What old zombies should come back, and who should do them?

[Point353]

Meanwhile, the Trix 0-6-0 can deliver 10-12 cars, but it's going to do it at 100 mph, ...

Have you tried a DKS PWM throttle?
http://davidksmith.com/modeling/throttle.htm

[Sharky_McSharknose]

How about an "Erie Built" ??

Did Atlas acquire the C-Liner tooling? I’d like to see it rereleased.

I think Atlas acquired the tooling for both. It would be nice for Atlas to re-release them with modern DCC/sound support, a more accurate nose on the C-Liner (the L-L shell is a wee bit pointy compared to the prototype), and some variants like others mentioned. The C-Liner 5-axle of course would be cool, as would the earlier Erie-Built with the "chop-top" cab and fabricated truck sideframes. If Atlas can make an obscure variant like the SD26 from the SD24, they can probably make the chop-top cabs on the Eries.

Walthers produced a re-release of the C-Liner with support for DCC/sound, but only with a specific MDC decoder that has been discontinued. I added ESU Loksound to my Walthers C-Liners but had to hack up the stock light boards to accommodate the decoders. I'm sure Atlas can do whatever mods they did on the FA1/FB1 frame to the C-Liner and Erie-Built frames to make LokSound work.

Some other re-releases I'd like to see in modernized form from Atlas:
-DL109
-FA2/FB2
-Low-nose GP18
-C636
-H-12-44
-USRA 0-8-0 (long shot since the L-L tooling is missing or destroyed)

From Kato:
-J3a Hudson, both streamlined and non-streamlined (maybe with J1 and J2 versions, too?)

From Atlas or Rapido:
-C424. The tooling for the L-L release is owned by the Canadian company that commissioned them, so Atlas doesn't have it. Atlas is still the logical choice for this loco given the other Centuries they've built, but I think this would also be a nice project for Rapido given the longer lives the C424 and C425 had in Canada.

From... BLI or Bachmann, I guess?
-RF-16 Sharknose. What, you think I wouldn't ask for an improved re-release of these? 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I was really hoping we would see a retooled version of the LL SD7/9 at some point. The tooling is crisper than the Kato models and has a scale width hood. The model would need a new chassis, and the end handrails need addressing but I thought it was a very good looking model.

[mmagliaro]

...
Meanwhile, the Trix 0-6-0 can deliver 10-12 cars, but it's going to do it at 100 mph, and not at all over a long plastic frog...
Lee

Have you tried a DKS PWM throttle?
http://davidksmith.com/modeling/throttle.htm

A throttle cannot make up for the Trix 0-6-0's problems.
The issue with the Trix 0-6-0 isn't so much the gearing as the pickup.  While the motor and gearing are fast, the problem is that the pickup is so shoddy that unless it's running down the track really fast, it will surely stall, and no throttle can fix that.  So it does indeed have to run at "100 mph" to keep from stalling.

If you connect clip leads from the track directly to the Trix 0-6-0 motor and run it on a good throttle, it can indeed run quite well (although still not as slow as we really want in modern times).  But it's a lost cause without tender pickup.

[Point353]

Have you tried a DKS PWM throttle?
http://davidksmith.com/modeling/throttle.htm


A throttle cannot make up for the Trix 0-6-0's problems.
The issue with the Trix 0-6-0 isn't so much the gearing as the pickup.  While the motor and gearing are fast, the problem is that the pickup is so shoddy that unless it's running down the track really fast, it will surely stall, and no throttle can fix that.  So it does indeed have to run at "100 mph" to keep from stalling.

If you connect clip leads from the track directly to the Trix 0-6-0 motor and run it on a good throttle, it can indeed run quite well (although still not as slow as we really want in modern times).  But it's a lost cause without tender pickup.

I rechecked my sample (from the Aurora era) and observed that it runs fine at well below "100 mph" as powered by an MRC 2500 and running on either Peco code 80 or Kato Unitrack.
I apply DeoxIT to the electrical contacts, oil the motor bearing visible through the back wall of the cab, grease the gears and make sure that the drawbar from the tender isn't causing the rear of the loco to lift up. The loco wheels and track are also clean.
It was a gift from long ago and hasn't seen heavy use since it came lettered for Santa Fe. Maybe it's somehow just a better-than-average unit?

[mmagliaro]

I think that is the case, that you "caught a good one".  The performance on the old Trix 0-6-0, just like on the 2-10-0, is highly variable.  Here and there, you will find some really smooth runners.  You probably have one of those.  But I would still claim that if everything weren't pristinely clean in your test, and you tried real-world running of that engine on a layout through turnouts in a yard, or tried to use it as a "daily driver", the stalling would be very frustrating.  The Trix K4 is notorious for this as well.  Clean the wheels and wipers, and it seems to run great.  But come back tomorrow and try it again, and it stalls all over the place until you clean everything again.

