I am currently converting from O gauge to N scale. My O gauge collection consisted of All NYC equipment. The only problem I have found with N gauge is the lack of NYC steam.
ANyone out there know where I can get my hands on a NYC Mohawk or Niagara? Brass or plastic, doesnt matter to me. But they have to run good.
Thanks
Craig
Welcome to N-scale!
Unfortunately you have touched on a weakness – steam availability. It has been getting better over the past five years, but there is still a sizable gap in this area.
I’m not a steam modeler, but I do have a couple on-line resources that may help you out:
This is the N-scale Locomotive database which lists all locos in N-scale through June 2001: http://home.cfl.rr.com/dawestern/nscale/nscale.html
This is a site that reviews most N-scale loco’s: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html
I have a feeling that Bachmann made or make an N-scale Niagara, it’s not listed at the moment but I’m sure I recall seeing one in a LHS recently. They certainly offer one in HO and they seem to mirror most of their HO production in N, so the chances are good. However, I’m unsure as to the running qualities of their steamers though.
Besides the occasional brass offering (which are extremely rare and always demand top dollar), NO ONE makes correct NYC steam in N scale, with the exception of Bachmann’s regular line USRA 0-6-0, and the USRA light 2-8-2 made at one time by Atlas/Rivarossi, and now made by Model Power.
N scale steam, while getting better detailed than ever before, and coming in more varieties than ever before, is still in the dark ages as to selection. The offerings are so few & far between that N scale steam modelers are forced into four basic courses of action: complete freelance, buy lots of brass, scratchbuild/kitbash, and mode what you can with what’s available. The old Atlas forum had an ongoing thread in the N scale section called “The Sultans of Steam”. In the thread was some of the best N scale steam modeling ever attempted, most of it either completely scratchbuilt or featuring scratchbuilt boilers on stock mechanisms.
And yes, Bachmann does make a spectrum 4-8-2, but it looks NOTHING like a New York Central Mowhawk. I’ve got plans to turn one of the HO versions of this engine into a P&E L1a, but most of the parts I’m planning on using aren’t available in N.
So you’ve got three choices if you want to model the NYC’s steam in N: accept the fact that the engines don’t look NYC-ish, learn to scratchbuild and superdetail N scale boilers, or switch to HO!
The old Atlas/ConCor?Rivarossi models from the 1970’s on seem to be a goner now. The bankruptcy of Rivarossi causes this. The 3 packs of Arnold/RR heavyweights may also be gone. Some engines of this type can be repowered with new motors, but the frame is very weak.
The new Model Power mike/Pacific are new models, with lots of production problems. Consult with the steamer experts on Atlas forum before getting one.
Bachmann seems to be producing updated versions of their old steamers. Look for a new all plastic box instead of the larger window box. Spectrum models are supposed to have added detail over the plain ones. In either case, be sure to test one before taking it home. I don’t know if Nscale has a big enough detail parts maker to convert engines to NYC prototype. I hope at least the mfr’s get the right number for NYC steam!