The Lokie family
Just found this thread, this is going to be very interesting to watch. I look forward to seeing progress on your railroad, but more importantly I look forward to your safe return.
I would be very interested in seeing more about those lokies in your first posts. What is that Malley, a 4-4-4-0? And the 4-4-0 and 4-6-0, are those Bachmann?
Puddlejumper,
Thank you for the interest in my railroad. Like most soldiers, I don't think that we do much as a individual, we do most of our work as a team. But I do thank you for the support.
The Super American, as I dubbed it, is indeed a 4-4-4-0. It uses two underframes from a Rivarossi 0-4-0, the boiler shell and some details from a Mantua/Tyco 0-8-0, the spare lead truck from my brass Milwaukee Road S3 4-8-4, a spare Bachmann Spectrum USRA long tender, and many other parts from everywhere else. After seeing Bill Nelson's Y6b being torn apart I like how the motor sits (like a diesel lokie) and I'll try to replicate that mechanism. I plan to take NWSL gearboxes and add them to the 0-4-0 underframes to give them equal weight distribution and good pulling power. Like prototype Mallet practices, the rear set of drivers will be stationary too, as it should manage smaller radius curves as it is and to minimize moving parts should I need to work out issues with it. When it is all said and done, DCC with sound will be added.
As for the 4-4-0 and the 4-6-0, the American is a new MDC with sound and DCC. The sound is pretty pathetic, but for right now it'll do the job. The 4-6-0 is a Bachmann high boiler with 63" drivers and runs great, although I need to work with the sound decoder a little more to get the drivers in sync with the chuff. After taking a two year break from playing with trains (not my choice, but the Army's) I forgot how to do all the programming with DCC decoders and do it proficiently.
Someday I plan to add more motive power to the roster but not much. I'm considering either a pair of 2-8-0's or a new pair of 4-6-0's, but either way a pair of new lokies. If I did go for Consols, I like how the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0's look but I'd like to have a reliable mechanism like Bowser/Varney's 2-8-0's. Something about that band drive makes me feel uncomfortable. But then again, my Bachmann 4-6-0 has one... so we'll see how she holds up over time.
Tyler