Tempted to buy a 2-8-8-2

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Just wondering...

With several roads already being mentioned, can anyone list all the buyers of the Y3s from N&W?  I am not familiar with this locomotive's disposition...

[Dave V]

Loco will ship this afternoon.  Peer pressure rocks.  Thanks for the inputs, guys!

[wm3798]

I know your pain.  The WM had some 2-8-8-2's that worked out of Baltimore in the early part of the last century, but they were soon deemed too clumsy for the WM's demanding east end, and were downgraded to helper service.  Later several were denuded of their lead and trailing trucks and worked the humps at Hagerstown and Port Covington.

Modeling the west end, I'm a liberated from any need for these, other than possibly hacking one up to be a yard goat for the rare "steam night" opportunity...  Too much buck for the bang, there.

That said, I did have an early run version on the layout for decoder surgery a couple of years ago, and it was indeed anemic for its size.  I'm glad to hear that Walther's has corrected that.

Lee

[sizemore]

Just wondering...

With several roads already being mentioned, can anyone list all the buyers of the Y3s from N&W?  I am not familiar with this locomotive's disposition...

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/nwy.shtml

The S.

[up1950s]

Just wondering...

With several roads already being mentioned, can anyone list all the buyers of the Y3s from N&W?  I am not familiar with this locomotive's disposition...

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/nwy.shtml

The S.

And this info source
http://www.yorktrains.com/YORK/3rd/y3a.htm

[Mark5]

Just wondering...

With several roads already being mentioned, can anyone list all the buyers of the Y3s from N&W?  I am not familiar with this locomotive's disposition...

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/nwy.shtml

The S.

Most of the ones N&W kept were used in yard service and for mine runs and the like.

They were much less powerful and much slower than the later Y class locos, which could easily cruise at 50 mph and had unequaled tractive effort.

[2-8-8-0]

I have one that was intended to be bashed into something else, but its never happened; nonetheless, it is a great engine, and I wish my Bachmann 2-6-6-2s pulled so well!

If only lifelike would make an H-7...!

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Thanks guys... I appreciate it!!!

[Dave V]

The package left Secaucus, NJ at 5:44 AM EDT this morning.  Giggity.

[Philip H]

The package left Secaucus, NJ at 5:44 AM EDT this morning.  Giggity.

COOL!  Just remember taht Railwire policy dictates operating video and stills within 48 hours of boiler firing in Enola.

[Nato]

   Glad you bought it. I have routinely pulled 30 cars at shows with my older Atlas 2-8-8-2 locos these featured a drive train from Samhongsa of Korea,but these lokies were trouble plagued from day one, valve gear kept falling apart among other things. So I splurged on two of the first run from Life Like,  a much better detailed model,they run very smoothly ,but do not pull worth a c**p. All the reports on the Walthers new gen version are wonderful, I'am debating myself whether to get atleast one with sound,now your purchase has convinced me as well as others comments. Now to decide do I want another UP or N&W loco,these were the roads I purchased on the first run and also when Atlas did their loco many moons back. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[Dave V]

It's here!  It's hawt!  It's nearly everything I've ever wanted in an N scale steam loco.

Okay, after 20 minutes of running, some observations:

The awesome:
1.  Sound rocks!  Great sounds and volume.  Love the Doppler effect.
2.  Pulls well!  See the not-as-awesome for more...
3.  Detail/finish very, very well done.  Almost doesn't need weathering thanks to a nice overall matte finish.  The lettering is superb.
4.  Very, very smooth running.  No surging or stalling.
5.  Love the auto backup light and the auto-dim on the headlight when idle.

The not-as-awesome:
1.  Only one set of traction tires that I saw.  I saw another set of driving wheels in the box, but haven't yet read up on what I'm supposed to do with it... ;D
2.  Related to (1) I notice some slight slow-downs on one part of my 15" radius curve with 17 heavily-loaded hoppers (some slippage at low speeds).  This spot is source of consternation for almost every loco I own, and is due to be addressed when the Juniata Division gets re-laid with code 55.
3.  Appearance is hawt except for the keystone number plate.  It's not real; it's a keystone-shaped decal applied to a round number plate.  I have some of Bernie's etched brass keystones.  I'll have to check to see if I have the right one.

All said and done, this baby is a 9 out of 10.  Definitely worth every penny.

Pics/videos will have to wait; I'll be out of town the latter half of the week and weekend.

[bobcat]

I'm glad you like it. ;D

[FrankCampagna]

Sometimes cool trumps absolute realism. Enjoy.

Frank

[Dave V]

Okay, further testing...

I ran this loco on the inside curve of 13.5", and she didn't care.  She plugged right ahead with a 10-car train like it wasn't even there.

I'm really thinking that it's the track in that one spot, because I have any number of locos from all different manufacturers that suffer there.  Steam seems especially vulnerable.

Here's what I think is going on:  I super-elevated the curves on that end of the layout, but did so by shimming between the track and the roadbed.  I used Woodland Scenics trackbed, which is waaaaaay to soft.  The problem seems to occur at the apex of the curve, which also happens to be a soldered flex track joint.  The combination of the vertical curves and solder joint, plus a probably compound curve at the apex, causes a visible displacement in long wheelbase steam.

On that mystical date when the Juniata Division gets gutted and re-tracked (the railroad is completely out of funds currently given recent motive power purchases), the problem will be resolved.

BOTTOM LINE:

The 2-8-8-2 is absolved of all sin.  I'm willing to look past the keystone thing.  Therefore, she gets a revised score.
10 out of 10! ;D