This is one beautiful.Steamer! Although I model a modern era 'what if' Milwaukee Road theme, maybe I could include heritage steam. You really inspire me!
Very cool that you were able to find the locomotive of your dreams, after so long of a journey. I’m still on the lookout for the AWVR locomotive set in HO for my layout. My son absolutely loved the movie, so for me that has been a quest for quite some time now. Congratulations again
I find these brass locos always need a bit of tweaking to get running right, as you said. Regardless of that, glad you were able to make this absolute beauty run as well as it does! Love these streamliners. Those Canadian railroads really knew how to make some good looking streamlined engines.
I'm proud of some of the locomotives Canada had in its day. Not to say America didn't have any special ones, Hiawatha and 4449 are a couple of my favorites.
Hi SMT, I’m very impressed how quickly you made those two fixes to get it running well. But there’s some guy in the last carriage goofing around and switching the lights on and off …
Lovely loco. I bet you're stoked to the gills that you finally own it! I've always wanted an n scale big boy. Kato have recently released their version, which has had some amazing reviews - so it's gonna be my Christmas present my eldest daughter!! Happy Trails!
A beautiful locomotive! I’ve seen its real world mate in the museum as well. What you need now is my Rivarossi grey and black CN Supercontinental cars to pull behind it.
Been struggling to find Milwaukee Road and Southern Pacific pieces for my upcoming layouts. The Hiawatha Set is my Holy grail, I was able to ride the yellow UP version back in 79 or so when they ran it from Chicago to the twin cities but never got to ride the original setup. They only ran the Yellow Hiawatha a few times before retiring it again completely in 1979 or 80 if I remember correctly, I was like 8 or 9 but Gramps and his friends all got tickets and we experienced a thrilling chapter of Railroads.
I never met an HO steam locomotive that didn't require some tweaking to get it to run properly. . .and a brass one I wouldn't even try. To find one that took so little to get running right is a miracle loco in my book! Nice work.
Cool looking loco, that last passenger car is having its early Halloween with some spoopy poltergeist activity haha. I wish i had space for this hobby in my house, maybe one day I'll have a go at Z scale, always love your vids, but i always get angry with that chunky blue screwdriver :P Keep up the good work buddy!
Thank you smt for connecting with us, we that look and find rare trains. So many and a short time. Please don’t lose your ambition to become the best HO share and collector
Beautiful locomotive. That’s one thing I forgot to ask you on Sunday, “what’s left on your wish list?” It seems that every video you post starts with “I’ve always wanted one of these” lol. Great stuff. I like that it came in a real train box and not a just bubble wrap and newsprint.
It is an amazing feeling when you finally get a loco you have been wanting for years. I have a similar story. When I was a kid I would go to my model railway club and see a member with a particular brass loco (a NSWGR 38 class) and I thought I want one of those. I finally got the opportunity to get one many years later. Very pleased to now have it in my collection
I only know those 38 class from pictures on the internet (having lived in North America for the last 72 years), but I have to say, the 38 class is one of the finest-looking steam locos, especially when it's the streamlined version in a green livery.
Unfortunately mine is an un-streamlined version, but it is still painted in a nice green livery. Luckily 4 38's have been preserved, including a streamlined version (3801). I've ridden on it a few times.
I wouldn't say it's unfortunate at all. The unstreamlined is just as good, depending on one's preference. Just having an HO model that runs is a great thing.@@1234mallard
What a magnificent-looking U-4-a, Harrison! Congratulations on getting a locomotive of your dreams. I recently got two of my dream locomotives in the past couple of months (NS’s OCS F7, and NS 8025), and my next dream loco. is the LNEW Class A3 no. 4472; it sure feels nice, eh? Seeing something so grand that’s been preserved as a 4-8-4 “Confederation” since 1967 is truly amazing.
The locomotive paint job is solid - be careful how you handle it. Remember to wrap it in plastic wrap each time it goes back in the box as the foam will attack the paint over time. Truly, such an expensive piece, you'll want to DCC/Sound that (it's a 'shelf queen' for sure). As for finding brass passenger cars painted in either the CN 1961 livery or green scheme .. that will present a challenge as they rarely ever pop up on eBay. Then, the details on such cars are not the best. You'll be happier with Rapido cars in tow. Thanks for sharing.
DCC/Sound.. if you're looking at LokSound5 and a speaker that's $200 CDN... then add your labour (ouch!). Get yourself a Decoder Buddy, 21-pin LokSound5 and a big speaker (old iPhone speakers are the best). You just need to electrically isolate the motor from the frame and you're good to go. Wire up according to DCC standards and save yourself the headache (and expense) of dealing with a hobby shop (quite hilarious... hobby shops turned me off of the hobby and I opted to learn how to do it myself)... if you can repair a Tyco, you can DCC a locomotive. Good luck.
That U-4-a is beautiful. Man i'm jealous 😅Congrats, Harrison! It's a great feeling of finishing a hunt for a locomotive, especially after a long time. I also finished a hunt a bit ago for an Athearn F7a in my most favourite paint scheme they produced them in, CP Rail.
