I recently purchased an old N scale Bachmann saddle tanker hoping it had DCC, but came to find out it doesn’t. Now I’m stuck in finding a tank or other non-tender steam or smaller diesel locomotives that I can designate as a switcher to work as a local freight road switcher.
What locomotives make the best switchers other than the mp15 or sw series because I already have a PRR NW2 and a SP NW2 being sent to me monday.
Thank you.
I’m not clear about why you need a “tender-less locomotive”?? I mean, ya, a few railroads used saddle tank engines to move cars around their shop areas etc. but for regular switchers they pretty much all used tender engines, like 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 types. It wasn’t unusual to see say a 2-8-0 switching cars in a yard either.
Note that for many railroads their first diesels were switchers, with passenger and freight diesels coming later…so using NW-2 switchers in the yard while running steam on mainline trains would be quite correct.
Sorry, I meant to just say saddle tank steam locomotives or diesel locomotives. I have two locos, RI 4-8-4 and CNW 4-6-0, both for passengers and a few diesel as well. Two SD45s are for coal and I have two NW2s for yard work, but I’m looking for a saddle tank or smaller diesel (if needed) to be a local freight hauler.
For a local, virtually any GP or RS or B series diesel:
GP7, GP7, GP18, GP20, GP30, GP35, GP38, GP39, GP40
RS1, RS2, RS3, RS11, RS27, C424, C425, C430
U23B, B23-7, U30B, B30-7
For steamers, virtually any:
0-6-0, 0-8-0, 2-8-0, 2-8-2
Ah!, A road switcher. I still don’t understand the need for a saddle type locomotive. Those seldom left the yard because they could not carry enough fuel to get very far. In the diesel catetory I think the best answer would be an ALCO RS-1 or RS-3 (RS stands for road switcher), or the EMD equivalent the trusty GP7. I believe Atlas makes excellent models of both of those in N-scale.
My Kato RS2 is a nice piece. I don’t think anyone makes a GP39 in N. Would be a catch if they did.
The poster is still confusing. Are you asking about a saddle tank diesel engine?
Before I recently bought two NW2 SP, the reason i wanted a saddle tank to pull local is because of the size. While my larger locos pulled coal or other cars, the saddle tank would pull 1 or 2 cars to a desire business and return to the yard. However now I have three NW2s, two SPs and 1 PRR, with the PRR pulling the local freight while the other two work the yard.
I’m talking about any locomotives that is designate or used as a switching engine (yard, local, dock, steel mill, ect.).
I’m talking about any locomotives that is designate or used as a switching engine (yard, local, dock, steel mill, ect.).