USRA 2-8-8-2 Mallet Steam Locomotive In N Scale

[Mark5]

You’re lucky. The Atlas 2-8-8-2 was a piece of ssssssssshhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttt!

Yeah, that's why I don't have one 

[Cajonpassfan]

Really?  They used different drivers?  That would be interesting to know.  I will wait in earnest for your report.

Yes, the Rowa engines had much finer drivers and siderods. RR updated them with typical drivers of the era.
Here's a photo of the front engine, sitting on Code 40 rail.
Otto

[peteski]

Sounds very much like what's known in the Marklin Z Scale world as "HOS": "Hardened Oil Syndrome". Seems the older releases came lubed with a grease that contained some sort of "wax", so over time the stuff would harden and it would become impossible for the gears to turn. I guess many a motor were burned up by an unknowing user attempting to get their immoveable loco running by turning up the juice...

I personally have seen this; I have (4) Marklin Z scale locos. All were used when I got 'em, and all 4 needed a complete tear-down, cleaning and re-lube before they would run. (Fortunately I knew about "HOS" prior to getting any of them.)

Now they can sit for many months without turning a wheel, yet will all run smoothly and quietly now that that stuff has been removed.

Mark (still) in Oregon

I have experienced the same thing in several N scale European locos (steam and diesel, but mostly on steam locos).  Just last year I bought couple of older Fleischman train sets where the locos drivers were frozen solid due to dried up oil which became more like brown glue.  I ahve also seen this phenomenon in some American prototype diesels, but the oil was not quite dried up like on the other models - just really viscous.

[propmeup1]

I have three of those old gals. They all run but on DC. not going to change them over with sound. They're too noisy and don't pull much.  i really would like to see someone put one out with todays standards and sound.

[rgengineoiler]

That is what I proposed when I started this thread.  I wanted to show that there is interest in purchasing newly designed Mallets with today's engineering and sound.  Heck,  we all know the issue's with the older models.  That is why I mentioned BLI for example.  My 4-8-2 Mountains run great and pull well.  I had my Challenger pulling 20 cars up a 2% grade and it spun out.  Right after that it shorted the layout.  I coupled up my BLI
Mountain  to the cars the Challenger had been pulling and from the start, it grabbed the track and pulled the cars up the 2% grade, no problem.  Forget Athearn!  If they can't build a Challenger that preforms then don't even try a Mallet.  I don't know how the Athearn " HO" Challengers are preforming.  I would hope better than in N Scale.  I don't know of other manufactures that would be interested except those I mentioned at the start of this thread.    Doug R

[rodsup9000]

I don't have a 2-8-8-2 here... Are the drivers cuttable for traction tires?  (I meant the first run ones).  If the outer metal rim part has enough thickness, they can be cut.  The Kato Mikado has a problem with that, in that their rims are too thin and if you try to cut even .005" into them, you are playing with fire and might cut right through the rim.   I tried it a few times and managed to get it, but it's hit-or-miss, and since replacement drivers for those are commonly available, it's not a big deal.

But for the 2-8-8-2, cutting traction tire grooves may be the only way to fix the pulling on those earlier ones.  If anyone has calipers and a good eye, post a guess at the rim thickness in here.  It would be good to know.

 I know right after LL released it, Victor (Miranda) cut some drivers and added traction tires. I think he did enough for several locos. On mine, I added all the tungsten I could get in them and double headed will pull 50 MT refers up my 2% grade. I've got 2 undec's that have never been out of the box that needs WP decals.

You’re lucky. The Atlas 2-8-8-2 was a piece of ssssssssshhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttt!

 I have a couple of them too and one of them I reworked and it runs OK.

 

[mike_lawyer]

Has there been any confirmation that the Walthers tooling for the 2-8-8-2 has been lost?

[reinhardtjh]

Has there been any confirmation that the Walthers tooling for the 2-8-8-2 has been lost?

@AtlasPaul will have to speak to that.  I did a search though and the 2-8-8-2 was not mentioned specifically, although this post kind of implied it:

Re: Atlas’s Walthers tooling Dec 18 edition.

I am hoping that Atlas will produce the Walthers/Lifelike USRA 0-8-0 and 2-8-8-2 mallet.  Both are awesome performers.

Not every former Walthers N scale piece was accounted for - we purchased everything that was accounted for.  The items that were not would be offered to us in the event they are located.

The 0-8-0 was specifically mentioned:

The C424/425 did not belong to LL/Walthers so was not included in our purchase.

The 0-8-0 tooling was not located with the other tooling, so is not currently included with our purchase, however if/when it is located, provisions are in place for it to be transferred to Atlas.

Nothing about the 2-8-4 Berkshire though.

[Atlas Paul]

The 0-8-0 was not located by Walthers when the tooling was transferred.  In the event they locate it, it will be turned over to us.

The other steam tooling was received.

[mike_lawyer]

Cool, so the 2-8-8-2 and Berkshire tooling are with Atlas.  Great news.  Hopefully we will see a run of them sometime in the future!

[mmagliaro]

Well Paul, and Atlas in general, you've got the tooling to two really excellent steam locos there, that just need some improvements to turn them into A+ engines.  The Berk needs traction tires, axle-point tender pickup, and easier conversion to DCC.  The 2-8-8-2 was probably even closer to perfect in its last run with the traction tires, although as I recall, the headlight was incandescent and very dim, but that may have only been in the first run.

Even though neither engine fits my personal needs, I'm excited about this because I am always happy to see really well-made commercial steam that "gets it".  The Kato Mikado "got it".  Kato saw the critical shortcomings of N Scale steam in the 1990s and addressed them.   These two engines could do see Atlas do the same thing for our current time.  Sure wish you had the 0-8-0.

[Mark5]

The 0-8-0 was not located by Walthers when the tooling was transferred.  In the event they locate it, it will be turned over to us.

The other steam tooling was received.

Thank you Paul!

[Rasputen]

Even the second run had an incandescent bulb, and they are NOT fun to change.

Thanks for the info Paul!

[peteski]

Even the second run had an incandescent bulb, and they are NOT fun to change.

Thanks for the info Paul!

. . . but much easier than replacing a failed LED in Athearn Big Boy headlight.  While the Mallet was a bit challenging, the Big Boy was a huge pain in the butt!  Parts being glued together makes the job even harder. I just did that last week. 

[wes_sutton]

Always a bit surprised no manufacturer has ever had another crack at the Y6b