Engine I'd like to see made

I have looked at the ETS version. enviously. wondering if it could be kitbashed, and

have read on here that ETS builds for the European market...so have given up on them.

Back in my teens, when in HO, my lack of affluency precluded buying any PFM, or

other brands of big buck brass, even if west coast logging had been an interest.  The

Little River Logging 2-4-4-2 is well known in the east, given it operated in what is

now the most visited national park, and THEN operated on one or more logging roads in the west, where I have heard it is now undergoing restoration.  It's companion

"oddball" loco, the Little River Pacific, is doing tourist runs in SW Michigan.  I have

viewed it, but did not ride behind it...now, if they put the 2-4-4-2 into that kind of

service......I might make an effort to show up for that experience.

(Pacifics being an oddball wheel arrangement to have been ordered new by a logging

road)  The other logging engine I would buy is a small two truck Heisler.

I, too, would be in for that cute little 2-4-4-2.  WBB seems like the obvious one to do it, judging by their great On30 offerings.  I'm just waiting for them to wake up and take the 3-rail O scale market by storm!

I actually built (bashed drivers and parts, a lot scratch) a 2-4-4-2 articulated loco about three years ago.  I am out of town now but will try to find the thing - it will be on a back row of a shelf somewhere - and post pictures when I return home on Saturday.  I built it mostly to see: a) if I could, and b) to play with the telescoping/swiveling steam lines that go to the cylinders- I managed to get all of mine to work well (eventually).

I used chassis/drivers, etc. from cheap locos - I think from the Thomas line, and fashioned a lot of stuff by hand. It had a plastic body and such, and not as much detailed "look" as I would ideally like.  The loco was actually unpowered with the motor in the tender as Marklin often does.  It worked but that was about all - I've though of trying to make another, better one.  A good 2-4-4-2 would be a very fine little thing to have.  

49 Lionel: I spoke to Bachman reps at an LCCA? convention several years ago (and before they bought Williams), when I saw the first of their geared On30 locos, about making those in three rail, and they blew me off.  LATER they bought Williams!  That raised my hopes, but nothing has materialized. At the time there was a lot of buzz

in model magazines about how to convert their On30 stuff to On3, and I think I asked them about making their nifty little logging locos, etc.,  in On3, st least parallel to the On30. Same response.  I have one of their locos that I MAY eventually get around to

converting to On3, but it is work that should not have to be done, so I am little enthused about doing it.  I did convert a Bachman On30 combine to 3 rail, to see if I could, but that is a whole lot easier than converting one of the locos.

As I said, I'm making an 0-4-0 version of the loco in the original, first, posting in this thread: I really like the look and it will become one of the the main runners on my "BEEPWorld" loop.  Here's today's progress:

Starting with the unmodified loco.  New, just out of the box - tested it first, of course.

Wrap it tight with tape to protect the delicate stuff I won't be modifying or repainting.

I've already cut all but one scale foot of the roof's rear overhang off, and now mark out the side doorways to the cab with tape and hae begun working on opening the door up.

About two hours later the doors are roughly done as is the back of cab and I'm putting up the bulkheads of the two tanks.  Stopping for the day.  Took the tape off to test to make sure it runs well still (it does).