Large Scale Central

whoopee, another $10K live steamer from Aster...

Electronics Live Steam
#1

Charles has posted a link on the other forum to the pilot test chassis of the FEF running like a mad thing on its rollers.

I’m not bothering to link it, as I’m disappointed, to say the least, not for me, but for the many Gauge 1-ers out there who were thinking that maybe Aster was finally going to make something that a GOOD few of us could afford, rather than a VERY few of us.

When this beauty finally hits Jim’s store I have no doubt that the ooh and aahs will resound across the state, quite rightly so - it will be a wondrous model of a wondrous prototype.

However, what is NEEDED is a small maid-of-all work loco - one that is priced at an affordable level, and is at home with a passenger or a freight consist. The good lord knows there were anough ALCO and USRA prototypes to provide such a model.

By the time you have a nice consist behind the FEF you are looking at $20k or more…maybe a LOT more.

It’s a shame, really.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

#2

Yup, Thats why I love my Regner easy line.:wink:

#3

I looked at three live steam locomotives for sale, brand new, at our Los Angeles Live Steamers Spring Meet about three weeks ago. All made by Accucraft and all 2 1/2" scale ride-on. All forneys and large locos. One at $11K and the other two at $10K. AND the $11K loco included a riding car for the engineer and a passenger!

The price of that Aster at $10K IS WHY I stay with ride-on live steam! JMHO

#4

Gary - my estimation of the price might be wildly wrong.

But I figure that it will be on the low side. The had to develop the boiler - maybe - but the centipede tender is MOL the same for the Challenger.

And BTW, I see that AccuCraft’s Allegheny has final hit the rails…

Best

tac
Trainee dirigible pilot in the Grafham Water Mountain Rescue Potholing Team

#5

tac Foley said:

Gary - my estimation of the price might be wildly wrong.

But I figure that it will be on the low side. The had to develop the boiler - maybe - but the centipede tender is MOL the same for the Challenger.

And BTW, I see that AccuCraft’s Allegheny has final hit the rails…

Best

tac
Trainee dirigible pilot in the Grafham Water Mountain Rescue Potholing Team

Tac,

I agree you might be low on the Aster price. I believe Cliff had the Allegheny on display at our Los Angeles Live Steamers Meet last month. Beautiful loco!

#6

Both beautiful locos - have you seen Pete Comley’s hauling a hundred cars?

Everybody I know added up together hasn’t got a hundred cars…alors, autres pays, autres modes, comme il est dit ici en Angleterre De l’est.

tac
Mastharnorvod Tadavas Sornhulva

#7

tac Foley said:

Both beautiful locos - have you seen Pete Comley’s hauling a hundred cars?

Everybody I know added up together hasn’t got a hundred cars…alors, autres pays, autres modes, comme il est dit ici en Angleterre De l’est.

tac
Mastharnorvod Tadavas Sornhulva

Last time I did an count I had nearly 140 cars. Must be closer to 200 by now.

#8

o.

But then, I don’t know you.

And are they all the same - three-bay hoppers?

tac

#9

tac, ah, no they aren’t all the same style of car. The largest “batch” I have are Aristo boxcars.

And I guess you are better off not knowing me. I can be kinda “strange” sometimes.

:stuck_out_tongue:

#10

Well, I DID say everybody I know, implying those of the G1MRA circle I frequent here in UK.

I’d be happy to know you, I’m sure! :slight_smile:

tac
Lake Flarp Underwater Rescue Team member [failed]

#11

Good guess Tac. This is what I was told:

Target prices are.
black kit $7600
gray kit $7900

No prices for RTR yet.

