Model Railroading > Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751

Hello folks! Who makes a decent model of Santa Fe 4-8-4 #3751 in 1/87 scale? Or something close. Sound or no sound and DCC ready. Thanks for any answers.

SantaFeRuss

Look no further than the Broadway-Limited Imports "BLI" HO scale model. Currently available in their "BlueLine" series.

http://www.broadway-limited.com/products/BLI_5158_BlueLine_ATSF_4_8_4_3751_DC_Sound_DCC_Ready_HO-4613-1852.html

A few years ago BLI produced this same model as part of their "Paragon" series which came DCC equipped, utilized a different (better?) sound system and had a duller black appearance.

The model I own is from the older Paragon series. I hit it with a couple rounds of glosscoat and added a few details to help modernize it's appearance to what it looks like today.

Mr. MRL

1. View from one side...
2. View from the other side, behind the palm trees.

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Nice, Mr MRL! Thanks. Can this locomotive handle a 12 passenger car train up a 2% grade?

SantaFeRuss

12 cars up 2%? Not out of the box - not enough weight on drivers.

Get you a Key imports brass SF 3751. They show up on ebay all the time. They will handle your train up your grade easily.

A fellow club member has an identical model of BLI's 3751. He found a way to add over 4 ounces of weight in the boiler. He routinely pulls a 30 car cut of Santa Fe 40-50' refers around our club layout, the grades are anywhere from 0.25 to 2.25. I haven't added any weight to mine and I've been able to pull 20 of his reefers. I wonder if adding the optional traction tire driver would help.

Mr. MRL

tomstp Wrote:
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> Get you a Key imports brass SF 3751. They show
> up on ebay all the time. They will handle your
> train up your grade easily.


Keys model are either the as built version , with 73" drivers or the second rebuild version, that still has two sand domes and the elesco feed-water heater on top of the smoke box in front of the stack. Key never did a final rebuild version of SF 3751. Only Hallmark did this version, in brass.

That would be quite a task even for the real thing. About 10 cars unassisted up a 2% grade would be a real challenge even for the best engineer.

Be aware that he could be tearing up the drive train in the long run....

MrMRL Wrote:
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> A fellow club member has an identical model of
> BLI's 3751. He found a way to add over 4 ounces of
> weight in the boiler. He routinely pulls a 30 car
> cut of Santa Fe 40-50' refers around our club
> layout, the grades are anywhere from 0.25 to 2.25.
> I haven't added any weight to mine and I've been
> able to pull 20 of his reefers. I wonder if adding
> the optional traction tire driver would help.
>
> Mr. MRL

I have two of them. Mine came with a replaceable driver with rubber treads. It helps on my 3.5 grades.

Mr. MRL, I hear BLI has a present and a Original version. What are the differences?

superchief73 Wrote:
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> Mr. MRL, I hear BLI has a present and a Original
> version. What are the differences?


Dunno, I just bought their first released version and customized it to match photos of the current prototype. It did come with various stack shrouds depending on the era you want to model, does that count?

Mr. MRL

Wasn't there an article a while back in MR that showed how to customize this engine. I think it was by Gil Bennet. He customized one of Ted York's engines for his 1950's Cajon Pass layout.

Jason