USRA Heavy Mountain (& tenders avail seperately)

[Mark5]

saw this on trainboard - the Bachmann spilled it:

SPECTRUM® N SCALE

SPECTRUM® N SCALE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

SPECTRUM® N SCALE USRA 4-8-2 HEAVY MOUNTAIN LOCOMOTIVE – DCC EQUIPPED
82511 3 PAINTED, UNLETTERED with VANDY TENDER - (standard headlight) OCT 6 250.00
82512 0 PAINTED, UNLETTERED with USRA LONG TENDER OCT 6 250.00
82513 7 C & O® #543 with VC16 VANDERBILT TENDER OCT 6 250.00
82514 4 RIO GRANDE™ with USRA LONG TENDER OCT 6 250.00
82515 1 ILLINOIS CENTRAL #2981 with USRA LONG TENDER OCT 6 250.00
82516 8 NORFOLK & WESTERN #120 with USRA LONG TENDER OCT 6 250.00

SPECTRUM® N SCALE TENDERS

SPECTRUM® N SCALE CHESAPEAKE & OHIO® VANDERBILT TENDER
89451 5 PAINTED, UNLETTERED OCT 6 35.00
89452 2 CHESAPEAKE & OHIO® OCT 6 35.00
89453 9 GREAT NORTHERN OCT 6 35.00
89454 6 NEW HAVEN OCT 6 35.00

SPECTRUM® N SCALE USRA LONG TENDER
89851 3 PAINTED, UNLETTERED OCT 6 35.00
89852 0 CHESAPEAKE & OHIO® OCT 6 35.00
89853 7 NICKEL PLATE OCT 6 35.00
89854 4 RIO GRANDE™ "Flying Grande" OCT 6 35.00

[up1950s]

Well I will have to get me one . I usually opt for the USRA tender , but that Vandy looks nice .

HO examples , note the different boiler details . Will we get those different details in N ? Odd

[Mark5]

Hopefully Bachmann will do the N&W version it in the as delivered N&W spec like they did in HO:

http://www.historicrail.com/historicrail/product_info.po?ID=14356

I think N&W bumped these tenders to lesser locos in the 1920s - will check when I get a chance.

[Mark5]

Well I will have to get me one . I usually opt for the USRA tender , but that Vandy looks nice .

HO examples , note the different boiler details . Will we get those different details in N ? Odd

Basically "original" USRA heavys were built for two roads - N&W and C&O. The boiler details reflect this.

[brokemoto]

A few keystrokes on the J shell and maybe we get a shrouded 'K'?

I asked Mr. Bachpersonn this, but maybe someone here knows:  will they have a 'smart' decoder so that they can operate on a DC pike?  I did notice that the list is seventy-five dollars above that of the USRA light 4-8-2.  How much of this is the deocder?  If most of it is, it gives strength to the arguments of  those who have been contending that an unneeded decoder is good reason to pass on a release.

I also asked Mr. B-mann to ask his superiors to consider releasing the SPECTRUM USRA standard as a separate item.  A large tender such as the Vanderbilt and USRA Long would overwhelm many of the locomotives out there that need the help of a SPECTRUM quality tender (READ:  Model Power).  One USRA Standard for another is a good swap.  If the Vanderbilt and USRA Long are to have the same drawbar and electrical configuration as the USRA Standard (the USRA Long on the 2-6-6-2 does), I can swap out some of the USRA Standards on my light 4-8-2s and the 2-8-0s, as these tenders would not overwhelm those locomotives.  Most of my light 4-8-2s and most of the 2-8-0s are lettered for a non-historic, so a Long or a Vanderbilt on them would work:  they could be copies with larger tenders (not uncommon) or the results of a railroad's playing musical tenders (again, not uncommon).

Anyhow, good news.  I would have preferred a pacific or a ten-wheeler, but I will take the USRA Heavy 4-8-2.  Did anyone see MP there?  Are they going to upgrade their tenders?

[up1950s]

If it doesn't run on DC its NO SALE for me .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm pretty sure all modern decoders do the auto-sensing DC/DCC thing.

Anyone want to bet on how long until we see a gaggle of these sporting "Clinch River" on the tender?

BTW, where IS Phil? His stuff rocks...

[DKS]

If it has solid drivers (no open spokes) like the rest of their recent steam offerings, much as they are otherwise very nice-looking locos, it's no sale for me.

Besides, it's another BIG loco--not as bad as a Big Boy or some such, but still... that Vandy tender is longer than any freight car I own.

[SquirrelHollow]

Sure....  I spend 3 months tracking down a USRA tender suitable for my rotary plow, and they finally release some more....  I now have 6 Atlas / Arnold / Rivarossi tenders lying around, and will probably find the funds for a Vanderbilt for the second rotary.  Damn Bachmann, damn them, damn them.

[mopaustin]

Oooooh. That N&W version looks just right for my freelance pike. And it's not too big either. With Kato re-releasing the Mike, and now this, I have all the medium-sized steam I need. 

Now just for a Ten-Wheeler. 

[Mark5]

Question: did the N scale Light Mountain come with a 10,000 or 12,000 gallon tender? (USRA 12,000 gallon tenders were only used on USRA 2-10-2, 2-6-6-2, and 2-8-8-2 - all other USRA road power came with 10,000 gallon tenders).

Point is the long tender is wrong hehe.

[Nato]

  If it was released in Two Tone Gray with Silver or Yellow stripes and Vandy tender I might be interested  in several, but if the Vandy Tender is the same little medium sized one used on the old Upized Reading boilered 2-8-2 loco also used on the Upized Santa Fe Northern to make an Overland loco then I ain't interested. This is probably the easy way out that Bcahmann(politically correct) person will take. The existing Mountain loco with that semi puny vandy tender.                                                           Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake ,Utah. "And we were suppose to have a Russian Deck that was Vaporware  because they couldn't find micro motors. "

[wm3798]

I'd need to see cast wheels and way to convert it to a 4-8-4 before I had a desire for one... but they're getting closer!
Lee

[Mark5]

fun facts here:

http://rlhs.org/rlhsnews/htms/nl23-2.htm

[SAH]

Besides, it's another BIG loco--not as bad as a Big Boy or some such, but still... that Vandy tender is longer than any freight car I own.

The Vandy tender . .  . . . . Ref my post in Proto Photo section - Akron Birthdays.  One of the  stops we made was in Medina, OH (ma dy'na in O hi'ya speak).  The guys were telling me about the HUGE vandy tender the B&O 2-8-2 used on the local back in the day.  And this was effectively a B&O branch line.  I thought "No way".  When we got back to Akron they showed me the pictures.  Dang.  What a funky looking combo.  As David said, easily larger than the freight cars of the era.  Near the end of the steam era, so perhaps water facilities were cut back and the larger water capacity of the tender was necessary.  An odd looking combo in any case.  And I hadn't really considered modeling the steam era AC&Y.   Hmmmm.  There was also a pickle plant on the B&O in Medina.  And yes, they had photos of those wood vat pickle cars.  So, Ed, regarding this Northern Central or whatever proto freelanced fictionalized historical layout  . . . . . . . Why bother with making stuff up?  The facts are frequently WAY stranger than fiction.  It's a lot of fun to dig up the history too!

Steve