a little rough going around 18 inch radius, I can’t imagine it being better in HO.
I know the above is talking about bigboys, but are we only talking UP here, or is the location not yet set. Also, do we have a year your thinking about modeling because that would definitely shore up if you are going to do the Big Boys or another type.
You can get a Challenger, or a Big Boy, any time you want, so there is no panic. Pick up the phone, or see K-10, and you have one real quick. Better yet, it can be DCC ready or have sound already on board since you are about to embark on your exploration of DCC. In the mean time, you can methodically right your track plan, broaden your curves a lot (it would be really great if you could get them above 24", because then you will be able to add heavyweight passenger cars, another gotta have for many steam fellas) from Rapido, Branchline, or Walthers, as well as a mighty C&O T1 or its twin, the PRR J1 (my favourite).
So, thanks for doing me the honour of considering my message earlier. I think some hard-nosed thinking on your part now will make you a much happier modeler in just a couple of months. When you know you are days from running your reno’d tracks, go ahead and get whatever you like. By then, you may have changed your mind for reasons that we can’t foresee, and the Challenger, as nice as they are, may no longer fit so nicely into the picture.
I was curious if the Hornby/Rivarossi Big Boy was actually in the stores yet. I e-mailed Hornby International and somewhat suprisingly got a very nice reply from a lady from Hornby Italia srl. Evidently some part of Rivarossi continues to exist in the form of an office in Italy.
Here is the response:
Yes the Big Boy loco is available in American shop and the box is different
from the old one.
The new one (CODE HR2005) has the following features:
May have time today to change the turns. Seems State Farm is going to pay to have the tress removed from on top of the house.[:D]
Most of my turns are 22 to 24 and one 26 the hold outs are out of my view range so looking goofy is not a problem. I can’t see them.[;)]
As far as going steam crazy, at this point I only want one more. Most I train’s I can run is 4 (2 main lines and 2 passing sidings) so if only one more want it to be a good one.