Large Scale Central

Lionel 4-4-2 Atlantic, what scale is it?

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

What the header says,

I picked up one of these (put in a low bid and yikes I won!) NYC version, I always wanted one of these. It looks to be in very good shape, no idea what the insides look like yet. Its going to grace my workbench display for now, but the long term plan is to fix this one up for things like the Fairplex open house runs. I will keep it track powered but might consider adding a tender battery pack and RC option (Good GOD did I actually say that?), I have read Greg’s website and will read George’s later, but first things first, WHAT SCALE IS THIS THING?

Its way too big for 1/32, but it also seams a tad big for 1/29, is it LGB 1/24-5-6-7ish or something?

I need to know as I am on the lookout for an Aristo Vanderbilt tender and I want to add a doghouse to the stock tender and am considering using the Bachmann version available and I need figures for it. I want to make sure they are going to look right.

Any help is appreciated.

#2

Mine looks great pulling Aristo’s heavyweight passenger cars. The box on those claim they are 1:29, but those who have measured them and compared the measurements to the prototype say they are closer to 1:32.

I’ve put an Aristo Vandy tender next to my Atlantic, and it just dwarfs the poor thing.

I’ve thought about cutting down a Vandy, but never got a Round Tuit.

Lemme know what you think.

#3

Steve, you mean the Vandy dwarfs the Atlantic?

Dang, I was hoping to try doing a long distance vandy tendered SP version based on the Express Atlantic on display at the Traveltown museum here in Griffith Park, it uses a vanderbilt type. The only other vandy tender I have seen, LGBs, might work:

(http://www.trainweb.org/chris/photos/travel2.JPG)

(http://trains.nute.ws/4-4-2/SP3025_right.jpg)

So Steve, in your ‘expert’ (owning one) opinion, is it 1/32 or 1/29 or 1/30.5 (in between) ???

#4

My thought is that the Lionel 4-4-2 Atlantic is closer to 1:32 than anything else, but I happily run it with my 1:29 stuff.

#5

If you convert it to a 2-8-0, then it very easily becomes a small 1:29 consolidation.

#6

I just took another look, and the Aristo Vandy tender is longer than the Lionel Atlantic locomotive by about a half inch, perhaps more. That would be a REAL long distance tender, fo’ sho’

On the other hand, if you were to shorten the Vandy by one set of rivets on the water tank, it might just work. That’s something you could handle, isn’t it, Vic?

:wink:

#7

2-8-0? Nope, its going to stay an Atlantic, back in the days before lawyers I grew up crawling all over and under 3025 at Traveltown, so the Atlantic type is rather special for me.

The Aristo tender is only about an inch longer? thats not too bad, the particular express engines SP used to use for long distance fast mail service had VERY long tenders, the picture I recall one had a vandy tender longer than the locomotive. So far the only issue I can see with the Aristo vandy is that are very expensive, same problem with any passenger cars.

If the AC heavyweights look good behind it, good, that what I was hoping, I will tray to find some down the line, my idea for a “visiting” train is a NYC or SP Fast Mail express, meaning baggage car, combine and a couple of milk cars.

For now, the standard tender will remain, if fortune favors the foolish, than maybe I will be able to snare a vandy, knowing that scalewise it should be OK is what I really needed to know so if the opportunity presents itself I know I’m good scale/proportion wise

#8

Vic,

I just put my AC Vandy behind one of my Atlantics…Yikes! The coal load sits a tad bit above the Atlantics roof. The tender is also longer than the engine. Too bad as I like the look of the one you have pictured! I do not have an LGB version to compare but it might look pretty good.

Good luck!

#9

LGB’s tender is probably closer, definitely closer in length, but is probably a bit too tall.

(http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips10/081101_girr_lgb_22232_0-4-0_5921.jpg)

#10

Do you have a picture of it? We loves pichers as Rooster would say!

#11

Mark too tall? that ain’t good news, can you post a pic just so I can see how it looks. If no one can post a pic of the LGB version with an Atlantic I could probably go up to Han’s at Gold Coast and do a side by side with one of his. My fear is that the LGB is just going to look extremely short behind this. Worse comes to worse I can live with the stock tender but if the opportunity ever arose…

#12

Vic, make a vandy tender for it, already. You’re talented. They can be made to run like a top, I have one that pulled 4 heavy weights on my slight grades and 7’ radius curves. No pizza for you.

#13

I’ll see if I can get a picture of one next to my 1:32 MTH Challenger

#14

By your command…

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/LSC/DSCF6898_zps704f9b23.jpg)

#15

Vic, do you know how tall an LGB Mogul is? They also sold it with the Mogul. Might give you a better idea of size.

I can see it working -potentially-, but the trucks are giant blocks of yuck and would have to go for something shorter in height.

http://www.champex-linden.de/lgb_produktdatenbank_d-e/medien.nsf/medien/ACC820F9E104198A852570FB0068E3C1/$FILE/22194.jpg

#16

Mark V said:

By your command…

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/LSC/DSCF6898_zps704f9b23.jpg)

This happens constantly with photo-bucket. The picture is 800 wide and cropped…But does not appear that way here. In an hour or two it might. Odd.

#17

Well that length ain’t so bad but Yeah that looks too tall, rats!

Thanks for the pic Mark

#18

(http://www.gbdb.info/data/media/163/LGB_22194.JPG)

From this pic and George’s interior pics of the tender it may be possible to lower the front part as there’s nothing in it. Also, the trucks are definitely 1/4"-1/2" taller than standard Bachmann archbars, so height may be able to be gained from that. The wheels are smaller than normal, but that’s not enough to offset giant trucks.

I’ve also seen a shortened Aristo tender over on MLS with a 2-8-0, but I don’t think there was much doable heightwise with that.

#19

What about dropping it down with the smaller trucks that are standard on the atlantic tender?

#20

Vic,

A couple of years ago I took the rear driver set, cylinders and valve gear off of a Dead Aristo Mallet and made a 2-8-0 and the cylinders lined up nicely under the Atlantic boiler so I’d say it’s 1/26 ish in scale.

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/speedfreak1996/Kitbashes/IM002627.jpg)

…

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/speedfreak1996/Kitbashes/IM002626.jpg)

…

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/speedfreak1996/Kitbashes/IM002628.jpg)