Other then PCM’s T-1, are there any other affordable Reading steam locomotives avalable in HO? Or models that could pass for Reading engines with a little bit of detailing. I’m primarily interested in the later I class Super Consols, and G class Pacifics.
Thanks,
Nick
Bachmann used to have a 2-8-0 (also offered as a 2-8-2 - just remover the trailing truck), for a very short while it was in the Spectrum line, and Bowser has a re-power kit for. It is not the famous Spectrum 2-8-0. The word on the street is that the tooling was damaged or wore out, when they stopped offering it over 15 or so years ago.
The 1-10 class was made by Bachmann and is fairly common on e-bay.
The G class pacifics are brass, although IHC made a version of their “semi-streamlined” USRA Light Pacific for the Reading.
Mantua/Model Power makes 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 camelbacks that are roughly based on RDG designs.
Mantua also makes a 2-8-2 Camelback that is an LV engine, they also offer the same boiler as a 2-8-0 (RDG class I-8). The drivers are a wee bit too large (63 vs 55.5) and the boiler is too long (take a foot out of the smokebox, a foot ahead of the cab and a foot behind the cab and you’d be close) but its a camelback.
IHC makes a 2-6-0 camelback, which is a NYO&W engine. virtually no other railroads ran 2-6-0 camelbacks. You can put that boiler on the IHC 4-4-0 chassis and come up with a rather chunky American, that would be representative of a RDG engine. Replace the tender with a smaller one.
If you could figure on how to graft a cab and firebox from a Bachmann I-10s on to a 2-10-2 you could come up with a K class Santa Fe type.
Dave H.
Eddystone is building the Pacific G2sa for me. I’m expecting it in May/June of this year. It’s not cheap but it should be a good one. I’m not ready to build one myself or even modify an existing model, so it was either compromise or have one built - I opted to have one built.
He has a lot of other anthracite models on his build roster. Last time I checked it was a 12-14 month wait but I think it’s worth the wait.
I have seen Eddystone. A buddy of mine is having three Delaware & Hudson E class Consols built at $700 a piece. They’re beautiful locos, but out of my price range at the moment.
The Bachmann Consol mentioned, is that the Standard one or the Spectrum one?
Nick
It’s a regular bachmann not a spectrum. It’s a nice locomotive. You can get a Bowser mechanism kit for it that will really improve performance.
Which is a good idea because they are typically known as 10 minute locos - ie, they run for 10 minutes before the motor fries.
I believe they made the Spectrum one in Reading - except the shell is no longer the I10sa! No arched cab windows like the old standard line one.
You can get odd road names of the old one VERY cheap - Santa Fe and the like show up on ebay all the time. Set of Reading steam decals and you’re all set.
–Randy
Thanks for your help guys…
I picked up one I-10 on ebay, and hopfully will get another soon. After, I find the decals, I’ll be all set.
The Spectrum models, look like they could pass for the early, smaller Reading Consols.
Now to find some red Northeast Cabooses to go with them.
Nick
The P2K ones are very nice but the buggers only made 1 number, so it’s erase a digit and renumber time. Hard to find though. They did a re-release not long ago but it’s in the green and yellow, and of course there’s TWO numbers this time. Neother has Taylor trucks though. Eastern Car Works has a flat kit that builds into any Northeastern caboose - it, when done building a Reading one you will have tons of spare parts, and Bethlehem Car Works makes Taylor trucks for it.
–Randy
The Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0’s have 63 in drivers and the Reading I-9 class (the smaller rear cab engines) had 55 1/2 in. drivers. The I-9 also had a very different sandbox and dome arrangement, a completely different firebox (Wooten), a shorter smokebox and arched cab windows.
As far as cabooses go the Life Like P2k caboose is a model of the Reading NMj class caboose. By changing the trucks to swing motion caboose trucks or Taylor trucks and various changes in the roofwalks, you can get classes from NMd to NMp
Dave H.
I do like the P2K cabooses. I have a couple of the green and yellow ones. Unfortunately, they don’t come undecorated. Bummer.
Nick