Point not yet mentioned:
This (if it is real and it is coming to America) would make an Ideal Starter Set Locomotive. Toss in a few V Dumps and they are on the way…and now to convince those in Philly who never listen to us to sell them from the Home Depot, etc…!
Can’t mention enough that I hope it does not have some stupid socket in it!
Cale Nelson said:
Point not yet mentioned:This (if it is real and it is coming to America) would make an Ideal Starter Set Locomotive. Toss in a few V Dumps and they are on the way…and now to convince those in Philly who never listen to us to sell them from the Home Depot, etc…!
Can’t mention enough that I hope it does not have some stupid socket in it!
Garrett said:Or embiggened!
Now to wait for the On30 railbuses to be bigulated!
Ray Dunakin said:Glad someone caught it!Garrett said:Or embiggened!
Now to wait for the On30 railbuses to be bigulated!
“Now to wait for the On30 railbuses to be bigulated!”
Is this an insinuation the Bachmann has brought out the rail bus in On30? I hadn’t caught that.
Durango Dan’s original post has a link to it in the ON30 section of the same website… the railbus that is.
His new post has tech data on the new loco … and it looks like the Ames super socket has been replaced by something a whole lot simpler! It will be interesting to see what shows up on these shores.
http://120pointme.blogspot.com
Matthew (OV)
Ralph Berg said:Exactly the reason this 'may' work in that capacity! Esp. with LGB finished (for now)!
As much as I like my two Big Haulers, I don't think they are good "starters." I'm sure the pilot truck was enough to discourage a few people from large scale trains. Ralph
What name will this one get?
Looks like “Half Dizzy” from here… 
Seeing as it is not a diesel, maybe gazzy?
Who knows what it really is?
The title listed on 1:20.me doesn’t help to clarify, does it? : “0-4-0 Side Rod Gas Mechanical Diesel DCC Ready”
It should be obvious Bruce - This is a gas diesel, as opposed to a standard diesel dismal. And, it is mechanical in nature, giving the gas diesel or the diesel dismal something to blow up in. But then again, maybe it is electrical since it is DCC. But I thought an 0-4-0 was a steam engine? What?
You should find the prototype here.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel97.html
They made both gas and diesel versions.
Ralph
The cool bit is they are mechanical, not electric, not hydraulic, like driving an old tractor or truck with a real gearbox with a torque converter (like in a car with an autobox) in lieu of a clutch for the smaller models. Cool prototype, but what about a good sound system for it (maybe a goose?).
Looking forward to this beastie. I bet the LS fans will modify them as much or more than the On30 folks:
http://www.rbadesign.net/TERRAPIN/JL_On30Davenport.htm
http://gasmechs.blogspot.com/2008/02/weathered-on30-davenport.html
http://hometown.aol.com/on30locomotives/littlebose-1.html
There was a kit for a De Winton vertical boiler (Welsh prototype) steam loco too, but I cannot find that now…
Prototype:
Consider the following parts of the Bachmann model (in On30 or Large Scale: )
*Headlight
*Hood doors/door handles
*Steps
*Side door cab with narrow (front to back) windows on sides.
*Grill (radiator, front)
*siderods and counterweights (and outside frame)
*grabirons
I cannot find a photo anyplace of any locomotive that has more than a couple of these things that look like the ones on the model … and most of the ones on the northeast railfan site are shown as diesel.
The Bachmann site says of the On30 version: “Based on a 1940s stock model from the Davenport catalog, this Spectrum® 0-4-0 features the counterweight and side-rod configuration that distinguishes many transition-era locomotives.”
To me that means NO prototype. Even the much maligned 45 tonner had an actual prototype… can anyone find one that has a grill like this one, AND a raised headlight (if not so massive as this one’s) AND grabirons, steps, and the shorty side door cab like this one … that also has an outside frame, and counterweights? If so … and there’s any data available… what kind of power plant was in them? Did they have air brake capabilities (some on the northeast site have air tanks visible) and what was the actual weight of this particular variety?
All interesting questions. Oh, and I understand that a “critter” was often cobbled together from spare parts, etc … but again, that would make this along the lines of the “Indy” … at which point I’d start to ask some hard questions about scale too.
