I am not thinking about what I would like to see, which is a N&W Z 2-6-6-2 and a Pennsy Q-2, but rather what might get produced. All the USRA engines have pretty much been done, as have the Russian Decapods and common Berks of the C&O, PM, NKP, and Virginian. So what will be next?
Eric
Erie K-5a 4-6-2 in final modernized form. It’s a USRA Heavy underneath, but the Erie modernization enhances the already rather good looks of the USRA design. In undecorated form, would make a good passenger engine on a free-lance RR.
Santa Fe 3400 4-6-2 - another basically good looking loco whose looks are enhanced by modernization. SF has a large following.
Harriman 2-8-2 - Owned and used by several railroads including SP, UP, IC. A nice counterpoint to the USRA lights and heavies.
ATSF 1950 2-8-0. It was popular when PFM imported it. It would be at least as popular now.
FEC 4-8-2 in the 401-452 number series. A number of these were eventually scattered far and wide. 2 went to the Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, 5 to Cotton Belt, 10 to Western Pacific, and a bunch went to NDeM. A nice, moderately sized 4-8-2. Also good for a free-lance road.
Cotton Belt L-1 4-8-4 - One of the best proportioned medium sized 4-8-4’s ever built. While the SSW only had 20 4-8-4’s, 11 migrated to the SP in the 1950’s (SP numbers #4475-4481, 4485-4488). Would make a good &q
A couple to add to my list:
FEC 4-6-2- A small pacific that would look good pulling two or three passenger cars. A few of these were sold to other railroads. One ended up being a key engine of the Southern steam program, Savannah and Atlanta 750. Five of these engines are preserve, one in Albany, Ga, 750 in Duluth Ga, and two in South Florida. Not sure were the fifth is now. Also, this is a nice but pretty generic looking pacific.
Hiawatha Class A 4-4-2. If Con-cor keeps doing the streamline set, it might happen.
Eric
Fergie–good question, and I think the answer has turned out to be a pretty resounding “Yes!” from what I’ve been reading in these kinds of posts the past several years. The B&O EM-1 is appearing more and more on the lists–and it’s certainly one of the more handsome articulateds (if the lightest in TE of it’s wheel arrangement). And the huge, powerful, free-wheeling Missabe Yellowstones during WWII spent as much time on other railroads during the winter when the Lakes were frozen over, as they did on their home road. Rio Grande, GN, NP, WP and several other roads had them traveling far from their Minnesota home and from the reports, the engineers of these various railroads said that the big 2-8-8-4’s were the best, smoothest steamers they’d ever operated. Baldwin hit a BIG bulls-eye with these handsome giants.
Frankly, I’d be a very happy camper to get a few more of these locos–the brass market is almost depleted, these days, so a nice new one from BLI or PCM or Genesis wouldn’t be a bad investment for these companies, IMO. I bet they’d get bought up pretty quick.
Tom [:P]
I’m sure its just a memory lapse, but SRR Ms class 2-8-2, 4501 is not on display in the Smithsonian. Its in Chattanooga, Tn. Its the SRR Ps-4 4-6-2, 1401 on display there. There is a TON of info available on the Ps-4, just not on the web. The two historical societies, as well as two hardcover books, and several other softcover books cover just about all the Ps-4’s in great detail. Wildwood Publications has even published a set of Ps-4 erection drawings so they could be built by live steamers who wanted one as well.
Hi,
I’m surprised there aren’t more USRA Mikados, heavy and light. I got the Athearn one when it first came out and it died on me. The BLIs seem to be coming back, but they look a bit toylike in the pictures. Bachmann is so good at producing great looking engines, with (now) great touches like working front couplers and working backup lights that I think their Mikados would be big sellers.
More generally I wish there were more SMALL steamers around. Maybe a variety of 2-8-0’s. More logging engines (I think my Bachmann Shay is my favorite engine ever) would be great. I’ve always pined for a Forney, for some reason, though I don’t know if there were such things in standard gauge.
I would like to see the Roundhouse kit engines return, all of them they had.
The HO Climax got made but an HOn3 version? me buys that spot on.
I wrote to the Mantua makers now making the 2-6-6-2, they said it would be proto…
nooo, its the same ole mantua 2-6-6-2 in N&W.
Someone needs to make the model right, great looker and right for smaller layouts.
The brass ones I see go over 1000 bucks.
Wilco,
Sure, Forneys were made in Standard Gauge. The New Haven alone had 31 Forneys in 8 classes (Class S). Built from 1872 to 1892 by Rhode Island, Taunton or Rogers, they were of the 0-4-4T, 0-4-6T, and 2-4-4T wheel arrangements. By 1908 they were all gone off the NH, but many were sold to shortlines.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Sorry, [
] - senior moment! [banghead] [banghead] These “moments” seem to be getting longer and longer. [swg]
Wayne
Another one that’s really surprising is the Baldwin Russian Decapod with air pumps mounted on the pilot beam. Very similar to the Alco version made by Bachmann. Frisco 1630 at the Illinois Railway Museum is a RUNNING Baldwin with pilot mounted air pumps and it has a following.
