I’m new to this forum, so I hope this question hasn’t already been answered. I’m a beginning modeler in HO gauge and noticed that Bachman and IHC sell HO gauge steam locomotives with the Reading logo that are not listed in any rosters of the Reading RR that I can find. The models in question are the 2-6-0 camelback, the 2-6-0T (tanker w/o a tender), and the 4-8-2 Mountain.
I know that even the models that are made with the Reading logo aren’t exactly like the originals, but I really don’t want to have a wheel arrangement that never did exist.
Did Reading ever have the above type of steam locomotives?
Thank you for any info or photos you may know about.
The Reading (actually the Philadelphia & Reading) had 2-6-0’s but they bore little or no resemblance to the IHC model. The 2-6-0T is no where near anything and the RDG never had 4-8-2’s, they had 4-8-4’s (which were closer to the Bowser Northern).
The only HO non-brass models of Reading engines that are even close are the 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 camelbacks from Mantua and the old Bachmann 2-8-0. The Manuta 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 camelbacks are a LV design (the RDG had Mikes and Pacifics, but neither were camelbacks. The IHC 2-6-0 camelback is a NYO&W engine. The Mantua camelback 2-8-0 is the LV boiler on a 2-8-0 chassis. It is too long but could be a stand in for a I-8sa 2-8-0 camelback. American Flyer produced a RDG 4-4-2 with a cast bronze boiler back in the 40’s or 50’s. They sometimes show up on e-Bay. The classic sign of a Reading engine is the very wide firebox, called a Wooten firebox. Virtually all Reading engines had them.
The definative work on Reading Steam engines is “Steam Locomotives of the Reading and P&R” by Edward H. Wiswesser.
Check out this site… http://www.northeast.railfan.net/rdg_steam1.html
They run thru all of the Reading Classes from ‘A’ to ‘T.’ There are some other links to the Philadelphia & Reading and similar roads.
Their camelbacks tended to be consolidations. However I read a thread somewhere there was a Reading 2-6-0 camelback that was bought from another road, rebuilt and is on display at East Broadtop or one of the live steam sites, That thread had to do with the Lionel 2-6-0 camelback’s prototype and it might be on the Classic Toy Trains site.
The Reading shops built much of their own and as such, their famous 'T-1’s (4-8-4’s) were rebuilt from other locomotives.
Didn’t see any 4-8-2 (mountain) types but Hey…this IS model railroading, so you can decide to introduce your own class…say ‘W’ or T-2 and ‘freelance’ your Bachmann into a ‘legend’ on your version of the Reading. This makes the purists wince but what are we to do when some manufacturers paint on any old livery on any kind of locomotive they think will sell?
Another alternative is to follow the Reading shops lead and try retrofitting a different trailing truck and turn your 4-8-2 into a 4-8-4 ‘T-1.’ Then you only have to worry about the details.
Another alternative is to change to another road that used your particular engines like say…the Lehigh Valley or maybe the Lehigh & New England (Now there’s a railroad we don’t often hear about).
Bottom line is, don’t worry about being prototypcially accruate when starting out…we learn by doing and as you develop your model I’m sure you’ll decide what works best for you.
The Readings (actually the P&R’s) 2-6-0’s were either second hand engine built in the 1870’s and retired by WW1 or rebuilt versions of the 2-4-2 “Columbia” engines that were never quite successful. The Reading owned less than 10 2-6-0’s in its history and all were scrapped before the depression.
Actually the RDG had camelbacks in virtually every one of the smaller classes of engines. They had camelbacks in these wheel arrangements:
0-4-0
0-6-0
0-8-0
0-10-0
2-4-2
4-2-2
2-6-0
2-8-0
4-4-0
4-4-2
4-6-0
Excluding engine built before camelbacks were invented they had conventional rear cab engines in these wheel arrangements:
0-6-0
0-8-0
2-8-0
2-8-2
2-10-0 (the RDG had several Russian decopods)
2-10-2 (rebuilt from 2-8-8-2’s)
2-8-8-0
2-8-8-2
4-4-0
4-4-2
4-6-0
4-6-2
4-8-4
Thanks Dave H., Randy, and Mark. Model Power and Bachman make a 0-6-0T, but not with the Reading logo. If I get one painted but undecorated like several others (Life Like 2-8-8-2, Bachman Decapod, or the MDC 4-4-2 Atlantic) how do I get the Reading lettering, train number, etc. for the undecorated models. Does anyone make locomotive decals, and if so, would they make a custom engine number for me? I thought about printing a photo of a Reading engine number and the Reading lettering off an actual old photo of the engine using clear address labels in my printer, then pasting them onto the locomotive. Do you think that would work?