Matthew (OV)
Davenport made a slew of industrial gas and diesel locos.
Here is one of the more famous ones, already released by LGB:
http://www.drgw.net/info/index.php?n=Main.DRGW50
And even a standard gauge version in Georgia:
http://picasaweb.google.com/silencegolden/Honeymoon/photo#5147991176430977714
I think the specific prototype info was in one of the Reviews (Model Railroader?) of the On30 model.
Bachmann just put up announcements in the “General” forum… and a little blurb in the one that cale posted in the large forum with the photo (!) confirming it’s real … photo and “official” announcement/specs to follow tomorrow.
Matthew (OV)
Durango Dan scoops them again.
I wonder who they’re going to blame this time?
Must have been a bad day of finger-pointing in Philly.
If you read the posting response from the Bach-man in the General topics section of their forum site then there is a nice little implied threat, that I took to mean if one is going to pre-empt the official Bachmann release then products will not be offered for release. Basically a warning from the Bach-man. If the company cannot control their product release dates then why blame the consumer!!!
Quote from Bachmann forum - “My job will be to get pictures and info up in a timely manner; your job is to STILL BE SURPRISED! And no more peeking! I’m serious- you’ll lose something out of your stocking if this keeps up! I really mean it this year!”
If this is not a threat then what is?
Sounds like a company getting too big for it’s britches.
It gets announced FOR SALE by an authorized dealer and they complain when it is discussed?
They can’t even seem to figure out who to blame!
Let’s see.
Hong Kong ships the stock to Philly…and at the same time to Japan…and NOBODY stops to think there MIGHT just be a BIG difference in arrival times?
I see someone now has answered Bruce’s question on the blog…it’s a Hybrid Drive!
So, let’s see.
If they don’t release the stuff…there won’t be anything broken that needs attention…no mis-cast counterweights, loose motor screws, binding driveshafts, too long a screw in the final drive, and maybe, since the are no parts, folks will buy something else.
What a concept!
I’m not certain the existence of a particular prototype in this case is all that important. Since pretty much all small industrial critters were unique, then maybe it makes more sense to pick various features from a catalog that typify what people tend to find appealing in narrow gauge. Given the popularity of the On30 version (and the myriad kitbashes thereof), I’m inclined to believe that even if there isn’t a specific prototype, it’s a darned good “average” of the varieties.
As for size, my rough estimate (Photoshop, using the height of the coupler and rail as references) puts the total height at around 5" tall to the peak of the cab, with the floor around 1 3/8" off the railhead. I’d guess the cab door is just about a scale 5’ 8" tall, thereabouts. Couple those dimensions with the roughly 4" x 8" width and length reported on 1:20.me, and you’ve got yourself a nice, small diesel that will become a medium diesel in 1:22.5. What better way to appeal to a nice, wide audience. Of course, if they merely scaled up the On30 version (which it looks like they did), then perhaps all we need do is enlarge that to 1:20.3 to see what we’re getting.
So far as the weight of the prototype goes, the D&RGW #50 is a 30 ton unit, and the EBT’s M-4 is 12 tons. The 10 ton units on the NERails look to have a lower cab, and also lack the weight of the counterweights and siderods of the B’mann loco. Adding those into the mix, and taking into account that the 2’ gauge loco on the NERails site is 18 tons, but looks to be a touch longer, I’d put the weight of this one between 15 and 18 tons. You wouldn’t want to move a lot with it, but it’d be good for 4 or 5 cars without much bother. As for brakes, etc., I’d imagine–like anything ordered from a catalog–they’re options.
Bottom line (for me, anyway), this loco has character regardless of whether it has a real prototype. I’m not a diesel/gas guy by any stretch of the imagination, but I’d be tempted by this one. It’s well proportioned, and I love the counterweights and siderods. (Am I really getting jazzed about something other than a steamer? I gotta change the water filter.)
As for the Bach-man’s comments, I interpret them as being sarcastic, nothing more. (Not that my mom ever said anything like that to me ) I wouldn’t read anything into them. I seriously doubt a company would trash thousands of dollars worth of tooling simply because someone let loose with a photo. They’ve just got to learn to time things better.
Later,
K