N-Scale Steam, how reliable?

[ChrisNH]

Hi,

I have recently come to realize that my current track plan for the next layout is not viable because of access problems to a septic pipe. I will have to move the helix. At the same time, I am more and more thinking that I need to be more focused in my design. Currently 2/3 of my design focuses on the CP in Northern Vermont, and 1/2 more or less (overlapping yard..) focuses on the Maine Central. The two parts are integrated operationally.. but I am thinking more and more I want one longer run rather then two shorter ones for my space.

This is about steam.. bear with me here..

Last night while prowling my basement looking at ways I can modify my plan that don't involve pitching all my wifes crap stuff on the curb on trash day I came across my beloved Bachman B&M 2-8-0. I cleaned some track on my mini layout, dialed up "00" on my Digitrax (DC channel..) and ran it back and forth through my half done scenery.

It looked wonderful and made me realize just how nice a steam engine can look. I always had thought that late era diesel was the ideal modeling era for N because the diesel engines were suited to the scale and the brightly colored cars "popped" and were easier to sort through when using car cards then a sea of boxcar red..

Now to the point of the post

Up until now I had pretty much decided that "N-scale steam is crap". I felt that I would not be able to get the kind of look, feel, and reliability I would want without going to HO. Going to HO will create design problems for me not the least of which would be my N scale club pitching me to the curb..

I would like feedback on people's experience with recent N-scale steam releases like the ones from Bachman and Model Power. I am especially interested in the thoughts of folks who do operating sessions using N-scale steam. Can I have reliable operation? Do you feel that they capture the feel of Steam?

If you have been to an operating session using steam era, how was it? Did the N-scale steam locos cause you any problems?

If I went down this path I would be modeling prior to 1926 which is when the B&M leased the line though St Johnsbury to the CP.

Chris

[wm3798]

Chris,
I've got one of those Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0's, it's totally out of era for my layout, but my excuse is that the WM Scenic could have operated in the early 70's!  I love it.  It's unbelievably reliable.
  

I run it fairly regularly and in the 3 or 4 years I've had it, I've only had to give it a thorough cleaning once.  I added a little weight, which helped improve its already impressive pulling power.  But you already have one, so I'm preaching to the choir on that model.

Also, in my decoder installation work, I've had the opportunity to run Kato Mikados, Model Power pacifics, and Lifelike Mallets.  


While the latter was a little anemic in the pulling power department, it was certainly smooth running and beautifully detailed.  


The Model Power engine suffers a little from the one-rail tender pick up, and the drive is a wee bit noisy, but not a deal breaker for the price.  The metal boiler makes it harder to modify, but gives it respectable capability pulling a train around curves and up grades.  Aside from some primitive cast on details, it's overall a very nice looking model, and appropriately priced.


The Kato Mike is a masterpiece.  To me, the only thing that puts the Spectrum 2-8-0 a cut above it is the Spectrum is easier to take apart.  But the Mike is smooth running, quiet, and very capable.


Other engines that have crossed the rails here are a ConCor S-2 4-8-4, which is nicely done, and is pretty powerful


The Bachmann Spectrum Heavy Mountain is also a very nice model, and runs extremely and powerfully well.

I've also worked on a couple of oldies but goodies, including the Rivarossi Challenger from the mid-1980's,


And the 1970's vintage Rivarossi Pacific that I converted into a WM K-2




The oldies have their issues, but they can be found pretty affordably, and are fun to tinker with.

The main problem you'll face is finding models that are close enough to use on your prototype (if that's an issue).  As you can see, I've done some tinkering on a few to upgrade the appearance, but to get really accurate, you'll be dropping big dollars for brass, if you can find it, and usually with a tremendous sacrifice in performance.

Hope this is helpful.

Lee

[ChrisNH]

WoW! Nice post! Thanks!

I had not given a lot of thought to pulling power but I had heard that was an issue for HO steam.. it makes sense it would be an issue for N. I will have to be very careful with my helix if I go this route.

Chris

[wm3798]

I would do your field tests on the helix with 10-15 cars.  Recall that in the steam era trains were shorter and more frequent. 

Lee

[Hiroe]

Wow, you just reminded me that i had bought a kato mike for $25 (minus the detail pack) some two-three years ago, and had put it away for a rainy day.

Problem is, i don't recall getting it back after the kid across the street stole all my N stuff while it was stored at my parents' place. Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've often thought about if a steam era layout has indeed become viable.