Which of the following HO locomotives would be the best one to try to detail into a Reading T1: Bachman 4-8-4 Niagara, Bachman 4-8-2 Heavy Mtn., IHC 4-8-2 Mountain (w/Reading logo), Broadway Limited 4-8-4 (J or S1b), Rivarossi 4-8-4 UP FEF-3, or something else?
Of the locomotives you list, the IHC Mountain starts off being the closest in appearance to the real Reading T-1 4-8-4. Both the IHC and the Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 are models of the USRA Heavy Mountain, but the IHC one started life as a model of the USRA Heavy Mountain as modified by C&O. This means that the cab has been cut away at the front below the running board, which is also a feature of the Reading 4-8-4. I’m not sure that the lettering on the IHC model is that good, and my preference would be for the Bachmann Spectrum as a better detailed and possibly better running model. It should be possible to get “Reading” decals to give a better version of the lettering than illustrated on the IHC web site. But over all one of the Heavy Mountains would be a better starting point. It might be possible to get a four wheel trailing truck, possibly as a spare from a Bachmann 4-8-4, and fit this to the 4-8-2 to improve that aspect of the appearance. The Reading loco had distinctive “valances”, vertical sheeting attached to running board
There are, I think, two different Mantua 0-6-0T locomotives, one that is the Reading prototype and one (far more common) that is not.
The Reading Company Technical and Historical Society web site is at http://www.readingrailroad.org
–Randy (still waiting for evidence of truth to the rumor that BLI is going to make a QSI sound Reading T-1)
Actually Reading T1 decals are pretty hard to come by. Especially the tender striping.
You might be able to find O scale “Reading” and then space the letters out.
The Microscale decal set for the Pullman green diesels has a gold “READING” that is the style used on the engines other than the T & K’s. Champ makes a decal set for RDG steamers, don’t know if its still available. Don’t do the label thing. Break down and buy some decals. It will look so much better.
The Bowser Northern is the closest in boiler shape and size to a T1.
The Life Like 4-8-2 has the wrong tender, wrong drivers (the T1’s used “Boxpok” drivers that were a cast disc with holes in it, most of the other engines had spoked drivers), wrong boiler shape.
The IHC 4-8-2 has a close tender, wrong drivers, close boiler shape (the sandbox is in the wrong spot and entirely the wrong shape). Plus it would require the air pump shield on the pilot deck, the handrails changed, the running boards altered to be higher and the semi-streamlining on the running boards.
The Bacahmann Niagara is too big, it has the right design drivers, but they are larger and the wrong tender design (its actually a ATSF engine).
The BLI engines are NYC designs and the Rivarossi is a UP design, plus they are Alco engines and the RDG used Baldwin’s so the overall lines of the engines are different.
Probaly the best compromise is the IHC engine and make some modifications.
First go to : http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/
Scroll down to the line of alphabet and pick “R”, then pick Reading, and then look for pix of the T1’s (2100 series engines, and Reading Rambles). That will give you an idea of what the real ones looked like.
I would suggest an IHC 4-8-2 and make the following modifications:
Build up the walkway with styrene to make it about a foot higher from above the 2nd driver back to the cab and then put a streamlined faring on the wallkway.
A great rarity, and I suspect it commands premium prices, is the old old old Penn Line Reading “Crusader” steamlined steam locomotive. Bowser used to sell a few parts to that engine as recently as 20 years ago but I suspect they no longer have any in stock. If you can find one of those on ebay or at a swap meet in running order you have a great rarity there – streamlined steam was not too popular among modelers.
Also remember the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines used engines from both railroads.
Dave Nelson
Yes, those are EXCEEDINGLY rare, and hard to get at a ‘reasonable’ price. Sometimes you find them painted yellow instead of blue - people sometimes used them to represent the C&O streamlined loco, but it’s all wrong.
A bonus though, the inexpensive IHC observation car IS the Crusader observation - and you’d need two of them! The rest of the train they sell packaged together, often found on ebay, is, as usual for IHC cars, totally wrong.