I noticed the Intermountain Southern Pacific AC12 without sound is in stock at least at one dealer. Pictures are on Ebay of the model.
It looks very nice. Has anyone seen them and do they run good or great???
Please give us a review if you have one or have seen them in operation.
Just a reminder to prospective purchasers: This model is prototypically articulated (front set of drivers rigidily attached to boiler) and so will require at least a 22 or 24 inch minimum radius curve. I saw a preproduction model being run at the Philadelphia NMRA Convention. It ran smoothely and quietly (or so it seemed amid the background noise in the hall).
Thanks for the reminder. You are right, this one cannot be used on small radius curves. Most articulated models require close to 30" radius curves minimum and would be best on club layouts. The pictures do show a lot of detail.
Saw the non-sound version at my LHS, Bruce had just gotten it in. FANTASTIC detail! Gorgeous locomotive, looks like it will pull the walls off. Almost got it, but I was in the midst of buying the BLI CZ at the time.
You’re right about the articulation–this is a BIG locomotive, and it will need much bigger curves than the double-articulated locos out on the market, now. The back (front) of the boiler will have a WHALE of an overhang on anything less than about 30".
Now, if someone (maybe Intermountain) would only come out with an AC-6 (the ‘transitional’ AC), I’d be an extremely happy camper. But that AC-12 is just a beauty!! And the price seems very right for the amount of loco you’d get ($329).
Even though it’s a prototype that no other railroad ever owned, I think it should be a BIG seller for Intermountain. After all, SP had close to 200 AC articulateds in various classes, and UP only had 25 Big Boys.
Tom
Tom
Did you get to see ithe AC-12 run? I am very interested in knowing if it runs slow and smooth. This being their first steam project, it is an unknown for running quality .
OOOOPS! (almost) I was ready to jump in and “correct” the statement that the FRONT engine is attached rigidly to the boiler but then I remembered just what it is that we’re discussing here.
REALLY!? I gotz to get down to Bruce’s and check it out…
Sorry, didn’t get to see it run–Bruce was just taking it out of the box when I started drooling, LOL! But knowing Intermountain, I’d say it probably runs slow and smooth and beautiful. Bruce picked it up and said, “If this baby has traction tires, they’re probably not needed.” Evidently the loco WEIGHS IN!
Tom
Aggro: Hurry up, something tells me it’s not going to be at Bruce’s very long (no, not me, I’m bought out for a while!)
Tom
Now, if someone (maybe Intermountain) would only come out with an AC-6 (the ‘transitional’ AC), I’d be an extremely happy camper. But that AC-12 is just a beauty!! And the price seems very right for the amount of loco you’d get ($329).
Couldn’t you just modify a BLI AC-4/5 into an AC-6? You 'd want to move the compressors to the smokebox front and substitute a Worthington type SA feedwater heater on top of the smokebox ahead of the stacks. That covers the bulk of the visual changes.
'Course, if you really wanted to confuse people, you could also take the cab of an AC-8,10.11, 12 and put it on the AC-6 and number it 4138, which, IIRC, was one of the AC-6’s that got the later cab.
Then again, maybe the easier change is to put spoke drivers under the Intermountain AC-12 and use a Spectrum “Hicken” (actually a 160c-1) tender.
So many possibilities. [:-^]
Andre
Andre–I suppose you could modify the BLI AC-5 into an AC-6, but unfortunately, if you’ve got the sound model (which I have), you’d still never get the ‘talking pumps’, which was such a big part of the charm of the AC-6 and later AC’s. Actually, I’ve got the Sunset AC-6 in brass (a really powerful, smooth-running beauty), which I bought used (and was missing the streamlined cab alternate for 4138), so I’m not going to carp too much, LOL!
But boy, that Intermountain AC-12 is REALLY spectacular!
Tom
Saw one in person. Nice enough looking units, detailed like brass… but the max speed is terribly slow. At 12volts it moved like 30 mph. Don’t know what the hell is up with that. Ahhhhhh!!! [sigh] Anyone know a possible soulution to this?
If it has lights on the DC model, they might be using diodes circuit which would remove some voltage to the motor.
I am waiting on the DCC model so it should run close to 50mph, about right for the prototype.
Aggro–I saw the same model at Bruce’s the last time I was in there (surprised it was still there). Again, didn’t have time to ask to see it run, but if about 30mph is all it does right now, it might just need some breaking in. Some of the newer brass I’ve bought over the years is a little slow until everything adusts itself, and this baby looks like it has brass tolerances (even if it is plastic).
I’m going to wait for the sound version and see what happens–Bruce’s are all reserved, but I’ve got one coming in at Roseville Hobbies (according to Mike, it should arrive just about the same time as the BLI, so I might end up with a choice!), so we’ll see. But boy, is that loco GORGEOUS! However, both models had damn well better have the Talking Pumps or I’m not interested.
Tom
My AC-12 arrived yesterday and today I’m sending it to Intermountain for replacement.
Why?
Sounds like a 1950’s brass engine, this thing makes so much noise (more than any of my 70’s brass ever did before I re-geared them) that adding a sound decoder would be pointless and a waste of $$. It’s not the gears though, but the metal shaft, metal couplings and motor. The seller offered to replace the item. Sent me a video of his other one working, and it sounded just as noisy as mine. I hope their’s was just a bad batch and that Intermountain’s replacement is going to be MUCH better! If not this loco will have been a waste of money.
Other points I noticed:
Eccentric crank pin needed adjusting. Driver wheel was pulled high off the track. Easily sorted though.
I noticed that the wheels are not sprung. Any track imperfections is exaggerated in the shell motion due to that issue plus insufficient weight over the cab. The shell really does bounce up and down.
Most of the handrails and pipe work is brass. How do I know? Because in the 24 hours I’ve had this, a lot of the black coloring has come off.
This cab really needs a fireman and engineer! No instructions on how to disassemble the shell provided.
Under the tender, there are a few very small holes where I suspect the speaker will eventually go (waiting for the Tsunami in March), though these holes are way to small and I can see some copper strip running over some of them. Maybe it won’t be a straight forward sound installation?
Good things, it runs smoothly now, good slow speed, can’t comment on top speed since my layout is modular and has no long running space at the moment.
Overall a shame, since this is a GORGEOUS locomotive and I really want to keep it… PLEASE Intermountain send me a quite running loco… I’ll update you guys when it arrives.
Simon
Thanks for the review.&nbs
Yep. I notice
[quote user=“AggroJones”]
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The PCM AC12 will sell even better now that we have all read the reviews on the AC12 from Intermountain model. The PCM will be out in a couple of months or so and should pull very well because of the die cast metal stucture like the Y6b and Big Boy.
I prefer the prototype articulated model, but the reviews are sure throwing salt on the Intermountain product. Its too bad also since that was their first steam model. Any other products will be probably be cut since models on shelves do not generate money for the company and Intermountain has done much better in the freight car products.
The Intermountain units might be on the blow out list in a month or two. At least the Tsunami will be available to install into the PCM since they will probably use the same lame sound they installed in the Big Boy. The Big Boy sound is not representative of anything the Union Pacific had on the property, but the whistle on the Y6b is correct. Who would guess one is correct and the other one is so wrong. The chuffs on both models are acceptable until the speed reaches about 30mph and it is worthless after that.