Just take my money already

[jmlaboda - RIP]

And, it would make their "lifetime guarantee" actually mean that they can repair or replace any mechanism that they sell.

You mean that rubbish warranty?  The one that couldn't be honored because they ran out of K4s to fix all the broken ones, returning them to the owner unrepaired with a not that it couldn't be done?  Makes me glad I don't run my long sought Ten Wheeler yet... at least it looks pretty and right now that is all that matters!!!

[SPsteam]

You mean that rubbish warranty?  The one that couldn't be honored because they ran out of K4s to fix all the broken ones, returning them to the owner unrepaired with a not that it couldn't be done?  Makes me glad I don't run my long sought Ten Wheeler yet... at least it looks pretty and right now that is all that matters!!!

That is one bonus of the older brass mechanisms, they could be easily repaired (if you could find the parts). That is where the HO community is fortunate.  There are several vendors with parts to fix their locos and keep them going.  I could pick up an old Max Grey and have it running like a top in no time.  The N scale world isn't nearly as lucky...

Wish in one hand so the saying goes. 

What would be great, printing a loco shell in powdered tungsten.  Some heft to the boiler on top of a universal mechanism. 

[brokemoto]

You mean that rubbish warranty?  The one that couldn't be honored because they ran out of K4s to fix all the broken ones, returning them to the owner unrepaired with a not that it couldn't be done?  Makes me glad I don't run my long sought Ten Wheeler yet...

I have yet to have any problem with the B-mann warranty.  I have sent stuff back to them.  They always honoured the warranty.  Sometimes, the replacement was an "equivalent", rather than the same thing.

I did not buy the K-4 (or BLI's M-1, either) because it does not fit into what I am doing.   Thus,  I can make no comment about it. 

I forget what the last B-mann product is that I bought, but I seem to recall noting that the literature with it offered only a ninety day warranty. 

My ten wheelers all run well, although the first one did have a bit of a hitch in its get-along that came out with a combination of tinkering and break-in running.  My loudest complaint about the latest B-manns is that it is far too easy to fry the factory decoder on DC.  I have fried several.  What is funny is that in most cases, the thing runs better at slow speeds without the decoder/  I have not sent back any of the items on which I fried the decoder, as I do not use DCC, anyhow.  I simply wired around the decoder.

If you use DC, once you take out the decoder, the ALCo mogul makes a great switcher or peddler freight power.  The creep is amazing--and all this without flywheels.

[JMaurer1]

There almost was. I was at a train show and in the Concor booth was Jim Conway. One of the engines on display was an N Scale 4-8-4 painted for UP. The boiler was brown (use your imagination for what a long brown boiler looked like), the cab was yellow and the skirts were gray. I looked at the model and commented that it would also look good in Santa Fe red and silver Warbonnet. He said good idea and wrote it down in his notebook. Obviously wiser heads prevailed because it never appeared.

Doesn't mean that Concor didn't produce a black ATSF GS-4 (they did).

Other roads included Pennsy, D&RGW, NP (all three with coal insert for the tender), and  UP (with smoke deflectors).





Of course they also had SP daylight, SP war baby, Freedom train, and WP war baby (all prototypicalish)

[JMaurer1]

The designer says it is intend to fit the Bachmann 4-6-0 tender chassis.

But it also says that he is redesigning it to be a drop on replacement for the Bachmann 4-6-0 tender. I've contacted him telling him that I'm not-so-patiently waiting for the next version and he thanked me for telling him I was interested (you rarely hear any feedback on Shapeways). Anyone else who wants one...well I would contact him and let him know (you can do it from the Shapeways page at the bottom just under his picture where it says 'send message')

https://www.shapeways.com/product/KGAH8JYGF/n-scale-whaleback-tender-shell-for-bachmann-4-6-0?optionId=61265003&li=marketplace

He also makes a replacement Harriman cab for the engine too.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Other roads included Pennsy, D&RGW, NP (all three with coal insert for the tender), and  UP (with smoke deflectors).

You know, I surprisingly don't hate that.

[btrain]

I'm surprised that no one has made a C&O T1 and PRR J1 2-10-4s. There seems to be a healthy amount of people who model both of these roads in N scale, and these engines had a pretty good service life with their respective prototypes. The only changes that I can think of for tooling would be the pilot, front smokebox and tenders.

[eric220]

You know, I surprisingly don't hate that.

