# AML/Accucraft 1/29th Live Steam



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Accucraft seem to have resurrected the 1/29th Live Steam page on the AML website. 
http://www.americanmainline.com/modelc/1menu_29_ls.htm

It includes the Dreyfuss Hudson (again) and this is also on the eStore as a pre-order-able item.


----------



## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I just wish they would reconsider and make that 1/29 vanderbilt tender, electric or live steam.


----------



## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

Those 1:29 K4's have been around for what 5 years now, read somewhere they made 50 of them... how much market is there for 1:29 scale in the live steam price market?


----------



## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

In my case I started in 1:29 and 1:20 (or there about) sparkies and acquired quite a bit of rolling stock to pull behind them. 
When I was introduced to live steam I jumped into 1:20 as I already had stuff to pull. 
When AML came out with 1:29 live steam I was thrilled as I already had rolling stock in that scale also. 
I presently have the LS K4, Docksider and the USRA Switcher which I am very happy with. I have no interest in the Dreyfuss, but am hoping they do come out with other 1:29 locomotives. 
I know it isn't the 'proper scale' for the 45mm track, but I am very happy with the fact I don't have to purchase even more rolling stock.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Aristo made two live steamers. I have both of them. Seldom run them though.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

JEFF RUNGE said:


> Those 1:29 K4's have been around for what 5 years now, read somewhere they made 50 of them... how much market is there for 1:29 scale in the live steam price market?


Well, they apparently got very few orders for the Dreyfuss Hudson. The Great Recession didn't help, but things seem to be improving? Beautiful engine:




(And I bet the 1/32nd version, if they ever make one, will be the unstreamlined J1e or similar!)

I think the 50 K4s were a mix of electric and steam. There don't seem to be any around now, so perhaps they finally sold the remaining inventory. It's another beautiful model (OK, I like express passenger trains!)


----------



## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete, I agree the Dreyfuss is a beautiful and unique locomotive no doubt about that. I can still admire something and have no interest in purchasing. 
I don't think 50 was a combination of LS and Electric, Cliff can better answer that I can say I am one lucky SOB as I have both the Pre and Post war sparkies and the Pre war LS in Brunswick Green.
Yea I do like the K4 and a bit partial to the Keystone.


----------



## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

JEFF RUNGE said:


> Those 1:29 K4's have been around for what 5 years now, read somewhere they made 50 of them... how much market is there for 1:29 scale in the live steam price market?


Jeff, that's exactly the problem. Plus the K4 was in stock for a long time before it sold out. I think it was 50 steam and 50 electric but I could be wrong as it was very long ago at this point. 

New 1:29 steam I think is a bad market to go into. Just look at how many there were interested in the 0-6-0 Vandy and Dreyfuss. It was never enough to move forward and I think now its probably even less interested. 

Gauging by the K4 resale values there is no demand in live steam in 1:29 Can pick one up for 50% less than new off Ebay when they show up and a few were sold recently.


----------



## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

J, your assessment of the Ebay price may be correct, but I personally wouldn't let any of mine go for twice what I paid for them. What something is worth is determined by the person who owns it or his unfortunate need for funds at that time.


----------



## clifforddward (Jan 2, 2008)

I've got one of the Accucraft Pre-War K4 locos (Dark Brunswick Green) I purchased not too long ago....It would not run for the previous owner...I got it, investigated the problem, and discovered all that was wrong is that the engine was missing one screw in the valve gear...fixed that and Voila!, now it runs fine. 

It's an amazingly well detailed locomotive, with full cab instrumentation (water gauge, pressure gauge, steam valve, extra boiler outlet for accessories like a whistle). The engine has slide valves which is a real plus for me as they are trouble free long term...plus the cylinders have functioning blowdown valves that work perfectly...it is cool to see the steam blow out underneath the cylinders on start up. 

This engine I got also has the optional axle pump on the drivers and a hand pump in the tender....the hand pump feeds through the axle pump, allowing priming of the axle pump on start up....it all works well and tops up the boiler easily. 

I'm cleaning it up the loco now, replacing the supply lines as well as installing new steam and gas valves with some of the narrower taper units from Train Department for better control, 

Only thing I'll need to do to the engine is create a cab roof as the original one on this engine is missing. A bit of bending and soldering with some brass and a bit of paint can fix that easily. 

But I only got this loco as a diversion to some other projects I am in the middle of ( I needed a break from scratchbuilding)...so once I have the engine cleaned up I'll be selling it on eBay or before if someone wants it....$1,750 with the new cab roof, or $1,500 without it if someone wants to make the cab roof themselves....Anyone interested in purchasing the loco can contact me off line to discuss...

Best Regards,
Cliff


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

If they would do something other than the 0-6-0s and Pacific in 1/29 I'd go for it. I'd like to see the SP 4-6-0 done in 1/29th. I even approached Bing about it a couple of years ago and like every answer you get we will look into it. Ya right. Later RJD


----------



## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

We always want whats not available and dont buy what is. Its the old thing of wanting what we cant have!
There is always....another loco....


----------



## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

aceinspp said:


> If they would do something other than the 0-6-0s and Pacific in 1/29 I'd go for it. I'd like to see the SP 4-6-0 done in 1/29th. I even approached Bing about it a couple of years ago and like every answer you get we will look into it. Ya right. Later RJD


The nice thing about the 0-6-0 is that its a USRA design which enables it to have numerous roadnames (even if its kind of a stretch). I would think a USRA Consolidation, Ten Wheeler, or Mikado would be the way to go in 1:29. As an added bonus, many of the Chinese steam locomotives were based on the same WW1 designs. The K4 and Dreyfus are great engines and great roadnames, but they are decidedly road-specific.


----------



## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

I wouln't be surprised at all if Accucraft was to produce a standard gauge SP 4-6-0 eventually (they already have the narrow gauge version), but their resident SP fan seems to be a 1:32 guy, so a 1:29 version seems unlikely. The 1:29 stuff seems to be following what the smaller scale manufacturers have been doing for years: the generic (USRA) and the iconic (K4, Dreyfuss Hudson). The prototype USRA designs only included 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 switchers, Pacifics and Mikados in both light and heavy variants, and 2-6-6-2 and 2-8-8-2 Mallets. On the other hand, the major builders also had catalog model 2-6-0s, 2-6-2s, 2-8-0s, 2-8-2s, 4-6-0s, etc that were common on short lines.


----------



## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the clarification of the USRA roster vs catlog builds Richard...

It makes sense to do this in 1:29 since most of the engines that are popular and reliable tended to be diesels. There are only a couple diesel builders represented and the road-specific differences tend to be only paint-deep. Similarly, I think the WW1 era probably had the widest distribution of USRA and similar catalog builds across the country.


----------



## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

s-4 & Richard, I'd be interested in any of the USRA wheel arrangements that you mentioned, and they would be attractive to many since as mentioned they are not RR specific. The economy being what it is, I hope any one of them may be in our future.


----------

