Micro-Mark Stearns??-Heisler

Heisler locomotive manufactured by the Stearns Manufacturing Co. of Erie, PA from 1894-1904.

The Bachmann model is not a 3-rail candidate...this is an O scale locomotive, but it's a small model (of a narrow gauge prototype).  It would look VERY strange on 3-rail O gauge track.  Normally operates on HO track or On30.

see:  http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/heisler.htm

Manufacturer:

1891 ..................... - Dunkirk Engineering Company, - Dunkirk, New York  
August 1894 - 1904   - Stearns Manufacturing Company  - Erie, Pennsylvania  
1907 - 1941 ..........  - Heisler Locomotive Works - Erie, Pennsylvania
    
Dan

I have a reprint Heisler catalog, but can't quickly  find it....just didn't recognize the "Stearns" name associated with it.  I did find a reprint McKeen catalog, and that

McKeen had a styling knife-nosed copy-cat, in the Meister rail cars. I see someone has mentioned Dunkirk...there was an O scale kit offered for a vertical boiler Dunkirk, and I have one under constructin with a  3 rail drive, but in a long state of incompletion, that I should get back to.

These geared logging locos were categorized by tonnage, so if the Bachmann version

is a heavier Heisler, the Heisler company probably offered it in a variety of gauges..

I need to look at the Bachmann model....putting a set of another gauge trucks under

a prototype Heisler looks a whole lot easier than under a Shay.

Any idea on when we may actually see these?

Mr. Ennis:

If you are asking me about the Dunkirk and Heisler?....I stopped work on the Dunkirk to put together a couple of "scenes" for a Kalmbach contest over a year

ago, and got on a structure building binge to meet that deadline...a tiny photo of

one of the scenes, a K-Line interurban kitbashed into a gas electric, in the logging and coal town, appeared on last year's TCA calendar.  The other "scene", that of a crumbling Depression era mining camp, is still set up, so I may get its photos on here.

I would like a better drive train than the readily available Bowser I have used on

several models pictured on here...the Mack and the Sykes, and so I won't get back

to the Dunkirk soon.

I need to look at the Bachmann Heisler up close and personal before I could decide

if I thought new trucks, drive shafts, and a rectifier (wiring them like the Bowser

AC streetcars) could upgrade it to three rail, again preferring a different drive train.

And since these modifications are experiments, and much of what you pay for may get

pitched, I am loath to acquire them at retail and haven't rushed to buy a Bachmann Heisler.  Much of this Bachmann On30 is just the kind of "John Allen" teakettle rolling stock I like......but...can't use it as it is.

Thanks... I was actually asking about the Bachmann On30 Stearns Heisler.  It's my understanding they were sent back to China a while back for some retrofitting and I'm wondering when we may actually see them delivered. 

Mr. Ennis:

I saw these Heislers advertised in the current Micro-Mark catalog

(where I noted they were 2 1/2? times the price of T-body Shays in that catalog)

and that is the first I had heard of them.  They are shown on P. T9 of the "Early

Spring 2012" catalog.  I have not worked with these so don't know if/how difficult

it is to widen gauge or convert to 3 rail.  I'm guessing small size MIGHT preclude

that.  Others near in price are DCC and sound equipped, which probably fills them

up, and is what I don't want to pay for, for my purposes..have to wait to fish one

out of a junk box, I guess...