great video, thanks for sharing. Do you have any additional information (video or blog post somewhere) on the work you did to these locomotives? It sounds like you re-motored them in addition to upgrading the decoders
These are Key Imports AC12 and Balboa AC 4. The Balboa model has been highly modified . It started as a basket case that I worked during first Covid lockdown. I did a lot of soldering work replacing detail parts including building a full cab interior. It was also painted by me. I did custom decoder installs with all LED custom lighting, that includes number boards, markers, cab, fire box flicker and in the AC 4 smoke stack lights. In the AC 4 I substantially modified the driveline with coreless Maxxon. A custom made torque arm was made to move back to motor location to free space to new cab interior detailing where the old motor resided.
this layout is beautiful I specialy like the Large Bridge, is it 0 or H0? I helped a buddy of mine who build a modular Layout for a coustomer with the bases for the SP San Francisco station, he allready build a lot of other things like the napa river lift bridge , I ain't got to see the layout yet since we just build the modules and laid track, the scenery does the coustomer himself. the AC12 is also stunning saddly there are no resonably Priced ones from Big Manufracturers like BLI
It is HO. I would love to see the layout that your friend and you worked on. Intermountain made AC 12 and AC 11 that are very well detailed. It compares very well with brass models. The 4th (?) run has eliminated most if not all the previous runs problems. It has Loksound decoder instead of Tsunami, the gearing is taller and motor are optimized to run with other models. I know that intermountain will release a new run of these AC soon. Yes, BLI could make an AC 12 since most of running gear of their AC4 and AC5 are essentially the same of AC10, 11 and 12. Most noticeable would are the Boxpox wheels instead of spoke ones on earlier ACs. However, I doubt that BLI would a model of AC 12 that is well detailed as Intermountain’s. For sure it would carryover all typical the problems of all BLI steam models: Atrocious manufacture quality control, terrible sound quality and electronics that will fail. So, for me, brass models are ideal because I can install my choice of decoder and speaker system. I can choose how detailed I want to make the lighting. You always can fix a brass as opposed as plastic models that are much more delicate to handle if you brake or loose parts (quite common), you depend of manufacturer have parts available in inventory. And after a year most manufacturers won’t keep older model parts available. Another reason that I like to work on brass is that you can detail it to exact prototype number. Which almost never happens for steam models. And today, you basically pay for an unpainted non DCC brass model as same as a plastic model with DCC. Just think a brass model as a canvas to achieve as much customization that you want it.
The prototypes were not coal, but oil powered. The oil was near "bunker oil". Thick and less refined than gasoline or diesel. Most of SP locomotives were oil fired. The tenders were light pressurized and heated to push the viscous oil all the way to the firebox. So, feeding pipes ran, basically, the whole length of boiler. That was one of major technical challenge of the creation of SP cab forwards.
Awesome train and operation on a gorgeous layout!!! Realistic operation like this is so cool!! Thanks for sharing!!
Great video! Nice to see the bridge, too!
Que maravilha 👍 é só alegria e muitas felicidades ótimo 👍 bom transporte e local de trabalho do dia a dia 👍.
Fantastic!!!👍👍👍
I've seen the real SP 4294 at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
Linda locomotiva
great video, thanks for sharing. Do you have any additional information (video or blog post somewhere) on the work you did to these locomotives? It sounds like you re-motored them in addition to upgrading the decoders
These are Key Imports AC12 and Balboa AC 4. The Balboa model has been highly modified . It started as a basket case that I worked during first Covid lockdown. I did a lot of soldering work replacing detail parts including building a full cab interior. It was also painted by me.
I did custom decoder installs with all LED custom lighting, that includes number boards, markers, cab, fire box flicker and in the AC 4 smoke stack lights.
In the AC 4 I substantially modified the driveline with coreless Maxxon. A custom made torque arm was made to move back to motor location to free space to new cab interior detailing where the old motor resided.
Not an Intermountain model.
I like the car with a hot Box light who makes those cab forward locomotives?
AC 12 Key Imports, AC 4 Balboa models of 1970’s that has been heavily modified by me. Yes, these are not Intermountain nor BLI models.
this layout is beautiful I specialy like the Large Bridge,
is it 0 or H0?
I helped a buddy of mine who build a modular Layout for a coustomer with the bases for the SP San Francisco station,
he allready build a lot of other things like the napa river lift bridge , I ain't got to see the layout yet since we just build the modules and laid track, the scenery does the coustomer himself.
the AC12 is also stunning saddly there are no resonably Priced ones from Big Manufracturers like BLI
It is HO.
I would love to see the layout that your friend and you worked on.
Intermountain made AC 12 and AC 11 that are very well detailed. It compares very well with brass models. The 4th (?) run has eliminated most if not all the previous runs problems. It has Loksound decoder instead of Tsunami, the gearing is taller and motor are optimized to run with other models.
I know that intermountain will release a new run of these AC soon.
Yes, BLI could make an AC 12 since most of running gear of their AC4 and AC5 are essentially the same of AC10, 11 and 12.
Most noticeable would are the Boxpox wheels instead of spoke ones on earlier ACs.
However, I doubt that BLI would a model of AC 12 that is well detailed as Intermountain’s.
For sure it would carryover all typical the problems of all BLI steam models:
Atrocious manufacture quality control, terrible sound quality and electronics that will fail.
So, for me, brass models are ideal because I can install my choice of decoder and speaker system. I can choose how detailed I want to make the lighting. You always can fix a brass as opposed as plastic models that are much more delicate to handle if you brake or loose parts (quite common), you depend of manufacturer have parts available in inventory. And after a year most manufacturers won’t keep older model parts available.
Another reason that I like to work on brass is that you can detail it to exact prototype number. Which almost never happens for steam models.
And today, you basically pay for an unpainted non DCC brass model as same as a plastic model with DCC.
Just think a brass model as a canvas to achieve as much customization that you want it.
now this trains are reversed but hes coal is on rear how can he get coals
The prototypes were not coal, but oil powered. The oil was near "bunker oil". Thick and less refined than gasoline or diesel. Most of SP locomotives were oil fired. The tenders were light pressurized and heated to push the viscous oil all the way to the firebox. So, feeding pipes ran, basically, the whole length of boiler. That was one of major technical challenge of the creation of SP cab forwards.