[OldEastRR]

Achtung! German mechanisms are designed to be scrupulously maintained to operate correctly. It's just a German thing. From Golfs to Schmeissers to Trix locos, you must service der maschinerie before and after every use! My friend has a Vanagon which he uses sparingly but it goes into the shop every 2 months or so to fix something.

[nkalanaga]

Part of the reason SP didn't keep their KM hydraulics in service very long - too much maintenance.  It makes sense, though, because Germany isn't very big, and no train runs very far.  A 3000 km run, with one locomotive, would be unthinkable in Europe, at least until fairly recently.  The EU may have such runs today, I don't know.

[learmoia]

RSD 15.. likely BLI eventually..
AND A PHASE 3 GP9!!!! Please!!

~Ian

[wm3798]

I now have three of the Trix 0-6-0s.  One has been relegated to the scrap yard as a donor, the other two run reasonably well, although one is substantially faster than the other... the slow one running fairly smoothly.

My small layout has 4 circuits of track on it, so I frequently use the 0-5-0 to change trains.  I have a giant can of contact cleaner spray, and pretty much everything gets a schpritz before going on the track.  Even the 0-6-0s run well for hours at a time making lazy circles.  I'll run them fast for a few laps, then back off the throttle a bit to get them to cruising speed, then they run loops generally without incident.

I have a new-release Bachmann 0-6-0 with blackened wheels and one tender truck with pickups, and it's okay, but looks anemic compared to the more brutish Trix model.

Lee

[basementcalling]

I think Atlas acquired the tooling for both. It would be nice for Atlas to re-release them with modern DCC/sound support, a more accurate nose on the C-Liner (the L-L shell is a wee bit pointy compared to the prototype), and some variants like others mentioned. The C-Liner 5-axle of course would be cool, as would the earlier Erie-Built with the "chop-top" cab and fabricated truck sideframes. If Atlas can make an obscure variant like the SD26 from the SD24, they can probably make the chop-top cabs on the Eries.

Walthers produced a re-release of the C-Liner with support for DCC/sound, but only with a specific MDC decoder that has been discontinued. I added ESU Loksound to my Walthers C-Liners but had to hack up the stock light boards to accommodate the decoders. I'm sure Atlas can do whatever mods they did on the FA1/FB1 frame to the C-Liner and Erie-Built frames to make LokSound work.

Some other re-releases I'd like to see in modernized form from Atlas:
-DL109
-FA2/FB2
-Low-nose GP18
-C636
-H-12-44
-USRA 0-8-0 (long shot since the L-L tooling is missing or destroyed)

From Kato:
-J3a Hudson, both streamlined and non-streamlined (maybe with J1 and J2 versions, too?)

From Atlas or Rapido:
-C424. The tooling for the L-L release is owned by the Canadian company that commissioned them, so Atlas doesn't have it. Atlas is still the logical choice for this loco given the other Centuries they've built, but I think this would also be a nice project for Rapido given the longer lives the C424 and C425 had in Canada.

From... BLI or Bachmann, I guess?
-RF-16 Sharknose. What, you think I wouldn't ask for an improved re-release of these? 

Whatever happened to the old V Line Erie Built shells? I have a couple of those I put on the old Con Cor PA units.

[learmoia]

Whatever happened to the old V Line Erie Built shells? I have a couple of those I put on the old Con Cor PA units.

Not sure but someone was selling undec shells on Ebay in 1-2, and 4 packs (which included a 5th damaged shell)..

One other model to resurrect is the "Baldwin Switcher" (to be remade as an actual Baldwin Switcher)...

~Ian

[ncbqguy]

Whatever happened to the old V Line Erie Built shells? I have a couple of those I put on the old Con Cor PA units.


I still have a few UP, PRR and NYC  and a lifetime supply of V-Line Undec Erie-Built A unit shells.....

Back when I was working at JMC/Con-Cor I bought about half of the remaining stock of shells and helped the originator of V-Line retrieve the tooling from the company that ran the parts.   I used the V-Line brand (for obvious reasons) to market the “Flagstop Inn”, a tiny tavern inspired by a Woodland Scenics HO white metal kit and custom cardboard train boxes with fitted foam inserts.

I don’t have any of the train carrying cases but PM me if you want taverns or shells.

Charlie Vlk