I know it is similar to the SW1200 already mentioned, but LL’s SW900/8/600 has been a good runner for me. I’ve seen the VO1000 in action, and it works great too. When did KATO announce the NW2? That’s really good news.
Thank you all for input and ideas on this topic. It’s much appreciated!
This forum is one thing that makes our hobby great. Really great!
Best Regards
smyers
I use an old Minitrix Baldwin (I think its a Baldwin) switcher (#1808 Milwaukee Rd) that will pull lots of anything. In fact, I use it to pull my track cleaning car most of the time. I also have 2 of the LL SW 900 switchers which are good, but as noted by others, they work best with 2 in tandem. Also I have some old Atlas GP7’s where the coupler is part of the truck so they work great for switching in tight areas (won’t pull the trailing cars off the track on sharp curves). Larry
You could also use an Atlas GP-7 or GP-9. With regards to the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0, its fairly easy to replace the dummy knuckle on the pilot with a Z scale operating coupler, and voila, switch away.
On other option is the MDC 2-6-0.
The 2-6-0 has larger drivers making it better suited to open running on the rails. They were used in switching sometimes and so you could use it, but more often it was running between yards, not confined to them. The 2-8-0 has much smaller drivers and therefore is better suited to slower things like switching and freight runs.
The real problem with either of these is that because they have an older prototype they would have been 50+ years old in the transition years, making them very old indeed. Thats not to say that there weren’t a few roads that had them then, but for most roads they would need some updating to look a little more modern.
I had a Lifelike SW9 but it was to wimpy for any switching alone w/out a helper. I prefer the Atlas Alco RS-11. Great runner alone and fits well into any era of modeling.
Both Atlas and Bachmann offerred 0-4-0 Switchers with slope back tenders. Both are now out of production, but ocationally show up on EBay.
The Bachmann is more available and cheaper, but it has a clunky toy-like appearance. The cab looks too short. The boiler sits at a weird angle (at least on mine). The tender, however, is easily converted to MT couplers.
The Atlas is a nice looking engine. Very similar to AHM’s HO 0-4-0 from the late 60’s. It runs well considering the era in which they were made and the price range they were targeted to. It is also easily converted to MT couplers. (I think the Atlas and Rivarosi, but not sure, are the same loco under different brand names).
Bachmann currently offers a nice 0-6-0 with slope back tender. Tank type locos are frequently offered on EBay.
The Atlas 0-4-0 (and indeed most of the 1970s Atlas N scale products) was indeed made by Rivarossi. I purchased one new for $28.00 back in the late 1970s, and it was always a decent runner, despite its dimunutive size, and its manufacturer’s reputation.
I believe the prototype was a B&O switcher, perhaps an untanked Dockside.
This is good news, and the first I’ve heard of this. Do you have more information?
And nothing says you can’t give those little switcher some “personality”. This is a Bachmann 0-4-0 that got in the way of my xacto knife;
Sorry the pic is so dark. It’s not so bad if you click on the pic to blow it up.
I am an steam fan and regret the lack of good N scale steam switcher.
However, I have four very old Rivarossi/Atlas 0-4-0 switcher, but modified.
They run with a falhauber geared micro motor . These motor are second hand motor received from an electronic repair friend.They are very expensive, used for special Swarowski microscop hardware. Cost is nearly 185usd…
The motor and the geared box are somewhat proeminent from the cab but not a lot more that the original Rivarossi.
The motor and his geared box are directly coupled on the original gear of the loco using the original vis gear.
They run very well and the slow speed is excellent like a new Atlas V1000 I use too, but the top speed is somewhat low too because of the use of the original gear of the wheels. The pulling is five to seven 40’ boxcars.
I have converted three of these very small engine to Dcc a few months ago.
A big work I didn’t recommend for beginners.
I use a very small Lenz decoder used for a z scale steam marklin loco, I think not more avaible. I put it in the tender, wihch was in fact a resin replica of the original, I use it as a master (they were made in metal originally) making a box with a small cavity where I can put the decoder. This replica is a little bit larger than the original because it take the exterior contour of the original.
The bottom is a pc plate and I use Bachmann consolidation tender truck s for the electricity contact of their both sides. All of my steam engine tender have these trucks or Kato mikado trucks to improve electrical contact.
I filled all of the very small remaining place witl lead including the air reservoir which is full lead.
The results, well they run all threebeautifully.
But the four was destroyed beyond repair during the modification, she fall from the workbench and oups when I get up I put my foot on it…
Knowing they are very hard to find…
Two Minitr
I thought someone (GHQ I think) was working on a USRA 0-8-0. Anyone know what the status is on it?
