I need your input...

[roryglasgow]

Have any of you had any experience with I.H.C.'s 2-6-0 Mogul and the Bachmann 4-4-0 Americans? Are they at least decent runners?

I'm looking to build a simple HO-scale layout and I don't want to spend a lot of money. Trainworld has both of Bachmann's Old Tyme Village sets (passenger and freight) for $70 each. That would take care of all my locomotive and rolling stock needs. I particularly like Moguls, and Trainworld is clearing out their I.H.C. Moguls for $40!

Let me know what you think of them...

Thanks!

-Rory

 

[Woodie]

Rory,

I have an IHC 2-6-0 Mogul M522 IC (OIL) Illinois Central. Cost $95 AUS ($42.50 US). I have had it about 2 months now. Good quiet runner with excellect grip and torque, however it does slow down after 20 -30 mins running and tends to stall on inclines (With the light still on). I snipped the little prong off the couplers and it will then work with Kadee's. Just gave it a quick lube and runs fine, however it is not a fast engine, and I usually have to run it at a higher throttle than the others. It is my only steam loco. The rest are Australian deisels. Local Australian steam locos are $300 -$400. Hope this helps.

TOOT!

 

[Drew1125]

Rory, I've had an IHC mogul for a few years now, & it was always a great runner. It's very good at slow speeds, which is something I look for in a locomotive. I don't have an HO layout at the present time, so it's been in storage for a while. I plan on incorporating it into my next HO project, a 1930's era short line, though I'll have to somehow alter the tender. It's a model of an oil burner, & there's not much call for those down here in coal country.
I'm not sure about the Bachman American. The newer Spectrum Series are really nice, but the 4-4-0 is one of the older Bachmans. You could give it a try, though. They're not that expensive.
BTW - IHC & Bachman both make a nice Consolidation (2-8-0)
Good Luck!

 

[roryglasgow]

Thanks for the info, guys! I think I'm going to at least buy one of the Moguls...

-Rory

 

[Bill Stone]

I strongly suggest you stay away from the Bachmann 4-4-0. I model 1870s-80s, and love 4-4-0s, but the bachmann is mechanically junk in my opinion. It is not worth even the sometimes street price of $30 or so (American.) And there are some odd things about it from an aesthetic standpoint too. The drivers look like they have too few spokes, and they don't have counterweights. It's true that a few locos of that period had counterweights inside, but they were VERY few and far between.
Bill

 

[Chessie_SD50_8563]

I have rebuilt several IHC steamers when I worked at a hobby shop


www.greatlakesrail.f2s.com



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www.greatlakesrail.f2s.com

 

[roryglasgow]

Bill,

I never noticed it before, but now I see that the counterweights ARE missing on the Bachmann 4-4-0! I've been comparing it to the I.H.C. 4-4-0, and I like the look of the I.H.C. better. The paint job looks more realistic (I was looking at the Jupiter) and the tender loads look better on the I.H.C. Plus, the Bachmann doesn't seem to...um...sit right...

I noticed, too, that both the I.H.C. and Rivarossi models have the motors in the tender. Does anyone have any idea whether or not the I.H.C. models are actually made by Rivarossi?

-Rory

[This message has been edited by roryglasgow (edited 07-25-2001).]

 

[Woodie]

My I.H.C. Mogul say on the box "Made in Slovenia" and under the loco as well. Under the tender it says "Made in Slovenia by IIEHNO"

Is that code for Rivarrosi?????

TOOT!

 

[roryglasgow]

Well, Slovenia DOES border Italy, which is where I think Rivarossi is located... Hmmmm...

http://www.creativ.si/wts/

Does anyone have an I.H.C. Old Time 4-4-0?

-Rory

[This message has been edited by roryglasgow (edited 07-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by roryglasgow (edited 07-25-2001).]

 

[jazzfan4]

IHC Has purchsed old Rivarossi molds for passenger cars and I presume locomotive bodies. Then had them produced in former Yugoslavia partitions. I would buy the IHC over the Bachmann because the Bachmann uses on one tender truck for power pickup for each rail and will stall on unpowered frogs and such. This can be altered but it is a pain. The IHC may have the same problem but I think they follow the Rivarossi practice of picking -up power from one rail in the loco and one rail in the tender, doubling the power pick wheels provided by Bachmann.

 

[roryglasgow]

Well, I went and did it... I bought an I.H.C. 4-4-0 from Trainworld. They've marked them down to $30!! The Moguls and Consolidations are also $30.

If you're interested in getting ahold of new steam locos, check out the HO Clearance at www.trainworld.com. The prices are really low!

