Motive Power

[Glen Haasdyk]

After completing my GP-7 projects, I'm spent some time considering motive power on my layout. Its not a large layout 15' X 7' and its not DCC (yet, maybe some day) I've realized that I've bought a lot of fixer-upper engines that I may never run on a consistent basis. I've got:
3 MDC climaxes (1 running)
1 bowser 2-6-0 (runs but is finicky)
2 Trainline FA-1s (one runs, the other needs a powerplant rebuild) both undecorated (as well as a dummy A and B)
As well as an Athrean F-7 A and B set

I'm thinking that maybe getting just one or two good runnning and well detailed engines is the way to go instead of trying to 'save-a-buck' and refurbish swap meet refugees. So I'm thinking of geting rid of most of the fore-mentioned locos and getting two or three Proto 2000s, 1000s or spectrums (for steam) Any thoughts?

 

[neilmunck]

The modern locos are so much nicer out of the box that I would be very tempted to go with that idea

I don't know if it would fit oyur era, but the modern Spectrum steamers are very nice and reasonably priced to boot!

 

[Glen Haasdyk]

I'm modeling 1957-59 (late transition era)

 

[Russ Bellinis]

The Bowser probably needs better pick up. It uses pick up on one side of the tender, and on the other side of the locomotive drivers. If you put in a second pickup on the loco on the other side, insulated from the frame, and turn one of the tender trucks around to give electrical pick up on both sides of the tender (you may need to insulate the truck you turn around from the tender frame, and run a separate wire), you will probably eliminate the "finickyness." The other improvement you could make to the Bowser is to replace the open frame motor with a can motor and flywheel.