You're right; it does look plausible. It's vaguely reminiscent of the skyline K4. The high headlamp and keystone number plate "pennsyify" it in the same vein as the J1 versus the C&O T1. Still, I'll take a PRR T1 any day over a bastardized northern.

[babbo_enzo]

But it also says that he is redesigning it to be a drop on replacement for the Bachmann 4-6-0 tender.
I've contacted him telling him that I'm not-so-patiently waiting for the next version and he thanked me for telling him I was interested
Anyone else who wants one...
https://www.shapeways.com/product/KGAH8JYGF/n-scale-whaleback-tender-shell-for-bachmann-4-6-0?optionId=61265003&li=marketplace

He also makes a replacement Harriman cab for the engine too.

Well... I've post a message just 2 minutes ago, then go in the bathroom and ... don't see where is gone so ... again:

I've also post this link here some time ago
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31112.msg507162#msg507162

and have also write to the mann about DCC version compatibility (high) in SPW forum
He said that have no time during end-year holidays but will do in near future...

I've wait 'till 5 days ago and ... have order the present tender version and the cab. Just rx a mail from SPW that a packet is at home waiting me ...
I'm curious

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You're right; it does look plausible. It's vaguely reminiscent of the skyline K4. The high headlamp and keystone number plate "pennsyify" it in the same vein as the J1 versus the C&O T1. Still, I'll take a PRR T1 any day over a bastardized northern.

Exactly. Like, I KNOW I should hate it, but somehow, I don't.

[Cameron_Talley]

We have it much better in Steam in N than we did 20 years ago!  Lots of good stuff is available now.  That wasn't the case when I started--The Kato Mike had just come on the market, and there were the old Rivarossi locos, but that was about it. 

Honestly, for my purposes, the only thing I really want is a N&W Class A. 

[JMaurer1]

Ed Kapuscinski: That is SO WRONG. I feel dirty for you...

[Cajonpassfan]

Exactly. Like, I KNOW I should hate it, but somehow, I don't.

Well, I hate it, and I'm not even a Pennsy guy. And the "ATSF" and "UP" engines? PLEEZ, we need a barf emoji...
Otto K.

[peteski]

Still, somehow Kato can do it and make money. Just wish Kato made more and reran old engines (check out the prices that Kato GS-4s are going for now). All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope that others take the chance and try what Kato has already been successful with doing (Atlas, I'm talking to you especially).

Your wish appears to be granted.

I just got an email from Trainworld announcing pre-orders for a fresh run of Kato GS-4. Also shown on http://www.katousa.com/N/GS-4/index.html

Wow!  I didn't realize that (according to http://www.katousa.com/N/GS-4/pastmodels.html ) this will be the 4th release of this model.

[robert3985]

Well, I hate it, and I'm not even a Pennsy guy. And the "ATSF" and "UP" engines? PLEEZ, we need a barf emoji...
Otto K.

+1 for Otto...

I'm pretty happy with my steam roster, which includes Key brass USRA Light MacArthurs (w/Sweeney Stacks), Oriental brass 2-8-0's with Vandy tenders, Athearn Big Boys, Athearn U.P. 3900 class Challengers (coal & 3700 class oil), Key FEF-2's (converted to oil,  w/pre-Worthington SA feedwater heaters), Key brass FEF-3's (oil, TTG, pre-Worthington SA feedwater heaters/white-aluminum stripes), and Kato FEF-3's w/Worthington feedwater heaters.

The glaring holes in my steam roster are U.P. TTT's for helper and low-priority freight service, U.P. 0-6-0's for switching the Ogden Union Terminal Yard pre-1950, S.P. 2-8-0's with whaleback tenders for switching the Ogden Union Terminal Yard pre-1950, and U.P. heavy MacArthur's for local freights and daily branchline runs.

What I REALLY could use right now, would be U.P. Baby Turbines with and without tenders, and Veranda Turbines with and without tenders.  These started taking over for heavy priority freights in 1953 (with a 3700 class oil Challenger shoving to Wahsatch on the rear in front of a wooden CA caboose).  All the Big Boys were relocated to Cheyenne in March of 1954.

I could also use Kato F-3's with low fans, high stacks, Winterization hatches and chicken wire.

Some Atlas GP-9 B's would be really nice!

More S.P. Steam would be Kato GS-4's de-skirted, & GS-2's both w/skirt and without, MT-4's with streamlining and without, and an AC-5 Cab Forward.

That'd do it for me!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore