Basic

I have many,  it none are sound, most equipped with TCS decoders.  They run really well.

Will convert to sound after I rebuild them to camelbacks.

They run smooth

one of my favorites

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like I will be acquiring two for myself. I am building a small locomotive fleet to operate my new layout between 1905 and 1915. I see them advertised on the internet with DCC and Soundtrax sound installed.  Two of these will complete what I need.

Take care,

Jim Six 

Era

They are very typical of 1890's-1900 era engines.  After that they went to 55-56 in drivers and then by about 1910-1915 the 60-63 in drivers became common.

I have two

I have two of them and love both.

I have  a MDC version of the

I have  a MDC version of the locomotive. I like it but it does not have very goo pulling power due to light weight.

Everyone's feedback is much

Everyone's feedback is much appreciated. I am planning on buying two of them to make then into Lake Shore and Michigan Southern power (New York Central Lines before 1914),

Thanks!

Jim

You may have suspected this was coming!

You may have suspected this was coming! With good experiences with the upgraded Athearn/Roundhouse 2-8-0, what about the upgraded 4-4-0? Are your thoughts and experienced similar? Dave, do you have these for your 1905 setting?

Note: I just bought one of the Bachmann modernized 4-4-0 models with DCC/sound. I believe it has better detail than the Roundhouse model but I can easily add detail. Not a problem.

Jim

Athearn/Roundhouse upgraded 4-4-0

Please tell me that I am not crazy!

Folks,

I am a guy that made his name kitbashing and detailing diesels of the 1960s - 1980s and now I am asking about steam locomotives for about 1900 - 1920. Fact is, I am getting more and more interested in railroading of the 1895-1915 time period. With a Bachmann 4-4-0, two Bachmann 4-6-0, a Bachmann 2-6-0 (backdated a bit), and the Athearn 2-8-0 model, these models should be all that would be needed to operate my layout in this earlier time period. As for freight cars, I think that I can work with Accurail and Roundhouse boxcars, Bowser hopper cars and gons, and resin kits. With these I should have all of the freight cars I will need.

Cabooses? I have four Trix 19,000-series NYC cabooses and two Walthers cabooses that I am re-working to match a Big Four and a Michigan Central caboose. I believe that the prototypes for these cabs go back to the 1890s, so these six cabs should be all that I would need for 1905-1915.

The more I learn about 1895-1915 the more I like it, but what is so appealing to me about this time? It is the innocence and simplicity of the time. It is the smallness and simplicity of the railroad equipment. I am NOT one who believes that bigger is better. I am more the opposite.  I envision operating my 26’x12’ layout with 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 locomotives and shorty freight cars as both appealing and relaxing, . . . and achievable in the time I have left.

Please tell me that I am not crazy!

Jim

2-8-0

Never had Athearn/mdc, 2-8-0,

Have plenty Athearn diesel like most of us.

Am fond of the 2-8-0 I have,, she's been running around layouts in this town for almost 25yrs.

Thanks for the info on these.

One as a Christmas present to you know WHO!

Later sports fans

Boudreaux,  Bayou Crest Express R.R.

not crazy

Not crazy, but maybe touched in the head.

I have been modeling 1905 since the 1960's and love it.

With the Accurail 36' cars you are looking towards the end of your date range.  That brings in early Pacifics and other trailing truck locomotives.  One of the reasons I do 1905.

Resin will be a great source of rolling stock.  Westerfield has many that meet your date criteria.  Good luck with your decision.  There are several of us out here that can give wanted or unwanted advice.

Howard Garner

Yes, But...

Yes, you are, but so are the rest of us, some more than others. It's like that old saying, "You don't have to be crazy to work (or post) here, but it helps!".

In these troubled times....

It's good to know some things are a constant.  Like Jim changing eras again.  Like clockwork.  Careful Jim, go any further back and you'll have to use link & pin couplers....

Scott Chatfield 

Howard,

Howard,

Here are a few of my freight cars that were built to be for the 1920s. I will be using them for the teens too. The paint schemes are right but I am sure the reweight dates are not. That's OK. I can live with incorrect reweight dates. New cars will be prepared with older dates on them. I will be using more archbar trucks too.

Jim

Scott, you old devil! I am

Scott, you old devil! I am actually not giving up on 1927 that I have been modeling. What I have given up on is modeling just that year. I want to be able to pick a year from 1905 to 1929 to operate, then put the appropriate equipment on the layout. I already have everything I need to operate from 1920 to 1929. What I am doing now is researching and preparing models that are good back to 1905. 

Since the new layout can be operated with at most four locomotives and at most 50 freight cars, I don't need all that much more locos. I already have one 4-4-0, one 2-6-0, and two 4-6-0s in my collection. I have been acquiring them because I have seen this "addition of years" coming for some time now.

So, I am expanding era, now really changing era.

Hope you are well. I haven't seen you in quite a few years. Hope we will cross paths again.

Jim

1895-1910

Think about it long and hard before you attempt a switch to that era.  Car availability for the 1895-1900 era is very limited.  You will have to build resin or scratch build a large portion of your roster.  Will you have the patience to do that?  Not saying not to, just be aware that getting more than a dozen cars will take time.  Since you change eras and roads frequently, size you efforts accordingly.  

Crazy???

Not really. Definitely in my experience Locos are far more interesting to watch then modern stuff that took over from steam.

You might take a look at La Belle kits also for freight cars.

By the way I have the MDC loco kits from just before MDC sold out. The out pull every thing else I have. The light weights came along later.

Jack

Thanks Jack. 

Thanks Jack. 

Want to trade for or buy Athearn 2-8-0

Does anyone have one or two Athearn/roundhouse HO-scale 2-8-0 locomotives that they would be willing to trade of sell? I am looking to acquire two of them. I will make them a good new home here in my train room.

Jim Six