Vic Smith and I recently did a junkbox swap. One of the things he sent was an illco “Muppets” loco chassis. It looks a knock off of the LGB #207, but the fact that Vic sent it on for basically free probably tells a lot of you all you really need to know… The conversation went something like this: AV owner- “If the Borracho Springs, home of silver plated Cheerful, Cheap, and Cheesy LLC, couldn’t polish that turd, then anybody with any sense could see it’s completely hopeless!” Head flunky and broom jockey at the Skonkworks - “Ah gots me abowt foh dollah, an’ fifteen cents, boss!” … (WHY do we keep that guy around, again?) Anyway, it was decided to turn it into… something… for the kiddies to operate on open days. First order of biznezz was to fix a gear that had slipped on it’s shaft… then swap out the one wheelset with a spare Vic sent that had a crankpin boss. Followed by a couple air tanks made from 1/2" pvc pipe and a pilot from wood and styrene.
Boiler is 75c worth of 2" pvc drain pipe, stack is B’mann, smokebox door is Lionel - both outta my junkbox… me heap big spender!
Assembled, BTW that drain pipe stuff smells exactly like sh#% when you cut it with an abrasive disc!
It was decided early on that this project deserved two skunks. So Stanley Stinkum tried to get his twin brother Sidney to pose… the photog gave up and snapped this picture while they were still arguing…
The major parts donor I need for this is one of those crappy old forward/reverse only r/c cars. When you DON’T want one, they’re all aver the place at flea markets and yard sales for a dollar or two… when you do, they’re scarce as hen’s teeth…
nicky
