Forward! Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Is the Life Like N scale 0-6-0 steam switcher any good at slow-speed stuff? I'm moving house where my new layout is going to have to be quite modest. Can I realistically have any fun shunting boxcars around with this loco or am I going to be frustrated? Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted October 13, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2010 I don't have the 0-6-0, but the USRA 0-8-0 switcher, which came out under the Walthers brand, is phenomenal for slow speed operation and has excellent pickup. The only drawback is its relatively puny haulage capability, although there are supposedly ways to beef it up. As a plus, it looks wonderful, with near-scale valve gear and much fine detail work. Generally speaking, most recent N scale stuff is very good at slow running, and I do a lot of switching on my layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Spookshow's review of it isn't very complimentary: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/ll060.html If you are looking at N-scale stuff, Mark (Spookshow) has reviewed pretty much everything in the realm of locomotives http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/locos.html The Bachmann 0-6-0 (latest version) is a better bet, or the LifeLike 0-8-0 mentioned above. If you are really space limited, the Bachmann GE 44 Tonner is a better option than the little steam locos. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward! Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Cheers guys. It's a shame because my plan really needed a saddletank steam switcher (I fancy modelling a Brooklyn transfer yard in the 1910's) but the LifeLike loco seems like the only game in town. The Bachmann switcher is a tender loco and altogether a bit large for what I have planned. ah well, Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 If you could update the layout to 1940, the 44 tonner would have been available 1940 - 1956. OTOH you could scratch-build a Boxcab body to fit the 44 tonner chassis. They ran from 1924 to the 1950's - Are you thinking of one of the Float-bridge yards? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward! Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Hi Shortliner, Yes, very much inspired by your Erie RR terminal, but I like the 'roundy roundy' layout of those like the Lehigh Valley Bronx terminal. A lot of running in minimal space. (The CRNJ Bronx terminal would be superb, but the track layout is too complicated- I want to use existing peco track I have). I really like the early 20th century US steam railroad aesthetic, so if I can't find a decent N scale switcher, I think my plan 'B' might be to use a superbly running Farish BR. 04 chassis, a life-like steam engine body, and hide the lack of motion under a scratchbuilt 'steam dummy' body. It would be an interesting model I think, and not one I've seen around before. I currently have a lot of Athearn 'old time' 36ft boxcars from an earlier 'trainset', but I am currently investigating having some different, prototypical styles made in laser-cut card. They will run on 2mm association etched 'archbar trucks'. (LNER diamond bogie- looks very similar) Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted October 13, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2010 I really like the early 20th century US steam railroad aesthetic, so if I can't find a decent N scale switcher, I think my plan 'B' might be to use a superbly running Farish BR. 04 chassis, a life-like steam engine body, and hide the lack of motion under a scratchbuilt 'steam dummy' body. It would be an interesting model I think, and not one I've seen around before. Will Just thinking aloud here, but might it be possible to use a Fleischmann 0-6-0T chassis (such as the one they do for the BR80) under a Lifelike body? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I really like the early 20th century US steam railroad aesthetic, so if I can't find a decent N scale switcher, I think my plan 'B' might be to use a superbly running Farish BR. 04 chassis, a life-like steam engine body, and hide the lack of motion under a scratchbuilt 'steam dummy' body. It would be an interesting model I think, and not one I've seen around before. The main issue is that most people model the mid 20th century and by then a tank engine, even as a switcher, was rare. Most railroads used tender switchers (0-6-0, 0-8-0, or larger) except in very specific circumstances. This means that the manufacturers have concentrated on tender locos. I have pictures of PRR L1s Mikados (which are bigger than most steam locos that ran in the UK) positioning cars at Enola. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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