Next switcher wanted

[wcfn100]

Read what where? 

Quote from: S Class on September 13, 2012, 08:35:26 PM
Yep this is timely news for the Brooklyn Trans Hudson, but any chance or word or intent on an S-1?

Regardless I'm in for at least an Undec unit.

Can we at least get a couple of runs out of this model?   

I think the inference is pretty clear.

Okay, I may have stored that in my brain differently than it happened, but I'm still expecting an S-1. 

Jason

[Rich_S]

As for the FM H20-44s you have to remember that they were not switchers in the same class as the others already mentioned, they were very large road units, though some survived way after FM's demise working heavy industry.  They were FM's first high-horsepower road units.

But the H16-44s are not in the same class either.  They are road switchers not yard switchers.  Isn't these available from Bachmann?

For the smaller railroads like the P&WV and AC&Y they were indeed used a road power, but for the larger railroads they were used as switchers and transfer power. It's some times a  fine line. Here is a proposal from EMD for new road power for the P&WV. The proposal was for 2 cow's and a calf.

http://www.thepwvhiline.com/Historic_Documents/EMD_SW9_Calf_Proposal_Hist_Doc/GM_EMD_Proposal_W_Drawings.pdf

As for the Bachmann H16-44's, they are fair at best. They are growlers without flywheels and are not currently in production or available on Bachmann's web site. They can be found from time to time on eBay, but I'm leary of purchasing a second one. My Bachmann H16-44 sends the installed decoder up in smoke about every six months for no apparent reason. It's now gone through four decoders and I really don't feel like installing the fifth. Everything is insulated, so at this point it has to be something in the motor, causing the short. It runs fine on DC, but I only get about 6 months use out of a DCC decoder.



They also come equipped with non operating knuckle couplers and although not impossible, it is a PITA installing micro trains couplers on this locomotives. 

I doubt we'll ever see the FM H20-44's produced in N scale since there were only 96 locomotives produced for 6 railroads. Since most people would view these as big switchers, there is always hope? I also hope that  because the Pennsylvania railroad had 38, the New York Central had 19 and the Union Pacific had 10, maybe some manufacture just might decide to produce this unique locomotive. Yes, the P&WV had 22 FM H20-44's, Fairbanks Morse proposal won out over EMD's proposal
 

[jmarley76]

But that would render yet another one of my bashes obsolete!

That's how it works; you bash or scratchbuild it real nice, then someone comes out with a kit or RTR! 

[Chris333]

[nscaler711]

NRE Gensets... Any/all of them... I know Atlas made two versions in HO... But no love for N... (just on the gensets, Atlas loves us Nuts )

[nkalanaga]

The C-415 would also be good for the SP&S.  Then I could model my favorite 1978 BN consist, four F units and a C-415, A-B-C-B-A, all clean, all in BN paint.

Wouldn't be proper for my 1974 Montana layout, but it looked just odd enough to fit the late 70s Northwest. 

[Ngineer]

What about an NW3?

The Empire Builder scheme should sell well. And modern modelers could always place one on a short segment of track. 

As for the H12-44: Is this the switcher the ATSF had at Dearborn Station in Chicago?

   Javier

[thomasjmdavis]

As for the H12-44: Is this the switcher the ATSF had at Dearborn Station in Chicago?

The H12-44TS was the version used at Dearborn and had a short hood housing a steam generator and looked like a road switcher but with switcher trucks. It is generally similar, but not identical to a late model H16-44 road switcher.  Main difference that jumps out at me is that it only has 2 big radiator louver panels at the end of the long hood....



The H16-44 (later version without the rounded windows of phase 1) has 3 radiator panels at the end of the long hood



The standard h12-44 is a boxy switcher (the earlier H10-44 was very similar)


The switchers were not as popular as some EMD or Alco models, but there were large fleets on a number of major roads and many midwestern roads rostered at least a few, as well as industrial users.  Minitrix made a model some years ago (I still have one, and it still runs fairly well).  But it has been out of production for over 15 years, and I imagine if I ever try to install DCC, that will be a challenge.  So it struck several of us here as a worthwhile candidate for manufacture.  I previously suggested the "TS" might be a good choice for a resin caster or RP designer- lots of ATSF modelers would want one, and the chassis of the Atlas H16-44 would be close in size, and I would think switching out trucks with an Atlas switcher would be a possibility.  What can I say, I would like to have one, and see it as very unlikely that any RTR model will ever be made.

PS- does anyone else find it confusing that FM designations make no obvious distinction between switchers and road switchers?  ie- H12-44 (switcher) and H16-44 (road switcher)?

[SkipGear]

Bachmann and Atlas have done H16-44's in various phases.  The H10 / H12's would be nice. I have a couple of the Minitrix shells to hack onto an Atlas VO-1000 frame in the future to make an H12.

On the steam side of things, I'm very happy with the Bachmann 0-6-0 as it is a good runner (with a little tender work) and it represents a USRA 0-6-0 very well. The new version with the smaller motor cures one of the major drawbacks to the loco. That said, another 0-6-0 would not be frowned upon but what else are you going to do that could be produced in enough multiple roads to make production viable. It's a dream but a re-run of the the Walthers 0-8-0 or maybe a slightly heavier 0-8-0 would make me happy.

The Bachmann 0-6-0 isn't really as bad a people want to believe.....

[Ngineer]

Atlas have done H16-44's in various phases.

The red and green LEDs strike me as being very odd. (And oversized.)

That's why I've never bought one.

Are these lights prototypical?

   Javier

[jmlaboda]

The Bachmann 0-6-0 isn't really as bad a people want to believe.....

Maybe because you are looking at it with rose colored glasses...

[Dave Schneider]

That could easily be the best new switcher for someone to do.  If for no other reason it would get Dave S. to work on his layout again. I honestly would have put money on FMV doing it after the Hiawatha, but all we got was modern crap, HO junk and a waste of eastern prototypes. 
Jason

A FM H-10-44 and/or H-12-44?
It's a deal!

Best wishes, Dave