Train Addiction Help Line: 1.866.840.7777
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Dear HO Customers: Precision Master Craft Models has announced a number of new projects and supplied new information and photo's (or images) for others announced previously. Baldwin GN S2 4-8-4 Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards. In March and April of 1930, the Great Northern Railway received fourteen 4-8-4's from Baldwin and assigned them to the S2 class, numbering them 2575 through 2588. The S2's were assigned to the Montana division for service between Williston, North Dakota and Havre, Montana, and the Spokane division for service between Spokane and Wenatchee, Washington. One Great Northern S2, number 2584, still survives and is on display at the Havre, Montana depot. Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. Baldwin SP AC-12 Cab-Forward Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards. From the very beginning of WWII, the Southern Pacific Railroad faced perhaps the most formidable challenge of any stateside railroad. With the port of San Diego being the jumping off point for the war effort in the Pacific, Southern Pacific required motive power that could handle super long freight drags as well as passenger trains. These locomotives had to traverse the rugged terrains from the Gulf of Mexico to Utah and Northern California. Numerous tunnels, many miles of snow sheds and steep grades made the AC-12 the intelligent choice. This simple compound articulated locomotive averaged speeds of 15 miles per hour over the many cuts and passes. With this in mind, Southern Pacific acquired permission from the War Production Board to purchase a group of 20 locomotives from Baldwin. Baldwin delivered the initial group of AC-12's, beginning with # 4275, to El Paso, Texas in the fall of 1943. The balance was received in March of 1944. Interestingly, the 4294 was the last new steam locomotive ever to be purchased by Southern Pacific. Baldwin utilized the same newer semi-streamlined cab shape that was practically identical to some of the earlier cab forward classes. Many consider these to be the most attractive of all the AC series. By the way, the AC-12's were equipped with both the conventional steam whistle as well as a single note "fog" horn. This legendary locomotive has cemented a chapter in the histories of the Southern Pacific and the United States. You will be proud to run and display this unique, articulated locomotive on your layout. And your engineer and fireman will thank you as they will be able to breathe easy. Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. PRR I1sa 2-10-0 Decapod Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards. PRR's I1s decapod design was so successful that by 1924, this 2-10-0 was considered the standard heavy freight hauler of the railroad up until WWII. In 1930, the original I1s underwent a revision of the cylinder steam vents to admit steam for 78% of the stroke. This boosted tractive effort from 90,000 to 96,000 lbs and made the new class I1sa. Through the years, many I1s engines were changed over to the modified I1sa design. By July 1947, the 598-unit fleet was divided into 109 I1s and 489 I1sa locomotives. They remained in service until the end of PRR steam in 1957. Decapods outperformed Mikado L1's by a whopping 41% more horsepower while consuming 12% less steam. Nicknames for the type included Decs and Hippos, the latter possibly from the fat boiler. PCM intends to build the most accurate HO I1sa's ever produced with the help of the PRR historical society review team. Our gratitude to a wonderful group of railroad enthusiasts. DID YOU KNOW? The I1sa short tender (90F82) has coal board sides that are bent inward a few degrees. Even the most expensive of brass models have missed this detail. PCM's I1sa will properly model this detail?an industry first. Thank you, PRRT&HS Modeling Committee, especially Bob Johnson, for your keen eyes! Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. Baldwin B&O 4-6-2 Presidents Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards. Built by Baldwin in 1927 and named for the first 20 U.S. Presidents, the final and most popular of the Pacifics was B&O's P7 or President's class. These uniquely painted locomotives made it economically feasible for the B&O to handle routes that previously were covered by the Reading and CNJ railroads.
DID YOU KNOW? B&O P7 Pacifics were called "President Engines" because they carried the name of a president of the United States on the side of the cab. When they were delivered in their green and gold splendor in 1927, B&O was exactly 100 years old. Servicing the route between Washington D.C. and New York, they maintained the original paint scheme until Roy B. White, who became the president of B&O in 1941, ordered the color of the P7's be changed from green to blue and the names of the presidents be removed from all locomotives and passenger cars in the early part of his administration. This was done to avoid the color clash between P7 locomotives and the blue-and-gray passenger cars. PCM will model this P7 in its original physical configuration. P7's with physical configurations that were altered prior to 1941 were not painted blue as the blue paint and original configuration of that particular engine number never existed. Blue and green are both correct colors for engines with physical configurations that were altered after 1941. Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. SP GS-4 4-8-4 Northern Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards.
Southern Pacific's engineers created an elegant locomotive when designing the GS-4. Not only was her appearance breathtaking, but mechanically she was stunning. These locomotives had 80-inch drivers, boiler pressure of 300 psi, and small cylinder diameter that provided additional speed and power from earlier designs. The GS-4's developed 5,500HP at 55mph and were cross and counterbalanced to reach maximum speeds of 110mph! Also, a 12-volt motor driven signal light reflector, or Mars light, was placed above the headlight. The beam projected forward in a figure eight to a distance of 1,400 to 3,000 feet and sideways to a distance of 750 feet. All this for the reasonable price of approximately $175,000. 4449 resides at Union Pacific's Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland, Oregon Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. Alco UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy Features:
"DCC & Sound Upgradeable" Units denoted as DCC & Sound Upgradeable are units that are not sound equipped and function only in DC. Modelers may choose to purchase an optional Sound & DCC upgrade kit, specifically tailored to the prototype which will add DCC and sound functionality. Upgrade kit works only for PCM models with PCM motherboards.
Often called "The largest steam loco ever made," and certainly a contender for the "World's Most Famous Locomotive," the Big Boy was forged under some of the most strenuous demands ever placed on a locomotive. The UP Railroad needed a locomotive that could be used to pull a 3,600-ton train over Sherman Hill and the 1.14% grade from Ogden to Wasatch, Utah without the need for helpers. When the design specifications were complete, it was decided on the use of a "simple" articulated, high speed, 132-foot-long locomotive sporting sixteen 68" diameter drive wheels. What they created was the longest and among the heaviest, most powerful steam locomotive legends in the world. And,had not the worker at ALCO chalked "Big Boy" on the side of the smoke box of one of the 4-8-8-4's under construction, a name that immediately caught on, it is rumored that the name of the type would have been "Wasatch," for the mountains they were built to conquer." Quote from "Worlds Greatest Steam Locomotives" by Eugene L. Huddleston: "There were 25 locomotives fabricated in two different groups. Class 1 were locomotives # 4000-4019 and Class 2 was numbered 4020-4024. The first Big Boy # 4000 was delivered to Omaha, NE on September 5, 1941. UP's commitment to the Big Boy required them to replace the lighter rail and straighten out many miles of trackage for clearance as well as to resize elements of their service areas (such as turntable lengths, etc.) for the entire line these locos would run on." The Big Boys demonstrated fantastic strength and speed as they faced these challenges throughout their storied careers. With the total mileage on the Big Boy fleet being approximately 1,000,000 miles for each locomotive, one must say that they earned their reputation. Several examples remain in museums around the country but silently they sit as a visual echo to the thunder that once made them revered throughout the landscape that the Big Boys dominated. Is the Big Boy the most legendary locomotive in the US? The world? Perhaps the biggest thrill any model railroader can have is to witness for himself the majesty of a Big Boy rumbling over his layout. Watch the faces of your friends and family as she powers by. And the kids?.oh my! Units will be available with DCC and Sound or Upgradable Units without Sound or DCC. Call Today to Order 1-866-840-7777 |
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