Not a bad price…Not a great one…But here is a “cheap” 2nd Connie!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/310647228655?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_1157wt_1399
Well, its done. The Freedom Central picked up a second engine the other night. However I have several other projects in the pipeline. I wasn’t even gonna go after the engine, figuring to spend the money when I got ready to do it. But, after thinking about it, I decided I better spend the money now when the fodder was 239 instead of 799. This concern follows the results of things like Aristo RoadRailers, LGB Mikados and Amtrash equipment.
Me and the boys - who HAVE a live steam Garratt, BTW - want to know why there is a dome on the water tender.
Thank you.
tac, ig, ken the GFT & The Sandstone Railroad Boys
tac Foley said:
Me and the boys - who HAVE a live steam Garratt, BTW - want to know why there is a dome on the water tender.
probably for sand would be my guess…
Ken Brunt said:
tac Foley said:
Me and the boys - who HAVE a live steam Garratt, BTW - want to know why there is a dome on the water tender.
probably for sand would be my guess…
Probably right. Its funny, I got a couple people questioning that. I admit, I didn’t draw any sand pipes, but between one dome atop the boiler, one dome on the water tank and another dome behind the bunker on the regular tender, I just assumed people would know it was a sand hopper.
Now, why did I got this route? Well simple, this class of engine was in service by 1902. In fact by October of 1902, the entire fleet will be out of service as the Appalachia Great Eastern collapses into its component lines: Perry County; Newport & Sherman’s Valley; East Broad Top; Clearfield & Northern (Alley Popper); Allegheny Valley; Bradford, Eldred & Cuba and the Tonawanda Valley & Cuba. The connection from the East Broad Top to the Clearfield & Northern is a dual-gauge line I call the “Central Pennsylvania Shortline”.
The engine class, the AG-2, was designed at the PRR’s Juniata Shops, which also built the AG-1 4-6-0+0-6-4 (passenger) and AG-2 2-8-0+0-8-2 (freight) prototypes. After AGE completed testing with the two prototypes, they place an order for 50 additional AG-2’s, but are forced to go to… I think I decided Baldwin, when the Juniata Shops are busy with a rebuild project for the PRR.
Basically, I figured that at this time, no one would consider Shay-style end tanks, and that the time period suggested sand domes of this style
News update:
The new pilots for the AG-2 2-8-0+0-8-2 project arrived at the Freedom Central’s Juniata Falls Werx today. After some digging, we managed to obtain one of the K-27 Pilot assemblies from the twin DRGW lines in Colorado. This was a short term lease, which we capitalized on by shipping the assembly to Nevada to have two modern replicas built by a well-known restoration company in the Vegas area. After the two new pilots were approved, the original was shipped back to Colorado and the new pilots loaded upon a flat bed fro movement to Central PA.
That flatbed arrived today and the pilots were offloaded into the JFX main yard this morning.
Though the AG-2 project still sits behind other projects in the pipeline, and we are still waiting on the delivery of the second engine, we are moving forward.
-J.D. - C.E.O.
edit: I just realized I didn’t explain this in real world: I decided to commit to the purchase of the last two K28 pilots on eBay. These will be graphed onto the pilots of the Connie chassis’s during construction.
Update: Got word that the second unit has shipped and is enroute to our shops at JFX.
JFX will provide pictures of the two units upon arrival. Having said that, I must caution any enthusiasm. Before construction begins on the AG-2 class, I have several other projects I want to complete. S.4.a “Freedom Class” (LGB Stainz) - 2x GP-45-TGX units (Aristo GP-40, USA 70MAC & custom radiator) - S.30.a Switcher (LGB Lil’ Mike 2-4-0{LGB_20232}) and THEN the AG-2.
Somewhere in here, I want to get FCR #36 (Art 2-8-2) back in service, and begin looking at converting FCR #3411 into FCR#8107 (OCS) a NYC-style streamlined engine, but converted from 4-6-2 to 2-6-4. I also have a 2-8-8-2 that was FCR’s BIG road power, but I’m thinking that using the drive bricks to build a 4-8-2 ACE-3000, and then replace teh x-8-x bricks with x-6-x bricks to build a 2-6-6-6, which will be coupled to my MTH centipede tender…
Ya, I think the tracks are gonna be a while before being laid, lol
You need to learn to multitask… you work on a second (or third) project while waiting for the glue to dry on the first.