How about this beauty!
[:)]
I might be wrong,but I had 2 # 2’s at one time…They were Bachmann and I ran them several yrs before giving them to a little boy I knew at the time…I wanted to make make them Texas and Pacific types but they werent close enough to redo…I forgot the series # they may have been 5100 series
I’m suprised they haven’t made a 55 1/2 in driver consolidation. Only several thousand of those were made. How about a big drivered 10 wheeler, like 70 ’ drivers. Another engine that was used for decades by dozens of roads.
Dave H.
Eric, your posting is directed at HO Scale but I would like to extend it into the N Scale realm.
I have indicated several times here on the forum my druthers regarding my wishes - EM1s, H8s, M3/M4s; I will, however, try to stay on topic with this and specify those locomotives which I am surprised have yet to be made in N Scale - or at least have been out of production for so long as to, for all practical purposes, never been produced.
the good ole’ Pennsy K4s; the old Minitrix model has been out of production for nearly forty years and it had some flaws but the K4s is Pennsy’s signature steam locomotive and would probably sell like hotcakes were it to be someone’s future offering;
AT&SF’s 5001 and/or 5011 Classes; this was the 2-10-4 incarnate; the Santa Fe Modelers Association is the largest in the country and here is another model which would sell like hotcakes;
a SIMPLE 2-8-8-2; WP had’em; so did Rio Grande; so did C&O;
back to Pennsy and their I1s Class 2-10-0; Pennsy built these for slow-speed service and they gave a magnificent performance in that operation; and
Southern Railways ubiquitous PS4.
I might add Onion Specific’s FEFs to my list although I have heard rumblings that a model of these may be forthcoming in the not too distant future.
My picks,
Sierra #28 if we are talking never done. Heck, this one is still in steam.
MY wish list for modern Plastic would be any small west coast steam, say SP consolidation or a decent small shay (the Spectrum is great, but it is big), maybe a two truck. More small steam in general. At least Bachmann is listening.
If there has to be another cab forward, what about the early ones with the huge steam pipes???
Crazy pick would be any of the Yosemite Valley 2-6-0s (the brass prices here are just crazy) or Sierra #34.
Mark N. I think the “triplex/Big Boy” thing is about brute size and little else. I don’t want a triplex either, but I do understand the appeal as being similar in my mind to other big model locos that seem to come out every other month and apparently sell well. I mean three sets of drivers is “really big” …right???
Having never been around during the steam era, I don’t have experience with these behemoths under steam. Maybe I would have a different opinion. Must have been cool…I do admit my pulse was racing when I saw the challenger under steam several years ago in Sacramento…All the hissing, gurgling and the heat, Kinda Like standing next to a living dragon.
On a layout I think these really big model locos are like trying to keep a shark in a small tank. I think they look best on huge broad curves and with hundred car trains behind them. Like nature intended.
Lest ye who is without sin cast the first…I do have cab forwards on 30" radius (too small) curves (I’m trying to kick the habit…there is a 12 step program)…
But I think in general, I think the small stuff looks better on the layout. I’m not holding my breath on any of my picks anytime soon…
Incongruity abounds,
Guy
The omission that amazes the Old Dog is a 0-4-0T “fireless” steamer. Ideal for areas like oil refineries. If the Old Dog remembers correctly, one still exists at the RR museum in Northeast, Pa. Just make new superstructure for an existing 0-4-0 frame.
The the weird department, what about a Mason Bogie or Vulcum 0-4-0+0-4-0 steamer?
Have fun
PS It is my understanding that the Erie triplex was NOT a “one off” two or three more made.
I’m waiting patiently for factory installed DCC and sound in small road engine like a 2-6-0 or 4-6-0. They’ve put it in 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 switchers so why not in the smaller road engines. I know Roundhouse has issued a 4-4-0 with factory sound but I am not impressed with the detailing on it and I’m not even sure it is DCC.
What about that coal burning, steam, turbine electric loco that C&O built in the late 40’s. I cant remember what it was called. That would be cool to have. But Im a Chessie/C&O/CSX fan. Just my [2c]
J.W.
ChessieFan–
I saw that an HO brass import was released of the C&O steam turbine last year–the price was that of a small European country, and if I remember correctly, the reccomended MINIMUM radius for the loco was 42". WHEW!
But I agree–that was one handsome and unusual loco–if someone like BLI could come up with one that was modified to take at least a 34" radius, I’d probably bite–and I don’t even model C&O (though I have their Allegheney). That steam turbine was a really striking loco.
Tom [:)]