Personally, I don't want any

Personally, I don't want any more large PRR steam. I need a small passenger locomotive such as the G5 class. I am not a large layout person. My layout is essentially 12'x20' and am modeling the Pennsy's GR&I. The largest passenger locomotive that ran there was the G5. So logically, I want a G5.

Jim Six  

I think BLI should get away

I think BLI should get away from the purely eastern roads for a bit. Or, not so much Pennsy steam as their new big engine. How about a couple of Pacifics from NYC or from the Grand Trunk Western? Try C&NW, or B&O, or how about Southern, or more Santa Fe locomotives.  Many roads had Hudsons, and they have the doin's for many of them already in their tooling, with some appropriate specifics for the roads.  Must we look to brass for the GM&O?

How about the Erie, the East Broad Top, Illinois Central, ACL?  Iowa, Chicago & Eastern never had a Pacific?

NYC H5 Mikado

What I want more than any other locomotive is an NYC H5 class Mikado.

Small steam

I Am personally very happy they’re producing the S1. I've never seen one in HO, brass or otherwise. The other locomotives have likely already been produced or are already in production. How many more models of pacifics /mikados could we possibly need? The S1 is a very cool and unique locomotive. They’re filling a hole in the market and I’m very happy about it. 

S-1

I agree with William,  while I am not a Pennsylvania railroad modeler, I do like seeing prototype accurate models produced, even if only as limited run models, that will at least allow those who want that specific model the opportunity to purchase it. Jim

Heavy Mikado

James, looking at your picture of the H5, it looks like a fairly easy kit bash project, starting with a typical USRA heavy Mikado, and changing the steam and sand domes for a better match. I would need to see the builder's spec sheet with all dimensions shown like the ones I use for kit bashing models to make more accurate models of my Soo Line prototypes. The builder's spec sheets are extremely valuable information for me to build more accurate models. I was very fortunate to purchase an entire book from 1960, that had every Soo Line steam locomotive spec sheets for every different steam locomotive they operated, perhaps similar books or reprints are also available for your prototype. Jim

Heavy Mikado

Interesting comment. Other than USRA Mikados and generic (not prototype) Mikados there have been few if any Mikes offered during my lifetime -- except for brass. I was born in 1948. Recently BLI released the PRR L1 Mike, great model and much needed. No NYC Mike has ever been offered. No B&O, No NKP. I could go on and on.

I am not interested in big models just because I like the prototypes -- which I certainly do. I need small steam locomotives that can actually be use on my less than enormous layout.

We each have our own wants.  

Jim Six

Monon Mikado

Jim, I needed a heavy Mikado model to resemble the former Monon Mikados that the Soo Line bought from them in 1941. The closest I could get was the Eastern looking extremely generic Mantua heavy Mikado. The valve gear isn't right, and the aftermarket kit to convert the valve gear is long out of production. The biggest modification I had to do was extend the cab forward by splicing two cabs together, to the size of 1 & 1/2 cabs to better match the larger Soo Line cabs.

The strange thing about the real locomotive, is with the boiler jacket installed, the top of the boiler does not have any taper at all, the real Soo 1024, that I helped relocate, which is displayed without a boiler jacket, has a slight taper but still definitely a heavy, large diameter boiler. There are a lot of details needed to make such a plain generic model look good along side of modern plastic and die cast models. The tender modification was the easiest part, I used Bowser high side Pennsy style of tenders to get the right size and shape of the tender, again, not quite perfect, but as close as I could get.

I am also stuck using the old Roundhouse/MDC Harriman style 2-8-0 models for my Soo F-9 class, with different modified tenders, and added details because no other models past or present come close to the F-9, and the new B.L.I. model would need a bit of kit bashing to better match the F-12 class including a steam dome change, but I am reluctant to cut up a $400.00 model, although I probably will do it in order to get what I want the model to resemble.

Small Steam agreed!

I am all for BLI making locomotives that everybody wants, but I have to agree with jamessix about producing smaller steam loco's like the G5.  The driver spacing is perfect for a few different models that I can think of and a    4-6-0 with a larger diameter driving wheel than what Bachman offers would be perfect  for a few different Anthracite roads.  I particularly like the idea of something like th G5 for kitbashing reasons to produce Rutland, NYC and D&H locomotives.  There is a total lack of smaller passenger style steamers.  

Greg

Small and Medium Locomotives + Kitbashing

I've got to agree with everyone that there needs to be more steam on the small or medium side. I'm tired of UP, Pennsy, and N&W articulated steam releases every other month, "the only exception being the DMIR Yellowstones that have been long overdue." Maybe a few different sized Mikados or Pacifics that could be modified. Maybe a few tender variations... Every GN steam locomotive I am pursuing is in brass and may not be entirely accurate or is extremely expensive. I have even more sympathy for NP and SOO steam modelers.

Thankfully, BLI's Heavy Mikado lends itself to the GN O-3 class. With some modifications, I will take it from it's as built state to it's postwar, modified look. I am happy to see the S-2 come out as well even though it is out of my price range. Now if I can only get a plastic O-8 Class Mikado, I will be a happy camper.

A better selection of engines.

I think once 3D printing gets a bit farther along a lot of these issues will be solved.  A handful of wheel spacing and different driver sizes would allow for various prototype spicific boilers/cabs to be fabricated and installed.  Thus opening a huge number of prototype steam engines without the huge expense of creating the tooling for an engine with limited sales appeal.  

Even better would be a modular system. Or ultimately 3D printing a frame.  If you used a standard metal bearing or a wheel set with actual roller bearings you could insert them into a plastic 3D printed frame.  Add in a motor/ gear/ assembly and the only real challenge is the electric pickup.

-Doug M.