ORVRR Engine Roster
Finding SP motive power in any scale can be a challenge, especially steam engines. Most of what is available is used brass. Since I'm free lancing, I've got some leeway in selecting my engines, but I'd still like to follow SP prototypes as closely as possible. Fortunately, it is possible to put together a reasonably SP-looking roster without spending too much money. All it takes is some time to do research and some patience to wait on EBay. The following roster probably won't please SP prototype purists, but my main goal is to have fun with trains, so it works for me.
Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 (ORV #1)
This was the first engine purchased by the ORV. Some of the board thought it would be best to go with a Baldwin locomotive, but the deal they got from Richmond Locomotive works was just too good to pass up. While this has been a good engine for the line, it doesn't really have the tractive effort to handle some of the larger trains that are now running, so management has purchased some heavier powwer. Now #1 is primarily used in mixed train service between Bishop and Big Pine.
This Bachmann model is a really nice little engine. It is available with or without DCC and sound. For the DCC/sound version, expect to pay about $200 at your local hobby shop, or if you're patient, you can pick them up for about $100 on EBay. It comes in several versions and road names. For the ORV, I decided on the non-lettered version with modern cab and DCC/sound. I paid about $90 on EBay.
What I really like about this engine is that it come with extra parts to detail it to your liking. For example, I was looking at the tender and lamenting what a shame it would be to cut it up to convert it to oil... starte looking around in the box and found it includes the parts to just that! The detail on this little gem is very good, rivaling some brass imports (not the expensive ones though:) ). It's also a very smooth runner.
Tyco 0-4-0 Switcher (ORV #10)
This engine was purchased to handle the sharp curves in the Tungsten Hills mining district. A Shay or Heisler was considered for this service, but management felt that a side-rod engine would be easier to service, and also more suitable for occasional main line use.
This is a nice little engine and makes a good first locomotive kitbashing project. You can find these often on EBay for $12 to $15, figure on about $20 including shipping (make sure not to buy from a vendor with jacked up shipping charges). The main things needed to make this look more like an SP engine are converting the tender to oil and replacing the headlight. A slightly more advanced project would be to build an SP-style cab. If you're really ambitious, you could file off all the cast-in boiler details and really super-detail this thing. That's why I think it's a good first project - you're only out about $20 no matter how bad you mess it up.
I.H.C. 2-6-0 Moguls (ORV #11 and #12)
These two M-4 Moguls were purchased used from the SP to handle the heavier than expected traffic coming out of the Tungsten Hills mining district and the agricultural operations in Round Valley. Although they are reliable, they're not quite what management had hoped for in terms of tractive effort, so they are often double-headed, even on relatively short trains. With talk of a southern extension to Lone Pine, and possible oil discoveries north at Mono Lake, management is seriously considering the purchase of some heavier motive power.
The IHC Moguls are close to the SP M-4 Moguls, and can be found very reasonably - around $40 - on EBay if you're patient. They come with either coal or oil tenders. If you want to save time and don't mind a non-prototypical tender, hold out for the oil version. If you'll be buying or building a replacement tender, it doesn't matter. The easiest way to get a fairly accurate tender would be to find a Roundhouse Vanderbuilt oil tender. I'm not that patient so I bought a Bachmann Spectrum Vandy oil tender (the small one). The other thing that sould be changed is the headlight. The one that comes with the engine is just too big. As on the Tyco 0-4-0, most of the boiler detail is cast in place, so it's kind of a pain if you want to remove it and do some super-detailing. All in all though, not a bad engine for the price.
Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 (ORV #14)
This "big" locomotive is being considered for purchase to handle anticipated increases in traffic coming from the oil field near Mono Lake. It should also be able handle heavy runs to Lone Pine when the southern extension to the line is built. Always on a tight budget, management may be forced to by a unit that will require significant modifications to meet the line's standards.
The Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 is a very smooth running locomotive. EBay prices are around $110 with DCC/sound and around $50 without. You can get better deals if you're patient - for $56 I scored a unit WITH DCC/sound, but it took awhile. Unfortunately, these units look nothing at all like any SP locomotive I've ever seen - front marker lights are too high (they remind me of an insect's antennae), the headlight is wrong, domes are in the wrong place, cab is wrong, firebox doesn't look right, and the list goes on... Even correcting these items probably wouldn't make the engine "closely" resmble anything the SP ever ran.
It is, however, possible to give the engine an SP flavor:
- Relocate the marker lights further down the sides of the smoke box
- Replace the headlight
- Make and install an SP-style cab
- Replace the piping under the cab with something closer to scale size
- Replace the tender with a Vanderbuilt (Bachmann, sized to your tastes)
- Optional - relocate the front dome. This is difficult, the the procedure is explained well in a Kalmbach book.
It seems like quite a bit of work just to end up with an engine that still isn't prototypical, but hey, I'm building a free-lanced railroad, remember? It does have the flavor of an SP engine though, and it will do until I can afford (and find) a couple of nice C-9's in brass.
Updated February 20, 2008
