With the recent increase in quality N Scale steam engine offerings, what are the chances of a Alco/Baldwin T-1 style 4-8-4 being produced? It seems like all of the current 4-8-4 engines (GS-4s, S-2s etc) are all of a western flavor and my interests are in modeling eastern steam power without a lot of scratch building!
I’ve heard some mumblings/rumors that PCM plans upon replicating their T-1 in N scale, but I thinkg that just idle specluation. Are there other people interested in eastern steam like the Reading or the Lehigh Valley? Is there even any interest from the manufactors in this idea?
It all depends on how well their PCM PRR N scale M1b sells. The N scale market is probably being tested by their first releases of safe selling models and future releases will announced according to products they believe will be big hits.
If the Reading T1 was a good seller in HO, you should have hope it will be made in N scale also.
Anyone wanting the N scale model of the T1 should start an email campaign to BLI/PCM.
Alco/Baldwin WHAT? The T-1 was a homemade Reading Shops job. Baldwin drafted the plans, that’s about it.
You’re just taunting me with that Chessie Steam Special clown car look [:P]
They make a T-1 in N scale though, I’ll switch. I have a bit invested in HO but not so much I couldn’t get out, and I can get all the RS-3s, F’s, and FA’s I need in N scale, but if I switch now my T-1 would become a shelf queen, and I want to run her.
I know the Reading home built their engines, but on the Valley, they bought T-1s, T-2s and even T-3s from both alco and baldwin, almost a 50-50 mix during the war years. They nicknamed the engines “wyomings” - Or atleast that is how I understand things. Am I mistaken?
While I’m not a rivet counter, I have no qualms about taking a Reading T-1 and relabeling it “Lehigh Valley”. For me that is close enough! Now, if someone would just make it already!!!
Sure the class designation T-1 was used by other railroads as well, but steam locomotives aren’t like diesels. A GP40 is a GP40 is a GP40, minus small differences between railroads - things like sun shades, horn type and placement - realtively minor. But a Reading T-1 is not a PRR T-1 is not a whatever T-1. The PRR T-1 is a 4-4-4-4 Duplex and not even in the same ballpark as the Northerns (ok they all have 8 drive wheels…). Reading locomotives tend to have certain styling characteristics that scream READING even to more casual observers, just as PRR locos have very distinctive PRR characteristics. There are some types you can get away with - many roads bought USRA-design locomotives that initially had only slight variations much ike modern diesels. Those are easy to relable as a diffferent road and no one but the real hardcore fan would notice.
I’m not that much of a rivet counter, really - I’m not about to change the horns on my P2K GP-7’s since they are factory located in the wrong position for Reading units - I don;t want to have to repaint and re-decal them, so close is good enough for me.
Now, if someone would just make it already!!!