I think so, if you don't mind foobies.

[DKS]

Not sure if it's applicable for your prototype of choice, but some railroads used Shays for yard work, and the Atlas shay runs as well as any decent small diesel. Back when they were first released, I took mine over to Rick Spano's to stretch its legs (I don't have an N scale layout right now), and he liked it so much that he got a couple for himself to use as switchers. Thankfully Atlas is re-releasing them, so if they're of any potential interest, now's the time to get one. Also... the Life-Like/Walthers 0-8-0 has had some good reviews--and admittedly some bad ones, but with some tinkering I think they may be a viable choice as well.

[Nato]

  The Model Power steamers run nicely, but need their traction tire retrofit to increase pulling power. The undec locos like the 4-4-0 come with a grundel of extra parts , two types of cabs ,different pilots, etc. The recient Con Cor locomotives are quite nice based on their original Kato GN 4-8-4 drive train, but now made in China, not only is the GN loco nice, but the SP /WP Daylight locomotive in both streamlined and un streamlined versions. Also there was a blow out sale reciently on the FOOBIE versions, UP,PRR etc. The 2-10-2 U.S.R.A. loco is out standing also on sale reciently in some roads. All the newer Bachmann steam locomotive have onboard DCC decoders, and older ones will get upgrades. I love my original version 2-6-6-2 Articulated loco, it will pull a modest number of cars, mine 30 on a level, 18 on a grade. Lastly do not over look the former Round House MDC now Athearn locomotives, the 2-8-0 and the harder to find 4-6-0. They are great pullers ,but era limited. Oh and yes the Micro Ace made for Atlas 1890's era 4-6-0 loco is a cute gem offered in many great turn of the century paint schemes.                               Nate Goodman (Nato). "Yay! Go Go Steam!"

[ChrisNH]

the former Round House MDC now Athearn locomotives, the 2-8-0 and the harder to find 4-6-0. They are great pullers ,but era limited.

Perfect for my era. I had heard that the MDC steamers were a bear to put a decoder in.. in fact years ago I had their 2-8-0 on pre-order and canceled it for that reason. If I recall, the motor is in the tender and there is very little room in the period boiler? Is there a clever way to handle these now?

Chris

[SkipGear]

The solution for a decoder in the Athearn 2-8-0 and 2-6-0 is to mount the decoder over top of the motor, under the coal load in the tender. A little shaving and clearancing needs to be done.

Steam is very reliable. You will need to make sure your trackwork is a little better than average but I run steam on Ntrak modules with little or no problems. If they can run there, running at home on a well built layout is nothing.

The hardest part is learning to put up with close enough, or detailing and building loco's to suit. Being a steam head and a B&O fan, I have probably 30-40 steam loco's, only 2 of them are truely prototypical for B&O and both of those have had extensive surgery to get there.





Modeling 1900-1926 you would be looking primarily at:

Athearn 2-8-0, 2-6-0
Atlas 2-6-0
Bachmann 2-8-0, 0-6-0
Walthers 0-8-0
Model Power 4-4-0, 2-6-0

All of which are very viable and capable loco's. All but the Atlas and Athearn are easy DCC conversions and the Atlas and Athearn are still doable with some effort.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't forget the USRA stuff Tony. That came along in the teens.

[ChrisNH]

Yeah.. looking over the roster I would be looking at 4-6-2 and 4-4-2 as well. Probably not 0-8-0, those came in toward the end of the period.

Really I would prefer to do something even farther back but I think the challenge of coming up with rolling stock would be more then I care to deal with.

Chris

[Guilford Guy]

What B&M Era would you be modeling? 4-4-2s were used in Boston area commuter service the majority of the time. The main stay of freight was hauled by the 2-8-0s, while branch lines used 2-6-0s almost exclusively. St Johnsbury may have had an 0-6-0 or an early ALCo switcher. To my knowledge, the 0-8-0s didn't wander far from Boston and Mickeyville even in their later years.

[SkipGear]

Just a point of interest, the USRA was formed in 1917, disbanded in 1920.

http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/014.html#14.1

From what I have seen, most of the railroads didn't use USRA equipment but made copies with tweaks to suit their needs better.. At least for the B&O, USRA designs are probably less than 10% of their fleet (this is just a guess, I'm at work and don't have the real numbers in front of me.)

[Ian MacMillan]

You'll need plenty of 2-8-0's Chris for a good B&M layout!