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Post by calzephyr on Apr 1, 2015 7:48:04 GMT -8
BLI has announced the USRA Pacific locos are out and about! Any steam fans left in our forum?? The Pacific locos are a nice smaller passenger power that ran from the early 1920's until the mid fifties on many railroads.
Larry
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 1, 2015 8:10:11 GMT -8
Any steam fans left in our forum?? Why, yes. But USRA Pacifics didn't frequent my neck o' the woods. The USRA Mikes and Pacifics are/were pretty plain looking to me--sorta invisible. Now, if you've gotta have them, you've gotta. But I fancy more the USRA 0-8-0 (which the NP DID have) and the article-ateds. Ed
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Post by calzephyr on Apr 1, 2015 13:25:24 GMT -8
Any steam fans left in our forum?? Why, yes. But USRA Pacifics didn't frequent my neck o' the woods. The USRA Mikes and Pacifics are/were pretty plain looking to me--sorta invisible. Now, if you've gotta have them, you've gotta. But I fancy more the USRA 0-8-0 (which the NP DID have) and the article-ateds. Ed Yes, I agree that they were plain looking overall and many ran thirty years without any major updates. Some new headlights and other rather minor changes, but overall, they ran their life as plain old passenger power and in a way, are timeless. Larry
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Post by Paul Cutler III on Apr 1, 2015 16:58:30 GMT -8
Steam fan? Yes, but I'm getting my BLI New Haven I-4 Pacific soon instead of the USRA types.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 1, 2015 17:29:05 GMT -8
Paul,
I'm going totally afield and picking up a pair of FL9's. And a New Haven caboose. And, most likely, some of them new passenger cars.
Shouldn't you be doing the same, afield-wise?
I recommend the BLI Great Northern 4-8-4. Or maybe one of the humongous Athearn Z-8 Challengers.
It'll cleanse your palate!
Ed
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Post by WP 257 on Apr 1, 2015 19:32:32 GMT -8
A few years ago I was all steam...trying to keep my youngest son interested in trains...had several engines that smoked and made noise. He eventually got bored with them, and I dieselized because they always require less special care and feeding than steam.
Lately, a coworker returned some Classic Trains special steam issues to me, and after re-reading them, I've been checking out the low low prices on some brass steam that is out there but just haven't bitten yet.
The BLI GN 4-8-4 looks like it will be a truly amazing engine--but at this point in my life, even with an entire year to save up for one, that's not going to be enough time. That kind of money is more than what my entire model train and all hobbies combined budget should be for one year (without selling other stuff to pay for it).
I've supported my desire to often try out new motive power out by selling older stuff that I had, with the eventual result that I've now sold off anything that wasn't really needed for my current era of interest, so I just don't have all kinds of engines and cars to sell off to buy a big expensive steamer. My youngest son has more stuff than I do, right now.
At this point, to me a non-sound, dcc ready diesel is a pretty big purchase, but I am happy with what I have to run.
So there are still a few steam fans here.
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Post by markfj on Apr 2, 2015 4:32:28 GMT -8
Steam fan; yes! Just waiting on prices of the BLI H10s to drop some after they’ve been on the market for a while. Of course, prices for the I1sa haven’t fallen much, and they’ve been available for a while. Just need to win the lottery!
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Post by bnsf971 on Apr 2, 2015 4:36:52 GMT -8
It'll cleanse your palate! Ed I don't know about Paul's palate, but buying all that stuff would certainly cleanse my wallet.
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Apr 2, 2015 4:47:26 GMT -8
Some day maybe a Pacific in Southern Green will grab my attention but I'm safe from this round. Nearly a dozen steamers here already. REALLY don't need any more.
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Post by Paul Cutler III on Apr 3, 2015 10:47:07 GMT -8
Ed, This is how I keep my costs down...I only buy New Haven locos with very rare exceptions. These exceptions are: 1 OMI CN M-420 (because I worked on a real one); 1 Atlas Undec. U23B (to be QBT #21 because I worked on the real one); and 1 Walthers MBTA F40PH (because I rode behind real ones for 5 years and scored a cab ride once). That's it. Ever since I got "serious" about the NH (about the time I turned 18), I haven't bought more than these three non-NH engines. I'm focused on the NH and just the NH. I don't buy UP Big Boys, PRR T-1's, or NS Heritage diesels...just NH power. And honestly, there are enough NH products out these days to keep me happy: I-4's, I-5's, FL9's, Osgood Bradley cars, stainless steel coaches (8600's), GP9's, RDC's (Walthers and Rapido), DL-109's, RS-3's, H16-44's, and so on, are all to be released, have been released, or are out right now in the past year. It's not like I'm hurting due to a lack of stuff to buy.
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Post by riogrande on Apr 3, 2015 11:37:14 GMT -8
At this point, to me a non-sound, dcc ready diesel is a pretty big purchase, ... It's getting to be that way for me too right now, with a daughter in college and wife between jobs getting training etc. Even though steam doesn't fit my modeling focus, I've always wanted a couple just for grins, but it seems I always find plenty of stuff to use up my hobby budget for my main interest. The prices of newer steam going up 400, 500, 600 + dollars, steam is getting further and further out of reach! Nuts!
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Post by WP 257 on Apr 3, 2015 19:36:35 GMT -8
Hi Jim--
Well, good news...my mother gave myself and the wife and kids a little cash for Easter, so I was able to temporarily (for a week or so) borrow some of the wife's portion in order to get a modest cash discount on an absolutely gorgeous BLI ATSF 2-10-2, today. I could have done a layaway for up to six months, but paying cash today in full saved me $30, and I took the engine home and it runs pretty well right out of the box (one minor noise in the valve gear I might not be able to fix: one drive axle does a slight "dance" side to side on tangents coming out of a curve, but it doesn't derail, and the valve gear appears to be loose enough with adequate end play despite the dance). As a generally Santa Fe fan, if I have one and only one steamer for myself, it really should be a Santa Fe "Santa Fe" (2-10-2), right? lol.
I could have gotten a beautiful Proto Nickel Plate 0-8-0 for $60 less, but as much as I love NKP, it just isn't Santa Fe, and I should adopt Paul's philosophy--if it isn't Santa Fe motive power, I don't really have to have it. There's plenty of Santa Fe stuff out there to be had, steam or "diseasel".
John
I can still like other road's power, I just don't necessarily have to own it.
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Post by Spikre on Apr 8, 2015 8:35:36 GMT -8
since Erie was the only road with true USRA Heavy Pacifics, it would be really nice for them to Copy the Max Grey "Modernized" Erie K-5 from the early 60s. they had the Elesco Feedwater Heater,Disc drivers and a big 6 wheel former Berkshire tender. would definitely save up for one of them. Spikre
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Post by calzephyr on Apr 10, 2015 11:05:01 GMT -8
Just for a steam change, this is the latest BLI 4-12-2 Comparison. They imported the regular Cab and modified Closed Cab which is about 1' longer for the prototype and the turret cover is longer and different.
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