InterMountain seeking input on another steamer.

[Puddington]

Dave is right; we are and should be more accepting of the 90% rule with steam; purely out of neccessity. The "steamheads" (to borrow the phrase) will wine and bit@h regardless; they HAVE to find something wrong to validate their own existance but really and truely these people are very few and far between and mostly ignored by many.

If we accept the 90% rule I have to believe it opens up some possibilities to a manufacturer that is willing to break out of the exisiting rules and is able to look at a steam project as a "partially assembled" project - the RTR guy can run it out of the box or the modeler can get down and dirty and model away to their hearts and talents content.

Imagine after a few years - one release a year; but a constant stream of parts - different types of wheels, spoked, boxbox etc... all available form the mfg and able to be used on the different offerings ( I know, different dieameters, the mfg could carefully select projects to narrow the "parts" available that would cross over) headlights, pilots, cabs.....

I think it could work.

[TrainCat2]

I WANT A MONSTER!!

[sundowner]

I WANT A MONSTER!!

That what I am talking about. But I would like something a little bigger, a C&O H8 .

[Puddington]

I surrender..................................................... :-\

NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sirenwerks]

Reading T1 & WM shay #6 get my votes. I think Atlas would do better for the shay, so IM can stick to the Northern, in Reading American Freedom Train & (Lee's favorite) Chessie Steam Special paint schemes.

[wm3798]

Reading T-1 would be an obvious choice, and would fit in with Kato's "Icon" philosophy... except that it's from east of the Mississippi, and they are just now doing their quota of that ilk with the GG-1, which hold them for another couple of decades...

The multiple paint schemes would make that at least as marketable as the Berkshire, especially given the connection with the tourist trains.

The Big Six would be a harder sell.  First, a very good brass one was made, which still turns up on a fairly regular basis on the 'bay.  It fetches big dollars, but for those who really want one, that's the one to get.
Also, being a three-truck shay, with a coupled tender you have a whole nother set of mechanical issues to solve... Remember, the beauty of the Atlas Shay is that under the skin it's basically a diesel mechanism.  No can do with a three truck, unless the trailer is a dummy, which with the external drive shaft would make for a lot of drag, cutting down on the pulling power considerably.

Add to that the fact that it's a one of a kind, there aren't a lot of paint scheme options outside of ConCor type foobies.

I need to get me one of them Berks... I was flipping through one of my many books, and the NKP 759 spent a good deal of time on the WM in '69 and '70, including hauling a couple of time freights between Hagerstown and Cumberland...  What a sight that must have been!

Lee

[Dave V]

Reading T-1 would be an obvious choice, and would fit in with Kato's "Icon" philosophy... except that it's from east of the Mississippi, and they are just now doing their quota of that ilk with the GG-1, which hold them for another couple of decades...

The multiple paint schemes would make that at least as marketable as the Berkshire, especially given the connection with the tourist trains.

And, of course, Lee's gonna rush out and buy the Chessie version of the T1:



Kitties for everyone!!! ;D

[wm3798]

Well, I did ride behind her back in '77... My first fan trip...  But due to my severe feline allergy, I would probably get the Reading version... ;D

Lee

[sirenwerks]

I remember a T1 heading to Tacoma Washington a few years back, from Ontario I think. Is it still up there?

[SD452XR]

Northern Pacific 4-8-4 or a Milwaukee Road 4-8-4

[wendell camp]

Well, I did ride behind her back in '77... My first fan trip...  But due to my severe feline allergy, I would probably get the Reading version... ;D

Lee

Lee don't they have shots for that ;D ;D ;D Wendell

[3rdrail]

I remember a T1 heading to Tacoma Washington a few years back, from Ontario I think. Is it still up there?

It is "hiding out" on a short line in Central Washington. The GPRR, the train operator, is bankrupt, and the locomotive is for sale by the trustee, once title is clear. Some people are contemplating bidding on it with an interest in bringing back East.

[Ryan87]

I remember a T1 heading to Tacoma Washington a few years back, from Ontario I think. Is it still up there?

It is "hiding out" on a short line in Central Washington. The GPRR, the train operator, is bankrupt, and the locomotive is for sale by the trustee, once title is clear. Some people are contemplating bidding on it with an interest in bringing back East.

I remember seeing it when it went west over CP and wondering why they would want a Reading locomotive in Washington....

[Norm P]

I'm not a steam fan, but I'd buy a L&N big emma if one of the manufacturers produced one in N scale.

[Bob Bufkin]

More I think about a T-1, the more I would like to have one.  PRR leased some in the late 50's along with some RF&P steamers.  Good excuse for running one.