dirty rumor from Bmann

[VonRyan]

I was never around for any of the K4-wars, but looking at the fact that Bachmann did four types of EM-1s, and EM-1s were only a B&O thing... I'd say that a K4 is well within the realm of feasibility.


-Cody F.

[SkipGear]

I was never around for any of the K4-wars, but looking at the fact that Bachmann did four types of EM-1s, and EM-1s were only a B&O thing... I'd say that a K4 is well within the realm of feasibility.


-Cody F.

Well, in reality, Bachmann only did 2 types of EM-1, small sand dome and large sand dome. I'm not sure why they bothered with the dual sealed beam headlight because you can only tell what it is, when it is off and it was only seen on a select few locos, after the renumbering to the 700 series, which they didn't cover. It's next to impossible to find a photo with a 7600 series loco with the dual headlight update.

Cody...all good steam topics end up with the great question, "If they will make loco X, why doesn't anybody make a K4?". This is the way it will be till the end of time, or until somebody actually makes a K4. If a K4 is made, then the question will turn to, "Why didn't they make a post/pre (your choice) war K4, with a X style pilot, and Y headlight with the Z tender?" The manufactures really can't win.

[chicken45]

Cody...all good steam topics end up with the great question, "If they will make loco X, why doesn't anybody make a K4?". This is the way it will be till the end of time, or until somebody actually makes a K4. If a K4 is made, then the question will turn to, "Why didn't they make a post/pre (your choice) war K4, with a X style pilot, and Y headlight with the Z tender?" The manufactures really can't win.

The bad ones do, too!

[wm3798]

Back in the day, we treated locomotive models like a girlfriend that smokes or has a slightly over-sized behind... get the body first, THEN worry about the details!

Lee

[Cajonpassfan]

The ATSF Northern is sold under quite a few different roads so they aren't going to put the effort into making it exact for ATSF because then it is even less correct for the others, although it is really nowhere close for anything other than the ATSF, but they don't know that, LOL.

I really thing the only thing wrong with the loco, besides the lack of freestanding details (which is easy enough to fix), is the lack of undercut on the bottom of the boiler. The boiler is more upside down U shaped than round. The other big thing to fix would be the plastic blob they claim is valve gear. In all reality, I look at the loco and know that it is a ATSF 3700 which is much more road specific than a lot of the stuff out there.

You make some good points Tony, as usual, and it may be that I tend to be more critical because it's "my road".
My kids accuse me of being overly critical of them, too, because they are mine.. Oh, and just for the record, ATSF 3700 class was a 69" drivered Mountain, which could never be confused with the 3776/2900 class... A typo I presume...
Best, Otto K.

[SkipGear]

You make some good points Tony, as usual, and it may be that I tend to be more critical because it's "my road".
My kids accuse me of being overly critical of them, too, because they are mine.. Oh, and just for the record, ATSF 3700 class was a 69" drivered Mountain, which could never be confused with the 3776/2900 class... A typo I presume...
Best, Otto K.

Sorry, not a ATSF fan so I didn't realize there was a breakdown in the 3700's of different locos. I was being too general. I'm used to B&O that numbered the loco's relative to the class, as in all 7600's were EM-1's (until renumbering), All S-class 2-10-2's were 6100's and up, etc.

[VonRyan]

Back in the day, we treated locomotive models like a girlfriend that smokes or has a slightly over-sized behind... get the body first, THEN worry about the details!

Lee

Thinking about adding smoke to my brass H10 in place of the headlight function on the decoder since the headlight wouldn't be on during daytime running.

-Cody F.

[VonRyan]

Cody...all good steam topics end up with the great question, "If they will make loco X, why doesn't anybody make a K4?". This is the way it will be till the end of time, or until somebody actually makes a K4. If a K4 is made, then the question will turn to, "Why didn't they make a post/pre (your choice) war K4, with a X style pilot, and Y headlight with the Z tender?" The manufactures really can't win.

A basic pre- and post-war would do the market well.

I myself just want a modern-tooled K4 that runs well.

[eric220]

Prewar style K4 for me, please.

[draskouasshat]

eric, i really hope this is a joke. and K4 derail has begun and might i add, nobody will make a damned K4!!! lmao


I agree with otto on the horrible details and shape of the old northenrs although my detailed and reworked bmann shells from my first GS4 coversions really did turn out well. It is possible to make a good stand in with this shell but it does take some work. Ill see if i can find some better pictures to post of my early conversions before we had jasons castings.

[eric220]

Not a joke at all.  I really would like an RTR prewar style K4.  Bmann seems to be a logical manufacturer, given how long they've made the HO version.  Seems a lot more logical to spend the time, energy, and money to tool a Spectrum quality model of an iconic engine like the K4, with hundreds of prototype examples instead of an esoteric engine like the ATSF northern with a few dozen prototype examples.

[draskouasshat]

Not a joke at all.  I really would like an RTR prewar style K4.  Bmann seems to be a logical manufacturer, given how long they've made the HO version.  Seems a lot more logical to spend the time, energy, and money to tool a Spectrum quality model of an iconic engine like the K4, with hundreds of prototype examples instead of an esoteric engine like the ATSF northern with a few dozen prototype examples.

Ahh here we go again. you guys just dont understand economics do you? lmao theres a reason the M1A hasnt come out isnt there?

[eric220]

Ahh here we go again. you guys just dont understand economics do you? lmao theres a reason the M1A hasnt come out isnt there?

I guess we don't understand economics.  LMAO  An "army of SPF's" (your term) each of whom would likely buy multiple RTR K4's.  Surely no way anyone could make any money!

[Cajonpassfan]

So....here we were having a nice and useful conversation about Bachmann's ATSF Northerns I thought, for those of us who like, appreciate and admire these marvelous 500,000 pound Santa Fe machines that ran between Los Angeles and Kansas City, pushing 100 mph with heavy transcon trains, a distance of over 1700 railroad miles, day in and day out, without engine changes, just to be turned around and ran back, years before diesels were able to accomplish a similar feat, just to be hijacked by another silly "I'd like a K-4" nonsense. Good for you, but can you PLEEEESE  start your own thread about the the wonderful iconic K-4's and transcontinental Pennsy's and let us enjoy our own esoteric and meaningless Santa Fe conversations without butting in?? JEEZ, PLEEZ ... a little courtesy? Is that too much to ask??
(Drasko, even though this is your thread, would you please do me a personal favor and please hold your tongue, for once?   ...
Lord,....and regards to all, Otto K.

[peteski]

I guess we don't understand economics.  LMAO  An "army of SPF's" (your term) each of whom would likely buy multiple RTR K4's.  Surely no way anyone could make any money!

I think that the problem is that there are probably around 2000 SPFs in N scale, world wide. Even if they all bought 2 K4s each, that would only be 4000 models. They probably have to make something like 20,000 to make the venture profitable.