Large Scale Central

Greenfield Village in Dearborn as source of building ideas

Prototypes
#1

Anyone been to Greenfield Village lately? I was there decades ago and just Googled around for images. There are some great old-time structures there, including the Wright Bros cycle works and Henry Ford’s first plant. There’s also a steam train that circles the village. Judging from the pix it looks like a 2-4-0 with a unique, single truck tender, kinda like what you see on a bobber caboose. Since LA doesn’t have the neat period buildings like some of ya’ll who live in the sticks have, I thought one could get a lot of ideas–and some measurements–at Greenfield Village.

Yer thoughts and ideas?

#2

Joe,
Like you, I haven’t been in decades…more decades than I care to admit :wink:
The great thing about Greenfield Village is, all the buildings are authentic. Henry Ford moved them there from all over the country.
Living history, as you not only see very old cars, you can see them driving around the village.
The Village and the Henry Ford Museum across the road are excellent and a return visit is on my “to do” list.
Ralph

#3

I’d never heard of it . . . . looked up pictures . . . looks like a fantastic place. Engine has a 4 wheel tender.

#4

They used to and probably still do, have all kinds of demonstrations. Blacksmithing, glass blowing and many others.
It takes a day to do the village, and another day to do the museum.
Ralph

#5

Found this video of one of the steam engines running at Greenfield Village.
Ralph

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag--iAQZqWI&feature=g-vrec&context=G2092a83RVAAAAAAAACg[/youtube]

#6

That’s a great little loco!

#7

Wow! What a cool video, Ralph. Pretty well done for an amateur (not Kevin Strong). The film explains the tender truck, which isn’t easy to see in the still photos I previously viewed on line. I looked up the musuem in my “1996 Steam Passenger Service Directory,” and learned that the loco shown in the video is an 1873 Mason-Fairlie 0-6-4T from the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. My book ,which is way out of date, also shows that the museum has (had?) an 1876 Ford Motor Co. 4-4-0 and a 1914 Baldwin 0-6-0. BTW, the video is entitled, "Steam Train/Tren de Vapor, which makes me wonder if it was made by a Canadian, eh? They are always doing the bilingual thing :slight_smile:

Oh, one more thing: when the train stops at the second station, it first makes a horrible gurgling noise that sounds like my garbage disposal. Of course the sound of that throbbing air pump is so cool…

#8

Joe;

Not positive, but I think the gurgling noise may be a brake shoe chattering - vibrating against the wheel because it has gotten fairly well-worn. At first I thought it might be a check valve chattering before an injector really “caught,” but there was no sustained injector noise once the chattering stopped. Since that noise stopped once the train halted, I’m betting on the brake shoe.

Yours,
David Meashey

#9

You guys try to pick at every little sound.
Chalk it up to operating sounds.
It’s not the brakes, if you look at the safety valve it was blowing by a little before it pooped and again at time 2:49 did the samething while setting still just before they blew the cyl before starting…

#10

David;

Well, I guess there is a first time for everything. I had never heard a pop valve chatter like that before, but your observation seems correct. When I ran the two Porters at the Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern RR, I had to be aware of unusual noises from those locomotives. Could be the first indication of a mechanical problem - or worse - a safety problem. Old habits die hard. It’s also harder to isolate a noise from a video than it is while actually running the locomotive.

Still yearning to run 1:1 steam again,
David Meashey

#11
Joe Rusz said:
... the video is entitled, "Steam Train/Tren de Vapor, which makes me wonder if it was made by a Canadian, eh? They are always doing the bilingual thing :)
I tell you, my Yanqui fren', 'dat is not de soun a French Canajan mak, eh? Dat's for sure a leetle of de Espanyol. Eeef heem was a Frenchman he'd say 'train de vapeur.' Dat's for darn sure, by gar. :)
#12

If you like large scale trains, this’ll please you. At the Dearborn museum you can nestle right up to a real, genuine UP Big Boy. Trust me, its scale is large. :smiley:

#13
John Le Forestier said:
Joe Rusz said:
... the video is entitled, "Steam Train/Tren de Vapor, which makes me wonder if it was made by a Canadian, eh? They are always doing the bilingual thing :)
I tell you, my Yanqui fren', 'dat is not de soun a French Canajan mak, eh? Dat's for sure a leetle of de Espanyol. Eeef heem was a Frenchman he'd say 'train de vapeur.' Dat's for darn sure, by gar. :)
That sounds more like a Cajun from Lou-si-ana than any Canuk I ever met. :D
#14

We had a Frog Prime Minister of recent memory, of whom it was popularly said that he could speak neither official language…

Anyways, Steve, see wot’cha tink of 'dis wan, for sample…
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/de-stove-pipe-hole/

#15
John Le Forestier said:
If you like large scale trains, this'll please you. At the Dearborn museum you can nestle right up to a real, genuine UP Big Boy. Trust me, its scale is large. :D
Are you sure about that? I didn't see any mention of it on their website. Perhaps you were thinking of the 2-6-6-6 C&O Allegheny -- not quite a Big Boy but still a monster:

http://www.thehenryford.org/museum/transportation.aspx

#16

You’re right Ray - my bad. Old memories - about 30 years old, had faded with time, I guess. The photo brought it all back very clearly! Thanks for correction and the link!