[quote]
Originally posted by LVJJJ
I use an old Minitrix Baldwin (I think its a Baldwin) switcher (#1808 Milwaukee Rd) that will pull lots of anything. In fact, I use it to pull my track cleaning car most of the time. I
Your Trix switcher is a high hood FM. It is a good unit for it’s day. For current production, the Nscale champ is the new Atlas MP15. The Baldwin VO1000 is almost as good. LifeLike SW9 can be good, bit must be broken in. You may find an Arnold Alco S2 that runs.
Missing from this discussion is any of Atlas GP7’s, 9’s Alco RS11’s & the FM 1500-1600’s Per unit, you are pulling about a dozen cars at a time.
THe Atlas Shay is too delicate for everyday switching. Be careful not to run it full throttle. Your best bet may be a MDC/Athearn Mogul. It’s the same era as their Connie, but both are nearly bulletproof. Athearn has helped by putting automatic couplers on them. Look for old MDC units on firesale at your Etailer, like Trainworld.
I own three N scale switchers.
Life Like SW-8. I’m partial to this engine because it was my first and is still running today with the best of them. Smooth running and well detailed plus runs well on sloppy track. It is good for pulling about 8 or 10 free rolling cars with quality trucks on a flat layout. I love the electrical wipers for the trucks and like them better than the Atlas type wipers. I do not like the way they use plastic rivets for the split frame. I don’t know how the flanges work with code Atlas code 55 track. Installing Micro Trains couplers was not difficult. I agree with the comments on DCC. But then I’m not into DCC. LifeLike SW switchers can be had for around $30 and are an excellent value at that price. You really can’t go wrong. Especially if you are just starting out.
Atlas VO-1000: Judging from what others are saying, it’s likely I got a bad one and it’s likely I’ll buy another because it is a good looking engine. The one I own is probably the noisiest engine I own and does not like curves under 15" radius. Out of the box it ran well in only one direction. I tore it down and found slop in one of the worm gear to bearing blocks. I added an NWSL thrust washer and that solved the problem. This is the second Atlas engine I’ve done this to. So my advice is test run before you buy and look for the characteristics I mention. It is a better puller than the LifeLike SW.
LifeLike 0-6-0. These are getting blown out all over for $15.00. I bought one to use as a shelf queen because they are cute. Much to my surprise, this little critter runs incredibly well for a $15 engine. Especially after break-in. It has good slow speed operation. The drive is reliable and easy to access. It’s good pulling about 6 to 8 free rolling cars on a flat layout. The boiler is on the crude side with little detail and no working headlight (there is a weight there). But with a few add ons and some paint, I think she could be made a winner. Although, I have not done it, I understand insta
I have it also and it runs great.[:D]
I cannot help with an opinion on steam engines as I am in “after transition diesels” and even more oriented to the most modern engines but I’ll give it on the Life-Like SW9 and others mentioned.
The LL SW9 is not a good puller (too light) but runs really fine. Converting one to DCC is not an easy task if you want to do it neat as I want and do. I have converted one for a friend that really takes the juice out of it and another for me that, though not finished yet, it also runs great on DCC.
The Atlas/Kato RS 1, 3 and 4/5 were great specially the RS 1 that had flywheels but I never converted any of the named to DCC; it might be a complicated task but I think it is not impossible and the result would definitely be excellent… I assume.
The newer Atlas (China made) VO1000 and the MP15 must be great runners and excellent options for DCC as they are P&P type though I have not seen any (I live in Uruguay, South America and those N scale engines are not available in my country).
I did not know that Kato would release an NW2 but -definitely- will leave “all the rest” well behind when they do it: Kato is Kato and though they do not paint the front and rear hand rails, their engineering and quality of materials used has not yet been equaled by the other brands!!!
Best regards,[^]
This follows my message of some minutes ago in which I mentioned my convertions of a couple of LL SW9 to DCC with success; can I be of any help to you about how I did It?
Regards, [:0]
Harryc,
I would be interested in hearing how you did it. I have one coming to me from MB Kleins and I need to convert it to DCC. I have a Digitrax DZ123 that I was going to use, but if you have suggestions as to the best way to do it, I am open to using another decoder as well.
one method of placing a decoder in a Lifelike Switcher:
http://home.mindspring.com/~filker/Pages/SW9_DCC.html
I have not done this procedure myself, but it’s well-illustrated and looks reasonable.
I have two VO-1000 two Kato RS-2 and a Life Like SW-1200 on my switching layout. All three locomotive models run well.
Following my previous answer to this topic, about the modification of old 0-4-0 Atlas /Rivarossi models I suggest you to see the following web site for small motors.
Be aware that these modifications are not an easy task and the small motor would be quiet expensive.
The web site is www.micro-loco-motion.com
See the web site