Large Scale Central

Sneak Peek Piko CamelBack On TrainWorldTV

General Discussion
#21

Fred Mills, BSc, BS, SD said:

Few seem to comment on the Piko models of this type…but there is a very important part of the valve gear missing…the loco with that style of valve gear, could not operate without it.

If they wanted go cheap; they would have been better to use a (Simulated) Stephenson Link valve gear, like LGB did on their Mogul…

Some purchasers don’t care, but why go to the trouble of producing a rather good looking model, and leave off a very important detail part ?

I guess I could say that so many people today haven’t any knowledge of what makes a steam locomotive operate, so would not even notice.

I wonder if the reviewers will even bother to comment on it…

The Piko Mogul, 0-6-0, and now this Camelback, are all missing the part.

Fred, yes all the moving parts do not move. I noticed that in the video and looking at the model close up. Its a shame they did it that way, but many folks who come to watch my trains don’t know squat about the mechanics of a steam locomotive, nor do they care. I noticed, but when its running down the tracks, 10 or more feet from me, I could probably ignore that “feature”. But it would have been nice if they did it right.

Again, I am undecided if I would even get one. They are a sort of oddball ( no offense intended) locomotive, that many uninformed viewers haven’t seen. So I don’t know if I could pass it off as a model of a real locomotive. But then again, my neighbor and my mom think I made up the railroad that I am modeling.

#22

I saw this at ECLSTS and it looked like a nice piece to me. I’ll have to stretch my railroad’s timeline out a bit so this will fit in with everything else.

(BTW, I do usually carry a few extra rivets in my pocket for the critics.)

#23

Pete Thornton said:

Vic Smith said:

The valve gear mechanism is fixed, its a solid plastic casting, just like on my saddletankers. . . . .

Hang on a mo. .

I went back to watch the video, and most of the valve gear is working - rods, expansion link, crosshead, etc. The only thing that is fixed is the reversing bracket and valve rod.

Looks fine to me.

Oooh, if thats true then thats really good news, still plan to chuck the boards.

#24

The responses indicate exactly as I suggested…only one or two people have even noticed the IMPORTANT missing parts of the valve gear, and the rest either don’t care, or have no idea of how a steam locomotive works…

I guess that at least one manufacturer is proving that it is quite ok to throw just about anything at this crowd of toy train collectors, and get away with it…no wonder that the Model Railroaders, generally consider large scale, just mostly "Toy World’…

Of course it can be said, that we are all just grown up children, “Playing with toys”, but I rather enjoy the thought, that if a model is worth producing; the manufacturer could at least make an effort to make it look as if the simulated mechanism, would work. and not go half way, and leave off two of the most important parts, that stare you in the face.

I don’t think that I’m expecting too much, or am I ?..!!

#25

I see whats missing, its the connecting rod from the wheel to the valve mechanism. And NO your not expecting too much, its omission is important.

#26

Fred Mills, BSc, BS, SD said:

…

I don’t think that I’m expecting too much, or am I ?..!!

As far as I’m concerned PIKO produces toys, no need for me to check if they got it right.

#27

Steve, I think the left coasties that model right coast stuff might want it. Or the folks who just like camel backs. I personally think they are hideous little monsters but to each their own. The model is nice though and whatever it is I like to see new stuff on the market.

I do agree that manufacturers should make a “base version” with nothing in it but motor leads. I think they would sell well to the battery mafia.

Terry

#28

Terry Burr said:

Steve, I think the left coasties that model right coast stuff might want it. Or the folks who just like camel backs. I personally think they are hideous little monsters but to each their own. The model is nice though and whatever it is I like to see new stuff on the market.

I do agree that manufacturers should make a “base version” with nothing in it but motor leads. I think they would sell well to the battery mafia.

True that.

#29

Chances are, if Piko made it, it will be a good engine and provide many long hours of entertainment. I like the engine allot. Not a real steam kind of guy. ( Though a Challenger in UP livery would be totally cool with me, but the curves…Ouch!!!)

Cool engine.

#30

Hm, the comments on the valve gear are interesting. While I’m no expert, it looks to me like the valve gear on the models of German locos (the BR64 for example) is accurate. If so, I wonder why the models of US prototypes are not?

#31

“…but what your getting is alot of circuitry boards and sound stuff that I plan to cut out and sell if I ever get my hands on one, all the electronics that double the price of this hobby whether you want it or not…”

maybe talk to TW about acquiring that prototype !?

“…I guess that at least one manufacturer is proving that it is quite ok to throw just about anything…”

phffft ! they ALL do at some point in their catalogue !

#32

Steve Pearson said:

Hm, the comments on the valve gear are interesting. While I’m no expert, it looks to me like the valve gear on the models of German locos (the BR64 for example) is accurate. If so, I wonder why the models of US prototypes are not?

Although, my knowledge of steam loco’s by Piko is no where near on par with that of their diesel/electric line up, I must say that Piko is a 5 star company that truly tries to replicate its engines as near as real as possible or practical. Now the thing is, German’s are well known for “over” engineering their mechanical products. This is fraught with unintended consequences. Obviously when something is over engineered, it creates a multitude of issues for the novice trying to fix or repair or even modify these engines for example.
I will say this. I can take my Taurus Piko and run it outside non stop, day and night, rain and shine, snow and sleet and she will not stop running. That is a true testament to how well these little replications of their big cousins work. German engineering is such that, it is almost more important to create a fully functional highly detailed engine, such as the one referenced in this thread versus just another whatever engine that is both boring and quite frankly inferior. I have seen enough Aristo-Craft
engines to know that is true. Chinese mass produced products cannot weather the constant use and abuse nearly as well as the German made products. Just my opinion, but I think the Germans try and create really beautiful products and this engine is no exception. jmo

#33

Spoke to Jonathan the Sales Manager at Piko and he was kind enough to share some new pictures for us. For some reason I can’t get the pictures to come out correct but you can see them here…

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.888432747839205.1073741862.413396772009474&type=1

(https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/10329757_888432911172522_3162197404130346495_o.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/10329757_888432914505855_5769519284204650529_o.jpg)

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t31.0-8/10329757_888432917839188_1437644544694151824_o.jpg)

(https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t31.0-8/10329757_888432924505854_542131480215701563_o.jpg)

#34

Ken,

If you resize the pictures to 800pxl width or less they’ll display properly, A bit of a pain, but that’s how it is.

#35

#36

Doesn’t look that far off

(http://www.trainweb.org/dhvm/images/dhrr_steam/B-4a/Darren-E-Hadley/46-01.jpg)

#37

Santa Fe only got one camelback and it was a 4-4-2 and scrapped it after 3 years.

The list of what railroads had camelbacks is technically accurate, but it should be a list of railroads that had 0-6-0 camelbacks… a lot shorter, and probably no west coast people.

I think the GG-1 and Shark Nose and many other locos are interesting, but the Santa Fe did not have them either.

Greg

#38

And your point?

D&H didn’t have a Dash -9 but i’d still buy a lightning stripe Dash-9 and call it a “Heritage Unit”

#39

Are you asking me Mark?

#40

Mark Dash said:

Doesn’t look that far off

(http://www.trainweb.org/dhvm/images/dhrr_steam/B-4a/Darren-E-Hadley/46-01.jpg)

It depends from how far one’s looking at it. Can hardly wait for the review in Garden Railways.