Large Scale Central

Converting a Pacific to an Atlantic

Modeling
#1

I have an Aristo Pacific that’s been bugging me for a while. It’s too big for our layout, and it’s kind of a crude model. I really like the Lionel Atlantic I refurbished and upgraded, and the little 2-8-0 I made out of a lionel atlantic and an Aristo Mikado. I’m not making a model of a specific prototype. The Pacific pulled a string of B&O heavyweights, and I decide to keep them. The B&O owned about 70 Atlantics, but they had smaller boilers and cabs. I decided to make this a fantasy “beefy Atlantic,” kind of like this photoshop trick

Keep the aristo cylinder/valve gear intact, and reuse as much as possible. So I got reckless and started cutting the Pacific apart. I’ve got the block cut down, and the shell, and figured out the mounting points:

I cut off most of the molded-on detail on the pacific–it looked cheesy. Someday it might look ok–we’ll see Bruce, any more details on how you thinned the flanges on your Mikado’s wheels? The back to back spacing is too close.

#2

Mike,

That’s looking very promising.

I remember clamping the motor block in a vise, applying power and then just holding the Dremel with a cutting tip up against it. Later, a file was used. It’s REALLY ugly metal and clogs the file.

If I were doing it today, I’d probably chuck each wheel in a drill and try that. Or, find a buddy with a lathe. :wink:

#3

NO advice to offer but will be watching !
:wink:

#4
mike omalley said:
I decided to make this a fantasy "beefy Atlantic,"
PRR had some pretty beefy Atlantics in their E6 class, same boiler as the H8 consolidations. Those E6 could really get up and move. Makes sense to say someone at B&O's HQ said, "hey, we can do that too."

Atlantics (most of them) just have a “right” sense of proportion to them.
But then, that’s not exactly impartial since 4-4-2 and 4-4-0 locos are my tied for first favorites, with 4-6-0 coming in second.

Go for it!

#5

Good idea Mike, I’ll be following this closely.

#6

Thanks Jerry–my fingers are crossed. I’m looking for new domes–I want it to look a bit less like a cut down paciific, so I’m thinking domes with rounder tops. Not sure how to make these. Oxark miniatures sells what they describe as a 1:32/1:29 steam dome and sand dome, but it’s not at all clear what size they are and it’d be easy to have a bad fit. I might try to build up the domes out of bondo, just adding a peak to the existing domes Have not gotten much done lately–work! Added rivets to the smokebox front, using some ozark nut and bolt castings I had in the parts bin:

(http://www.mylargescale.com/1stclass/lownote/smokebox-front.jpg)

I won’t be able to work on it till Sunday–I’m flying to Chicago to be filmed for a TV show on PBS called “History Detectives.” They found an old observatory clock used to transmit standard time signals to the railroads and since i’m kind of the expert on that, they want to film me looking professorial and stroking my chin or something

#7

Have fun Mike and make sure to look all scientific and all. Like ya know what your doing. hehe

#8

mike omalley said:
Added rivets to the smokebox front, using some ozark nut and bolt castings I had in the parts bin:

Actually, they’re bolts on at least some of the real thing so smokebox front can be removed for servicing boiler tubes and such. It’s rivets on the sides, bolts on the front. Found a decent illustration here

(www.ihpworkshops.com/header_images/smokebox_40.jpg)

Here’s a picture that shows rivets holding in ring smokebox front is attached to http://www.mcrwy.com/press/press_rivets.html Oh! Just found an Excellent photo showing bolts around UP 8444’s smokebox www.flickr.com/photos/alcomike/3914416884/sizes/l/

mike omalley said:
I won’t be able to work on it till Sunday–I’m flying to Chicago to be filmed for a TV show on PBS called “History Detectives.” They found an old observatory clock used to transmit standard time signals to the railroads and since i’m kind of the expert on that, they want to film me looking professorial and stroking my chin or something

Cool! Hope it goes well.

#9

Mike, just a thought… Give some consideration to end caps for 1/2 or 3/4 inch PVC pipes. They’ve been used for domes before…

#10

Have fun in Chicago. Don’t know if Buddy Guy’s is still open. If so, drop in and catch some good local Blues.
Ralph

#11

Neat Mike! We watch History Detectives on PBS all the time, interesting show.

#12

We just finished the filming–Elyse is very pretty!

It’s an odd experience, standing in front of a camera pretending it’s not there, and answering the same questions multiple times. I had to do a lot of acting and I’m no actor!

They did a lot of research, and asked good questions, although Elyse was just asking questions the producer came up with. I’m not sure when it’s going to air.

#13

Neat.

How did you get interested in those? Any pictures?

#14

Yes pics Mike and maybe when it will be aired.

#15

Didn’t get any pictures, and they haven’t told me when it airs yet.

My dissertation was published as a book called “Keeping Watch, A History of American Time.” It’s all about the transition from natural to mechanical sources for time–the invention if standard time zones, the development of time transmission technology. The object they are investigating is a fancy clock from the 1860/70s which was probably used to transmit time signals to a local railroad and/or jewelry store. They called me because of the book. We spent over to hours filming, probably in the end I’ll be on screen for 2-3 minutes at the most

#16
mike omalley said:
Didn't get any pictures, and they haven't told me when it airs yet.

My dissertation was published as a book called “Keeping Watch, A History of American Time.” It’s all about the transition from natural to mechanical sources for time–the invention if standard time zones, the development of time transmission technology. The object they are investigating is a fancy clock from the 1860/70s which was probably used to transmit time signals to a local railroad and/or jewelry store. They called me because of the book. We spent over to hours filming, probably in the end I’ll be on screen for 2-3 minutes at the most


Is the book still in print? Sounds interesting. Congrats on your TV appearance :smiley:

#17

it’s out of print. It’s a good book, if I do say so myself. It was originally published by a commercial press, Viking/Penguin–it was aimed at a semi-popular audience. Sold about 12,000 copies overall. The copyright reverted to me, so I’m trying to figure out how to make a kindle/ebook available

#18

I did find it available through Amazon at a reasonable price. They had a sample of the first chapter and since the store begins in New Haven it’s even more appealing to me. We have a number of towns named after early clock makers… Terryville and Thomaston being the two biggies. Timex is still here (and still family owned) in Middlebury./Waterbury.

#19

That’s pretty cool, Mike. I never thought about how they synchronized the clocks back then. Pretty interesting stuff.

#20

I’m a PBS junkie, when I watch T.V.!!!
…let us know when it will be aired?
So there is an Atlantic and a Pacific but is there and Artic or and Indian?