I do Mik… its just that those other projects aren’t trains. I know, blasphemy. Unfortunately five kids under 7 will do that to you. Plus there is the 24/7/365 job of driving the real thing… though not steam powered. Add in trying to finish the two other stories that are in my head and building up my website and its just a plain old pain in the… you know.
Not to mention I still partake in industrial archeological explorations. I’m hoping to get into an old tower soon to get pictures of that as well. I have pics of HUNT, ALTO, MG, C, and East Conway, though not necessarily internals of them all. I also found a poured concrete tower (exoskeleton) near Falls Creek that I got some pics of and in. There is only so many hours… in a month, lol.
Okay, the moment of truth. For a modern mainline railroader, I NEVER thought I’d end up with one of these things… to say anything about TWO!!!
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgallaway81/_forumfiles/TheVictims.jpg)
Freedom Central now has ownership of twin outside frame 2-8-0’s plus two of the K-class pilots. This provides the chassis parts for building the AG-2.
Unfortunately, ALL projects have now been put on hold pending the completion of a non-train project. This afternoon the doc supervising my wife’s pregnancy declared concern that the baby may already be to big to get down the natural delivery path. As a result, they scheduled a priority induction, requiring us to be AT the hospital at 6am tomorrow morning.
This will deliver railfan #5 to the family. When I can, I’ll let you all know the results.
Until then this is FCR Central Dispatch… signing off.
Just another small update. I spent teh last month bidding on LGB parts from German. I purchased some parts, looking at the possibility of filling out the need for sand domes, though I still would prefer to get one from a live steam 0-4-0t I saw at the ECLSTS. Those ones would be perfect.
As an aside, I also managed to pickup one of the Lil’ Haulers cheaply as well. Its a neat little engine, and pulls two troublesome trucks around our pike without a hint of a problem, though it doesn’t like the coaches, probably a result of the greater overhang Annie & Claribel have.
Be See’in Ya!
Well we need some up dates. Time to get this show on the road. Can’t make money for the RR unless you get the new locos in operation. Later RJD
hey… they can only operate on the FCR’s Broad Top Division anyways.
If you’re talking about the brass Mamod domes, call Shawn at Yesteryear Toys & Books. Otherwise take a look at what Ozark and Trackside have before you start trying to get live steam parts
I was taken by the look of the dome on the Emma model that was on display at the ECLSTS back in March.
I’m still not certain what route I plan to go, but thanks for the ideas.
I have built a couple of these for customers, but based on 4-6-0 chassis. The Connie drives have a pivot point, between the first and second axles, which means one chassis runs normal forward (the second chassis) and the other (first chassis) runs backward. This means that the cowcatcher on the first unit has to have a fabricated or stolen mount.
I need to suggest, that at minimum the drive gear be replaced with Bachmann’s metal gear/ axles in both units.
Really like what you are doing.
Barry
…(http://www.freethoughtnation.com/components/com_comment/joscomment/emoticons/funny/images/smile.png)…
If anybody has any interest at all in NG Beyer-Garratt locomotives, then I recommend -
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A look at the Welsh Highland Railway on Youtube, where there are five of them in action, including K1, the original 0-4-0+0-4-0 Tasmanian Garratt.
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A look at the Sandstone Railway in RSA, again on Youtube, where those other Garratts came from.
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Buying the book - Locomotives that bend’ - the easy-reading story of the B-G written by a fellow B-G nut.
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A look at the UK’s 16mm Garratt Association run by Chris Moody - a near-neighbour back in yUK.
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A look at any of my B-G movies on Youtube - tac’s trains AccuCraft Garratt…
Also, bear in mind the sheer size of the proposed model and remember that a Garratt ‘bow-strings’ across a curve - LOTS of clearance is needed, that’s why MY own tracks are nine inches apart.
tac, ig, ken the GFT and earl the lobster, at the Castaway Hotel in sunny Port Orford, Oregon.
J.D.,
I am in the process of building replacement pilots for the Connie. These will not have the spring detail, but will have a brass tube bearing surface (load with oil).
I am going to use SVE #2 wheels, blackened, in these pilots. If you need one or a pair let me know and when you would like them. Either $20.00 or $25.00 each.
Barry
I should have mentioned, the frame is a black anodized aluminum channel extrusion.
Barry