Differences between Am. Locomotive, Baldwin, and Schenectady 2-8-0 prototypes?

[riograndefan]

I've been seriously looking at buying the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 in order to model the D&RGW during the 1920s-40s. But, the Bachmann is a 1918 vintage Baldwin. The D&RGW didn't buy any Baldwins after 1908, according to a steam engine roster. This brings up the first question....(I've just moved, and all of my reference materials are still packed, and I can't find them! Arrggghhh!!!!)

1. Did Baldwin appreciably change the external appearance of the engines during these years? Would the 1918 vintage Baldwin modeled by Bachmann look the same as one built in 1908?

2. Do the Baldwins look the same as American Locomotive or Schenectady engines?

Thanks for the help!

Ed

 

[Jay Gould]

Ed--my opinion, for what it's worth--my chief interest has been the Erie, so even though I would have bought one under any circumstances, I looked at my RR books and the Bachmann seemed a pretty good match for ones I saw in the books. I'm also interested in NYC and DL&W, so I got 2-8-0s for those liveries too, looked at the references I had, and they seemed good too. I mean in the general proportions, of course--- I've never looked super-closely. It seems to me that the model of 2-8-0 Bachmann chose was (generally, once again) a pretty common one in quite a lot of places, so much so that I'm happy with the way all three look. In contrast, you might say, to the Reading one they used to make.

 

[riograndefan]

Thanks for the help, Jay! Good comments!