I recently received a new undecorated DCC Ready 2-8-0. Here are some photos. I included the 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 since they are from the same molds. It will get a Micro-Tsunami and one inch speaker like the two other locos. Some people mistakenly call them the Athearn locos.
Looking at getting several of these myself, to bash into 1890’s era DRG locomotives. None in stock at the LHS a month ago, haven’t been back to check lately.
I owned that 4-4-0 and it pulled a flatcar with a 6 pound camcorder on it once. Way more than a average train of 5 overland coaches.
I am curious as to the specific speaker size and vendor that drops into that tender. Equippting these engines with a quality decoder will be most helpful. None of that POS from MRC.
And yes, Athearn, Roundhouse is both owned by Horizion Hobbies. So you can call it Athouse or Roundthern if you like lol.
Mine pulled 15 cars on a level track with no issues. The 4-4-0, 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 are the same size and weigh the same.
The tenders are identical, ready for a one inch speaker. All wheel pickup also. I have installed Micros in my 4-4-0 and 2-6-0s.
I bought my DCC ready from MB Klein for $107.00 including shipping. They have the DCC/sound version for $160.00 plus shipping. Roundhouse installs a MRC DCC/sound decoder.
Someone else in the group has a review of the 4-4-0 that easily pulled 24 cars. This person also has reviewd the 2-8-0. Maybe he will show up.
I mentioned the Ahtearn name because searching the 'Net for Roundhouse 2-8-0 did not always show what I was looking for. At one time Caboose Hobbies called them MDC locomotives I found out in a search. Caboose Hobbies now calls them Roundhouse MDC.
Thanks. I tried to figure out how to do that but I could not find a sticky concerning posting photos. Do I just copy and paste “only” the img link? No other characters?
That cow catcher will have to go and be a step pilot much closer to the cylinders for a 0-8-0.
I ordered one of these 2-8-0’s today, I anticipate it’s arrival later this month. I feel it will be a very good fit for the overland passenger cars that it will pull.
I did that about six years ago. I converted the older style MDC 2-8-0 into a Winans Camel 0-8-0 following an article in RMC September 1999. The Camels were built in the 1850s and a few survived into the 1890s. Mine represents one that was upgraded a little. It is a little over size but captures the flavor of the era. I cut the plastic smoke box off the metal housing and reversed the smokebox so the loco appears to have a short smokebox. I removed the stock steam dome and sand box. I made my own steam dome which was quite a large diameter in the Camels. I used an old time PSC rectangular sand box. The locos ares sometimes called Camel backs which came into existance some years later. Those had the Wooten firebox.
From the photos, the new MDC 2-8-0 boiler seems to sit higher than the originals–I’ve got two of the older MDC ones, and they had a nice, kind of ‘squat’ look to them–perhaps because MDC offered the same locomotive–with adjustments, of course–in HOn3. The originals had a DEFINITE ‘Rio Grande’ look to them (which is why I bought them in the first place) and they still make an occasional appearance on my Yuba River Sub. Nice little locos–I’m sure the newer models will run more smoothly without the ‘tweaking’ that my original kits entailed.
But they are definitely the original MDC boiler dies–though improved looking. Now if Athearn would do us a favor and start re-releasing the MDC “Harriman” series of 2-8-0’s and 4-6-0’s with modified drivers, it would be a boon to model railroaders who would like a ‘newer’ version of these same wheel arrangements.
I’ve got a twenty yr. old Roudhouse 2-8-0 kit to build. I built three locos from kits this winter and burned out before I got to the 2-8-0. Guess I’d better get busy. Has anybody heard if micro-Mark is shipping their Mantua 2-6-6-2 loggers yet? Mines been on backorder sincce last NOV.[:(]
I just measured the height on my older 2-8-0 and the new 2-8-0 while sitting on rails… The bottom of the smoke box is the same height above the pilot deck for both. The smoke box and pilot deck are lower because of the smaller diameter drivers in the new 2-8-0.
I have a couple older 2-6-0s, the ones with the Wild West decorations along with the Camel. I would like the tender frame and trucks for the new Roundhouse locos to install DCC & sound but Roundhouse will not sell them. The older shells fit on the new tender frame just fine. I did find a site on how to make my own frames for DCC & sound. The all wheel pickup will be a little more work. I have done all wheel pickup in some older 4-4-0s with tender drive. Makes a big difference since they are also DCC controlled.