#12

It used to be that a Man built his own Live Steamer, with a Mill and a Lathe. And now you want cheap RTR! That is hunderts of hours of work! Paul

#13

E. Paul Austin said:

It used to be that a Man built his own Live Steamer, with a Mill and a Lathe. And now you want cheap RTR! That is hunderts of hours of work! Paul

This is exactly why after scratching a tender and starting a new boiler and cab for my Ruby conversion that I saw the value in an Accucraft EBT 12. I found one at a bit of a reduced price and thought of the materials hours of labor and work I’d go through to create a model that I’d really like to have. At that point I had to jump before none were left. We are very luck to have a few companies that can provide such models at such a decent price. I doubt I’ll ever own an Aster as beautiful as they are. I really look forward to scratch building some other locos with lathe and Mill, but it’s nice to have this one off the list!

#14

I wish I could build my own engine personaly. I would have loved to see Aster/LGB follow up the Frank S with a live steam Harz 2-6-2t. With its squat length and fat boiler, it could have been an excellent runner and able to run on all LGB curve radius. But it wasnt to be. I think many would like to see Aster do some smaller prototypes that by thier smaller nature should have a more easily swallowed price tag. Even thier smaller engines are beyond my means right now, but boy are they nice to look at! An Aster version of Harz 99-6001.4 would probably get me to sell some stuff to buy it! Mike

#15

Jerry Barnes said:

Good guess Tac. This is what I was told:

Target prices are.
black kit $7600
gray kit $7900

No prices for RTR yet.

Thanks, Jerry, and Wow. that IS cheap! For an Aster model of that size, I mean. But then, unlike the four cylinder PLM, it’s a pretty basic model, I 'spose, with all the costs for that huge tender already amortized.

Here in yUK that will simply mean changing the $ sign for a £ sign. I won’t be wrong there, that’s for sure.

There are many people who literally scratch-build - maybe with the exception of the wheels - both here in UK and elsewhere - remember that gorgeous 16mm scale double Fairlie that appeared on the other forum a while back? And about 50% of all Gauge i locos here in UK, too.

You will havei nvested many hundreds of hours of skilled craftsmanship in a scratch-built model, and gotten the satisfaction of maybe building a unique model for which there is no ‘kit’. I’ve scratch-built three locos in my entire life, one of which is still hauling kids around in North Wales, and it’s a load of fun and frustration in equal amounts.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

#16

Mike Toney said:

I wish I could build my own engine personaly. I would have loved to see Aster/LGB follow up the Frank S with a live steam Harz 2-6-2t. With its squat length and fat boiler, it could have been an excellent runner and able to run on all LGB curve radius. But it wasnt to be. I think many would like to see Aster do some smaller prototypes that by thier smaller nature should have a more easily swallowed price tag. Even thier smaller engines are beyond my means right now, but boy are they nice to look at! An Aster version of Harz 99-6001.4 would probably get me to sell some stuff to buy it! Mike

Regner. In three ‘easy to swallow’ stages.

tac

#17

tac Foley said:

and it’s a load of fun and frustration in equal amounts.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

Very well said ! But it must be slightly more fun or no one would do it! :wink:

#18

Randy Lehrian Jr. said:

tac Foley said:

and it’s a load of fun and frustration in equal amounts.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

Very well said ! But it must be slightly more fun or no one would do it! :wink:

This is an old one but seems applicable:

The Commanding Officer of a U. S. Marine Corps regiment was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, so he decided to kill a little time by asking all assembled a question. “How much of sex is work and how much is pleasure?” The X.O. said 75% work, 25% pleasure. A captain said 50-50. A lieutenant responded 25% work, 75% pleasure, depending on how drunk he was at the time. With no consensus, the colonel turned to the PFC in charge of making coffee. “What’s your opinion, son?” Without hesitation, the young man responded, “100% pleasure, sir!” The colonel was surprised. “Why?” “Because, sir, if there was any work involved, the officers would have me do it for them!”

#19

Yes I know Tac, got my eyes on a Betty kit, about the max I can afford right now and will fit in on my Harz layout. Mike

#20

Betty is a really nice little loco, and I know you’ll be pleased with it. Don’t forget, if it’s your first Regner loco, to get the gas adaptor so that you can use the more common gas refill. For some reason, Regner went their own way on this one, and it’s a real PITA.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS