Large Scale Central

Daddeeeeeeeee, I need heeeeeeeeeeeelp!

General Discussion
#1

I love my kids, I really do, but sometimes…

This afternoon I got a phone call from my soon-to-be 20 year old daughter. She asked if I had an “early 19th century” locomotive model for her college History class…

1852 was “too late”…

“Can you build me something?” When do you need it by? “Tuesdaaaaaay”

Oh, crap!

The ONLY one that I MIGHT be anywhere near able to finish up by Monday afternoon would be Peter Cooper’s 1829-30 Tom Thumb. And only if it’s static (at least for now) So I went scrounging. I HAVE a HLW mini flat to build it from. I HAVE some nylon gears. I can toss together a boiler, coal box, the blower fan, cylinder assembly, and even railings from stuff I have here

What I DON’T have is a wooden barrel or spoked wheels… Michael’s didn’t have any barrels, either. And Pat Catan’s is an hour away.

Does anybody close to W.Pa have a wood barrel about 1-1/2" tall? Or 2 used spoked wheelsets? (I can add both at the last minute if they get here in Monday’s mail)

If so, how much would you need for them? Also, if anybody has been to Baltimore and has fairly high resolution or detail pics, that would be a plus…

Thanks in advance guys!

#2

Sorry Mik can’t help with the train parts… But let me tell ya… when your teenage girl calls and says that she needs help and it’s only to build a engine in 4 days, consider yourself lucky, it could have been a lot worse… A whole lot worse!

#3

From what I’ve so far found: The 1925 reproduction is supposed to actually be larger than the original.

The reproduction in a smidge over 14 feet kong, has a 27" dia boiler 66" tall, and a 5" x 27" cylinder. In 1/32 that would be 5-1/4" long, so the HLW flat is actually pretty close. the boiler SHOULD scale out at 13/16" in diameter x 2-1/16 tall… I may fudge those numbers a little… if only because everything else I own is 1/24.

I’ll take pix as I go along.

And Dave, Mairi only seems to leave her house to go to work or class. She’s pretty much a “Crazy Cat Lady” in training. So unless she has a break in, I don’t think I have to worry too much

#4

would these work? they are plastic, but would work for display. If I send them friday morning they should get to you by monday

(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s414/trainbuffjr1/spokewheels002_zpsa841f23f.jpg)

#5

what pics do you need from baltimore?..I have been to the museum and have pics…Travis

#6

Aaron, those would be perfect! Message sent.

Travis, I could really use some close-ups of the engine and the firebox door area, For whatever reason, none of the photos I can find show either particularly clearly. I can fudge it, but I’d rather do it right, if I can.

I got the Hartland flat narrowed a bit, and started on the boiler this evening.

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/TThumb7_zps82202a9d.jpg)

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P1310001_zps65eb2c44.jpg)

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P1310003_zps8c062607.jpg)

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P1310005_zpsafae2979.jpg)

#7

Looks good. Dont you love how kids are so last minute on everything hehe. Here is a short video showing the tom thumb if you need closer shots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8-XuXVfyac

Johny Cash Riding the Rails has the Tom thumb in the begining but I could not find it on youtube. It use to be their.

I also learned something the other day. If you go to Lowes, in the section where they have the drawers of bolts etc… They have ones labled hobby. They have the barrels, brassstrips and other neat things.

#8

Really, Shawn.

I’m gonna have to look at that at my local Lowes. There are probably some good stuff there.

#9

These may or may not help but all I have from Baltimore that is close to what your after.

Guess they didn’t help

#10

Could be worse Allen, she could have asked for this:

(http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/fictional/railgaz1a.jpg)

#11

Victor Smith said:

Could be worse Allen, she could have asked for this:

(http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/fictional/railgaz1a.jpg)

Hey Vic, How come the Borracho Springs don’t have one of these yet :wink:

#12

Aaron Loyet said:

Victor Smith said:

Could be worse Allen, she could have asked for this:

(http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/fictional/railgaz1a.jpg)

Hey Vic, How come the Borracho Springs don’t have one of these yet :wink:

Not enough wheels

:open_mouth:

#13

Vic, you orta recognize the boiler on this thing… since it’s 3/4 of that homemade air tank you sent last time we swapped junk. (saved me spending a dollar at the hardware store)

for those woho might care, since it was a bit oversize (1" pvc) I made the height 2-1/4" to help preserve the proportions.

#14

Mik , I emailed you a couple of photos,not sure if is what yer lookin for. It was pics from a model in the display hall that they have… I dont remember seeing the Thom Thumb on display or I may have just missed it too. Hope these help out…

Travis

#15

Got the pix, thank you, even though I can’t use them. Last night I worked on the drive. I found a single spoked wheelset, This happy discovery allowed me to start by adding the axle gear.

http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/?action=view¤t=P2010001_zpse2a964e4.jpg

Adding the crankshaft required cutting two holes in the deck

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P2010002_zps77e840e9.jpg)

The injun is some of the same stuff I made the stack from plus 2 pony truck wheels

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P2010004_zps8da1cf0f.jpg)

Mocked up - the easy part is done

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P2010005_zpsfd0b09b9.jpg)

#16

Looking good Mik! We’ll cheer you on!

#17

Exactly what I need, Boomer! thanks!

Quick steam knowledge test. What things are in that picture that don’t belong because the hadn’t yet been invented in 1829? I count 5.

#18

Exactly what I need, Boomer! thanks!

Quick steam knowledge test. What things are in that picture that don’t belong because the hadn’t yet been invented in 1830? I count 5.

#19

2x water columns? multi-chime steam whistle? I think I see a primitive injector? Steam guage?

#20

So, what were those 5 items?

  1. While the Salter type spring safety valve was invented in 1770, and the Hackworth direct spring version in 1828, the "pop"type didn’t appear until 1873

  2. The glass water column was invented in 1829 in England. However many, if not most, American built boilers were still fitted only with trycocks for ay least 15 years after that. (partially due to the patent keeping costs higher, and partly because we were nearly always slow in adopting European inventions during this period, preferring to wait for an American to re-invent it… often as much as a decade later)

  3. Steam whistle wasn’t invented until 1833

4,The Bourdon tube pressure gauge wasn’t developed until 1849

  1. The feedwater injector wasn’t invented until 1858

Did you get them all?

The question then becomes WHAT should I fit to THIS model? Certainly not an injector or whistle. Probably 4 trycocks in a diagonal line above the firedoor door. I’ll probably use a weight and lever safety valve simply because it’s easy to make The pressure gauge if one was even fitted, was probably similar to the one George Stephenson used on his Rocket the same year. Since I don’t have a lot of extra time to devote. I probably won’t fit one at all.

I got the crosshead guides installed today, and built the water pump and crosshead. The gears even work smoothly … rather amazing considering I re-bored them by hand