-Rory

 

[Bill Stone]

The IHC (and old AHC) 4-4-0s have been made by various and sundry manufacturers over the years. I believe they are currently made in Slovenia --- as noted above. Mechanically they are FAR superior to the Bachmann 4-4-0, but they too have a few aesthetic problems. Namely, incredibly undersize pony truck and tender truck wheels, and (depending on the model you get --- there are several variations to paint, stacks, and pilots) for some reason many of them are built with the pilot ("cow cather") a couple of scale feet off the rails, which really looks hokey.

The reason the tender truck wheels are so undersize is to allow clearance for the motor which hangs down below the tender floor. Similarly the pony truck wheels are undersize to provide clearance under the cylinders on sharp curves. If one's layout has 22" or larger radii, you can install truck wheels more closely approximating real life, greatly improving the appearance of these little locos.

Other things that are less than perfect: The crosshead guides look fairly awful, though not as bad as the plastic ones on the bachmann) and the headlight bracket leaves quite a lot to be desired.

Ideally, the truck wheels should be upgraded, and a can motor and higher ratio gearing would be terrific improvements.

But even if you make no other changes, I would at least yank the awful plastic wood pile off the tender and replace it with "real" split "logs" two feet long.

Bill

 

[roryglasgow]

Goodness! This is supposed to be a "toy" for entertaining my 3-year old. As long as it runs well, that will do for me. It will be located WAAAY up on the wall, so decent reliability is preferred--I don't want to have to go get a step-stool to give it a push to get started... Anyway, thanks for the info!

-Rory

P.S. - OK, now that I've made the official statement that the layout is supposed to be for my son, I will go ahead and admit that I look forward to the few modelling opportunities that it will give me. Just don't let anyone know that it's for me, too!

 

[roryglasgow]

It's here!

We just got back from visiting my mom in Missouri early yesterday morning, and my I.H.C. 4-4-0 American was here! I rigged up a test track and it worked great. The only problem is that I accidentally ordered the wrong one! I had intended to get an "Old Time" 4-4-0, but got a newer one instead--it's exactly what I ordered, so it was my mistake. But I rather like this one and have decided to keep it and move the time for my son's layout up a bit.

Anyone have any idea what time is appropriate for these more modern 4-4-0s? Here is a picture:

http://www.ihc-hobby.com/store/images/jpgs/m819.jpg

(Mine is actually a Union Pacific, but they didn't have a picture of it on their website.)

Thanks for all of your input!

 

[Bill Stone]

Any time from shortly after the turn of the century (1910 would be a good bet) through the 20's --- but a few were probably in use clear up until the end of steam. This loco is mechanically quite different from the "old timer" models, and doesn't suffer from undersized truck wheels, etc.
Good luck
Bill

 

[roryglasgow]

4-4-0

Bill,

Thanks for the info. I was hoping it would fit in around 1915 or so. I was thinking about getting some Model T Fords, plus I could easily run a Mogul on the same line.

Everything's still in the planning stages. It will be a continuous loop, but I was thinking of giving it a branchline feel. But no matter what the trackplan ends up looking like, it will have my son's favorite elements: trestles, tunnels, a station and trains!

We road the Branson Scenic Railway last week, and he had a ball. The best part, I think, were the two tunnels. We were riding in the vista dome through one of them. He hasn't stopped talking about it since!

-Rory

 

[Drew1125]

Rory,
The engine you got is perfect for the era you're wanting to model.
IHC also makes a camelback that would fit into a early 20th century theme. A Consolidation woiuld also be right at home in 1915.

 

[roryglasgow]

Camelbacks

I love camelbacks! In the future (on another layout) I would like to build a big city scene. I think camelbacks look good running around in cities (kinda like British tank engines look good running through towns, too).

When I get some extra money, I want to get a Consolidation, Mogul and even a Pacific for my son's layout. A Pacific might not fit the theme too well, but they are probably my second favorite engine type (Moguls are my favorite, I think).

-Rory

 

[jimnrose]

Hi Rory & Co.,
Thanks for the info on IHC steams. I have a Pacific and Consolidated. The Pacific runs fine except the tender isn't wirted to the loco thereby more sensitive to electrical contact to the track. I'm surprised IHC doesn't prewire the tender as they do on their Consoiilidated. Does anyone know where/how I can buy the correct socket size so I can upgrade the loco. I'd like to buy another one expecially at $30 but only if I feel confortable that I can wire the units. Also has anyone installed decoders into their IHC units and was it ver difficult ?
Thanks, Jim

 

[justind]

IHC Consolidated

Hello, I noticed you were commenting on installing DCC in IHC steam. Well, I finally broke down and spent the $50 for a decent engine (a Santa Fe consolidated). Up until now I have been running cheap-o diesels, but I love that consolidated...I still have a little UP 0-4-0 switcher that came with a complete set that cost me $20 on ebay as well...anyway, you can imagine the difference. I too would be intereseted in installing DCC, actually a decoder that would handle sound would be my choice. Not anytime soon of course (anyone who is running a switcher like mine can't afford decoders) but I am interested in knowing what you found out.