Not really. A dead-in-tow steamer just does not appeal to me. As for using it on a double header; that defeats the purpose of double heading. Adding an extra 10-15# of dead weight does nothing to help the length of the consist.
Why would you buy dummies of Steam locos? Diesels look the part. Steam engines look cool with each chugging and putting out the clouds of smoke. I will not waste my money on a 1000 dollar dummy of the Vision Line Big Boy.
No way, that would be a total waste of money.
Karl
No. Just buy a MTH PS1 Locomotive. They are practically already a dummy. And they are pretty cheap.
I remember Williams announcing about 20 years ago, that they were going to offer a dummy NYC Hudson. I don't know if any were actually made and sold. If so, it must have been in very limited numbers.
J Daddy posted:No. Just buy a MTH PS1 Locomotive. They are practically already a dummy. And they are pretty cheap.
That's funny. I don't care who you are!
No, I would not buy a dummy steam engine. I agree that the production cost and street price would be too high to justify it, with so many other items ahead of it on "the want list".
Gerry Burns posted:I remember Williams announcing about 20 years ago, that they were going to offer a dummy NYC Hudson. I don't know if any were actually made and sold. If so, it must have been in very limited numbers.
I think Williams actually did make some dummy Hudsons, but I don't think they sold well at all.
If I were looking for a dummy steamer, I would go the MTH PS1 route as others have suggested. Give it another year or two and PS2 engines will fall in price even more than they already have.
I would have no interest in a dummy steam engine.
I would say that adding motors, a simple smoke unit simple electronic circuit boards for direction and sounds would only bring the price up slightly. Being formerly in the electronics industry, I would say that assortment of parts (made in volume) would cost about $30.
J Daddy posted:No. Just buy a MTH PS1 Locomotive. They are practically already a dummy. And they are pretty cheap.
That's what I've heard and then we went into stores that still have them in stock plus a friend showed us his TCA ad paper. They apparently are still worth list price!
No interest at all. For me, that's too much to spend for scenery on the layout, and a dummy steam locomotive - even as a desktop display - has almost no resale value. Someday I would part with it, voluntarily or involuntarily.
I build my own. After a while I started testing them, then removing the top of the gearbox and storing it in the boiler with instructions on how to install. Lately I just fit the gearbox and do not bother even testing them.
The problem for me is - you let a model sit too long it will freeze up, especially steel axles and brass bearings. No gearbox means I can give them a gentle push every couple of years and they stay operable. When they really freeze up, it takes an arbor press to get them back in shape.
But as a commercial item - I believe the majority of the posters above have it about right. It would be more expensive.
So if you really want a dummy, take the thing apart and remove the worm, then reassemble. Much cheaper than having the manufacturer/importer do it.
What about a steam dummy?
No. I have enough dummies, just sittin' around posing or unwilling or unable to make a move on their own.
Nope. Not even with someone else's money.
Hmmm, interesting comments and I'm still trying to make up my mind. Here's some thoughts when considering the current large steam price of approximately $1600.
If the dummy price would be close to a powered unit. No. It appears from comments here that this is the current market situation.
If the dummy would cost 1/2 of a powered unit and have smoke, chuff, lights, maybe sounds. A definite maybe.
If the dummy would cost about the price of Modern high end diesel and still contain smoke, chuff, lights, sound. Yeah, I'm interested.
What if... you could buy a "Double Head" Steam engine Set that would contain 2 Steamers, one powered, one dummy and were controlled as one unit with additional "doubled headed" features. What would be an acceptable price?
As for my reasoning why. Double headed steam looks awesome!
...and thanks for the many comments regarding conversion of older PS1s etc. models....now the hunt is on for good looking shelf queens.
Not sure that I would buy a dummy steam engine. Maybe I'd buy a second or auxiliary tender to make it look realistic for today's railroad, if the price was decent.
Lee Fritz
NO!!!
Ironhorseman posted:What if... you could buy a "Double Head" Steam engine Set that would contain 2 Steamers, one powered, one dummy and were controlled as one unit with additional "doubled headed" features. What would be an acceptable price?
Been done. 1939 only. Not repeated.
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Rusty
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Nope!
No Way!
Yes, only if it was of a prototype I wanted and that is a big problem with steam, too many variables between RRs to consider when compared to diesels.
It would also have to be designed so a drive (dc can motor and gear) could be dropped into place so it could be made to run, using whatever control system I desired.
It would depend on price if they were cheap and a model I'd like then maybe. I've actually considered making a dummy out of a dead m1a I have but then I considered what all it would take to make it a dummy I could just actually just fix it to work again.
As was suggested above, I don't think a product with the features people would want; smoke, lights, sounds; could be offered for much less than a fully functional locomotive. After all, a motor, a couple of gears, and a few transistors would cost the aforementioned $30, if that. As far as dummy locomotives for scenery, the selection is limited but Avon actually made some nice looking cast static display lionel replicas that can be had for $10-20 on the auction site. I am unsure if the size is correct on these, but they seem to look about right. Other than that, PS1, conventional, and tmcc locos are out there fairly cheap if you go looking... and most of the time, they still work.
I don't buy diesel dummies because of the cost. So a steamer would definitely not work for me for the same reason.
What I would rather see is the cowcatcher be made so that it can unscrew and then purchase another generic cowcatcher with an o scale coupler on it. Or have a way where you can attach a coupler on the existing cowcatcher. This way you have the option to run a lashup of 2 steamers or run them independently.
I know something like this has been done, possibly it was the Williams Hudsons. I don't think it's ever been done with an MTH or Lionel command control steamer.
Sorry, with my small size layout, a double headed steamer in the front of a train would look off balance.
Back in my HO days I had a model RR with fairly steep grades. I found that I could put a "snapper" (that's helper to everyone else) on the end of the train provided that neither engine could pull the train up grade by itself. If either engine stalled, the train just stopped.
