New Stuff at Train Show!!!

[victor miranda]

the 2-8-4 is interesting.

the spokes of the drivers are see through.
it looks like there is a plastic tube around the metal center/axle
looks like they are putting the wires inside the drawbar.
the siderods are done in plastic (?) I can tell where the gearing goes.
and there is some space between the driver frame and the bottom of the boiler.

is the boiler metal like the heavy mountain and the 2-10-2?
a picture of the tender might prove enlightening.

victor

[Chris333]

Fox Valley had samples of the B&O caboose and PRR hoppers, but they have been posted before. They also had some GP60ish looking N scale things next to all their HO models.

Traincat was there and I was able to buy another team track crane.

The Broadway Limited table was of no interest to me. If I hadn't seen the hopper shells I wouldn't have even walked over.

Some displays were just tables with fancy signs hanging up with like a hand full of model present. Others were packed full of product like they came to sell. A lot of building kit mfgs had little built up displays of everything they make.

Lots of DCC and electronic light people were there, I don't do DCC and I rip the headlights out of everything I own. 

[sizemore]

The boiler looks good, but those siderods and wheels are kinda lacking. Not to say its bad, just had my hopes up. I wonder how interchangeable the side rods would be from the LL? Bachmann has a habit of making the driver faces a tad smaller than the proto.

MTL

Well that ended the fuel tank/ride height/wheels debate. 

Thanks Chris!
The S.

[Chris333]

Didn't know if I could pick-up the models.




There is a gear tower from the drivers to the boiler at the 3rd driver. In one photo the frame is bare cast metal and the shell is black. I sure hope the shell is plastic, handrail stanchions are separate. The side rods look like brass same type that were shown on the 4-6-0 early photos.

Again sorry there are blurry. I had time, but they closed at 6 and were kicking us out...

[Chris333]

Look here and scoll down to the Bachmann N scale 4-6-0. Same pre-production side rods:
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/2964

[reinhardtjh]

I feel like I should be like "rich Biv" when he was trying to wake Marty McFly up so he could understand reality...

Personally, I feel the same way right now..

From Spookshow's own coverage on these models...

Apart from the different tenders and the H-4's DCC features, these two models are virtually identical.

You need to read farther than the 2nd sentence of the review...  About halfway down the page Mark gets to the H-4:

In 2010, Bachmann released a "new" 2-6-6-2 (their C&O H-4). Externally, the differences boil down to a new tender, slightly altered valve gear, and various changes to the shell detailing (ala the prototype). Internally, the basic chassis / mechanism is pretty much identical to that of the USRA 2-6-6-2

Do you own either model?  I have 3 of each and I can tell you positively that the shells are NOT the same.  There are differences in the air pump arrangement on the smokebox, the bell is different, whistle is different, different details near the cab.  Now as to how correct they are for the H-4 and H-5 I can't really say. I don't have drawings and the only H-4 photo I can find is rather dark - http://rr-fallenflags.org/co/co-s1387hba.jpg  and I can't find a H-5 photo. The one on Fallen Flags is 404ed - http://rr-fallenflags.org/co/co-s1527adb.jpg   

Where is the different tooling when the models are the same?  For that matter, where's the C&O version?  Like the 2-6-6-2 the pumps were on the front of the smokebox on C&O's Heavy Mountain... but this was not on any Bachmann model N-scale model that I have seen.

Then you never saw one.  I have one right here on my desk and, yep, I clearly see air pumps mounted on the front of the smokebox.  Now, the number boards are different from your picture and it looks like some of the piping isn't the same, and it appears that some of the cylinder details are different although the valve gear itself looks right.  The bell is in the right place and the steam and sand domes look pretty close.

If you look at Mark's page for the Heavy Mountain there is a picture which also clearly shows the air pumps on the front of the smokebox.  C&O #543 of the same J-2 class that your link depicts.

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/files/bach482vandy.jpg

The difference is in the detail.  While having very similar specs there have been a number of very different locomotives produced over the years by prototype builders.  A Pennsy modeler would not want to settle for a steamer that didn't have a Belpaire boiler... modelers of the C&O shouldn't have to settle for anything less either.

I never said a C&O modeler shouldn't.  I was merely asking what the differences were other than the changed dome positions.  I'm not a C&O/NKP/PM Berkshire expert. 

I'm not sure where all the Bachmann hate is coming from.  At least in N scale they have made a habit of doing some road specific differences as seen in the Heavy Mountain and the recent 2-10-2 which had 3 or 4 different arrangements of the domes and other details.  Even their B&O EM-1 had 4 different versions.  And all this was before pictures of the pre-production models came out. 

[nkalanaga]

Chris333:  The GN had lots of "big shiny diesels" before 1948!  Many of them made it to the BN, and I got to see them in Pasco.  They also had some nice steam.  If someone made smooth-running R2 I'd be very tempted to buy it, even if I had to invent a museum to run it.

I wonder what happened to the mechanism tooling for the old MRC (not later Con-Cor) Y6b?

[Chris333]

Chris333:  The GN had lots of "big shiny diesels" before 1948!  Many of them made it to the BN, and I got to see them in Pasco.  They also had some nice steam.  If someone made smooth-running R2 I'd be very tempted to buy it, even if I had to invent a museum to run it.

Oh Erie had some shiny diesels too, but they weren't SDD900043MacE busty cabs or whatever 

And American Z Lines had new Z scale F7's and a new coil car.

[nkalanaga]

No, even to me, the new diesels all look the same, EMD or GE.  I see  them on NS nearly every day going to or from work, and the only way I can identify them is by the model stenciled on the cab.

Now, the BL Baldwin Centipedes might have possibilities.  I wonder how they'd work as a chassis for a big electric?

[John]

Gotta say I'm not keen on the electrical pickup on the SW1500.

But the models do look pretty nice

[tom mann]

A z scale coil car you say?!

Edit:  looks like AZL also announced some corn syrup cars and E8s.

[ljudice]

Thanks for the reports....

Pretty pathetic that there is almost nothing new.  I remember the last NTS I attended - which must have been 12 or so years ago there were 4-5 new models announced and something to see around every corner.

[mplsjct]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure would like to see Walthers bring a couple of their HO structures to N scale, I really do like their structure kits.

[ljudice]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure would like to see Walthers bring a couple of their HO structures to N scale, I really do like their structure kits.

I agree 100%

[Pennsy]

I noticed tat BLI does not have any word or model of the Pennsy M1a. I ordered three last year. After having ordered 2 when they where originally announced many many years ago.
Are we going to be strung along forever by BLI

Jim