Actually this was the CN version, classified as a U4a and was built by the MLW in 1936. You’re thinking of the U4b, which looked very similar but had some slight differences, namely in the shrouding. Easy to mistake the two though
That's a beautiful train. I felt the same way about the Amtrak demo X2000 until I got one. Same with a TGV until I got two! i have a lot of rare trains.
Wow that’s such a gorgeous locomotive that I always loved also and so glad you got it running properly I know those brass ones sometimes can be a real headache 👍
Serenity! We have a runner! Same problem I had when I had my layout in Georgia. I couldn't run a 4-8-4 on my 18 inch radius track. I even had ordered a Northern engine back in the late 80's and sent it back to TrainWorld when it wouldn't run on my tracks. Just wish I'd have kept it as it was an Atlas or Mehano if I can remember. Less than $50 back then. I didn't know much about fixing engines back then and maybe that was my problem too! Watching you run those illuminated coaches it seems you need to create a stay alive circuit for those coach lamps to stop the flicker. I converted all my incandescent bulbs to LED's even in cabooses and all coaches. Used a 3200uF capacitor in the stay alive circuit along with a mini full wave bridge rectifier with the LED strip lighting so they are lit in either direction. Cheers from eastern TN
Heaps of cheap Mehano steam in the eighties but only one much more expensive and much later Atlas by Roco articulated steam locomotive that I can recall. So my guess is it was a Mehano.
22 radius curves have certainly improved when I can run but it's still a push for these larger locomotives. I'm surprised the Mehano engine you once had carried such issues. My 4-8-2 "bullet nose" never had issues even when I used 18 radius curves.
Nice haul on that 4-8-4 Northern! Looks great too! Are you thinking of converting it to DCC? I recently got a Mehano 2-8-0 Consolidation locomotive converted to DCC using a TCS WOW Sound decoder. It sounds great and wasn't too difficult to install!
Congratulations!! I love streamlined steam. I do not have that one, she will be beautiful hauling proper CN cars. Twentieth Century was a great train, but I do love the CN black and green scheme! I even love it as Crand Trunk (Eastern of course.)
That’s so cool, I have been wanting years to see Big Boy 4014 and I still haven’t seen it so I hope I do next year or the one after that. I actually really like the train! It’s my second favorite color
I'm happy you found your long-wanted loco smt Its a good feeling to find a long-wanted engine, I've never owned a brass engine but I'll take your word for it for when I get one.
I'm 79 Years Old and SAW frist HAND THOSE STEAM ENGINE ALIVE WITH THE COLORS FLYING!! THERE was THE ROUND HOUSE in CHICAGO, ILLINOIS located at 5000 South on Kedise Avenue and the THE COACHES AND FRIEHGT YARDS and REPAID YARDS 5100 SOUTH CENTRAL AVENUE as Storage and REPAIRS were located PLUS CREW QUARTERS and a RESTAURANT FOR ALL THE WORKER AND STAFF!! "GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL THAT KEEP THE MEMORIES ALIVE ""!!!
Amazing Video Harrison! Good that you fixed what was wrong with the locomotive! Looks like you're getting up to speed with uploading your videos! Keep it up!
It's good to see that you found a locomotive which you were looking for a long time. As far as the binding, this may be related to the curve radius, but by making an adjustment, the problem went away. 22" radius curves should be enough, but the manufacture may have recommended 24" curves as an example. I've had equipment that recommended 24" or greater radius curves. It can be a pain sometimes. Overall, it's good to see it running, and I hope you find some matching passenger cars for it in the future.
A couple of thoughts for you. I can still remember seeing those monster trains for the first time when I was a little person. My dad said that he just left me alone as I stared at them. I remember being both afraid and fascinated by them. My little one may not be as fascinated by these trains as I was but she sure loves to climb up in the cabs and see what they are all about. I am very glad you found a model of the Northern, it looks fantastic
As a guy from Europe, I have a strong opinion about the aesthetics of North American rail stock... But I have to admit, that this locomotive is a glorious exception - a really sexy beast! I would love to see it running with a matching set of carriages.
your setup is the stuff of dreams, harrison. i just started model railroading not that long ago but i'm waiting to have the room for a full layout. would love to come run some of my trains on your setup. this locomotive is beautiful.
SMT - I found the Spring 2010 issue of Classic Trains magazine that has a story of a U4-b steamer that was lettered for Grand Trunk Western. A young boy by the name of Charles Chauncey Wells got a cab ride from Lansing to Cassopolis, Michigan on January 24, 1957. The U4-b has the nose of a New York Central streamlined steamer & the "skyline casing" on top, like a Southern Pacific GS class or a Norfolk and Western class J. Your video from 11:30 to 11:45 looks like the train is being ran by an elementary school age modeler!
I know that feeling. I live in Florida and growing up my dad had HO trains and I always wanted a Florida East Coast loco and I finally found one a couple months ago by Bachman
Nice model, even though I'm not a big fan of most stream line locomotives I love to see steam engine models in action. Did you know this locomotive was used for the basis of Vinnie the bully from thomas and the great race movie?
