Large Scale Central

Logging Locomotive. Ideas, musings, brainstorming

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Ok,

So anytime now I will be able to put a completed stamp on my 2-6-0 build. Some touch up paint, rear coupler pocket, and reinstalling the radio equipment (when I get it back) is all that is left. I have decided to hold off on my GP9 chop nose job and keep it as is and install R/C battery in it for now so that I have a solid locomotive to run at club meets since the 2-6-0 is somewhat fragile and don’t want to haul it everywhere I go and risk breaking it.

That leaves me wanting to start another locomotive project. Looking deep into my bucket of pipe dreams I see a few projects on the list. There is the CR&N #4 that is starting to materialize but will progress very slow. . . scratch that one off. There is the CR&N #1 and #2 but I think I am going to break down and use Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-0 for the starting point for these and I have to much other money to spend before I buy those. Other than just weird stuff I want to build that leaves the fleet for the Sinsley Mountain Logging and Mining company. I want to build two locomotives for the SML&M Co.

The back story for the railroad is it is set in the 20’s and 30’s and is a very small company owned short line that was originally built in the 1890’s and has been lovingly maintained but not really up graded. It serves a mining operation and a logging operation. The equipment is old but kept up and modified as needed. The railroad serves the companies operations and is secondary to the mining and logging. It primarily hauls logs, lumber, and mining concentrates to the docks in town and occasional odd freight back up to the operations. It does have passenger service and has a couple coaches (this makes no sense for the layout but I want passenger cars and a station).

Now tot he locomotives. Out of real life necessity these need to be small locomotives capable of looking decent on 30" diameter curves. Per Vic’s suggestion I have already horse traded (thanks David M) for one Lil Big Hauler (the yellow tendered version) as a starting point. I really love Eric Shades 2’ 1:1 projects and seem very drawn to that 0-4-4 style loco with no tender. But I do love saddle tank locos as well. Since the loco I have is not the saddle tank type and has the donor tender that can be used I think sticking to the 0-4-4 is the way to go. For the two locos I was thinking one would be more of a logging loco with a gypsy winch and that sort of thing. The other loco would be more a prime mover.

So Anyone have ideas suggestions?

#2

Devon I have my own quandary, I just picked up, much against my better judgement, yet another Lil Hauler for cheap, the green one (I have box set buried somewhere in the garage, what was I thinking (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)) I want to do something special with it too. So I’ll be looking at the ideas proposed here too.

#3

Yeah Vic,

You and I and other indoor layout folks have the same sort of problem, maybe even you more than most. Since the railroads are small and elevated I think that detail plays a more important role. The ten foot rule doesn’t apply. So when I do decide to get into this project, which will be very soon, I plan to put lots of detail into it. Like you said something special.

#4

Speaking of the “green one” is there any difference between the yellow one and the green one. The blue one is the saddle tank but looking at pictures of the green one and yellow one they look the same.

#5

I have always been fond of the Bachmann 0-4-0 saddle tank engines, Piko makes one in a 0-6-0 but it doesn’t have much detail. Bachmann makes a small 2-4-2 Lynn that is a nice looking engine and it has metal gears, Those go for around $100.

A 30" diameter is pretty tight and another engine that is really good looking on small RR’s but may be not so on tight curves like that is a Forney.

The Bachmann version is nicely detailed but a bit bigger than the LGB one.

If you want to run passenger service you could run tourist railfan specials on the weekends, during the week it is all business with the logging so no passengers except maybe a special bringing investors etc… to the camp.

#6

Ha thanks Todd that a great excuse for having to have a station and passenger coaches.

I have given a bit of thought to the small motor block thing. I know Vic is fond of these Lil Big Haulers because they work and are available. The LGB forney, is that the same motor block at the Stanz? Those seem like a good platform and can be had for a decent price. 30" diameter is small but if Vic can do 21 I can do 30. The Lil Hauler saddle tank would be a decent platform to start with, and I likely will do this for the prime mover and use the one I have now for the logging loco. The saddle tank I think will get in the way of the way I want to do the Gypsy winch.

#7

Devon , I have a gypsy winch on my bucket list, I too am a small engine railroad builder.

keep us posted

Dennis

#8

One of the things I know I want on this is a winch. Now I have been able to look at several pictures and have a decent idea of how theses work but does anyone have intimate knowledge of how they operate. Seems to me that it works just like a locomotive would work.

One about like this. Other pictures show that they have dual steam pistons attached to “drivers” that I am assuming are quartered just like a loco. As this clearly shows the drivers are connected to a drive shaft with a gear on it. That in turn turns a bigger gear that is attached to the drum. I want mine to be a drum like this one and not a capstan style. There looks like a frame that holds the bearings for the winch shaft and i assume that extends down and also houses the bearings for the drivers and then extends back to allow mounting of the steam cylinders. I also see a “connecting rod” just inboard of the crank shaft bearings which I assume is operating the valve gear. Now I also am assuming that there would be two controls. One for speed and one forward/reverse/neutral, not unlike a locomotive. There would be a steam line that comes in and splits to the two cylinders. Am i understanding this right?

#9

If you don’t need to haul heavy loads, that LGB tank “Helena” series make great bashing fodder. I have a couple of them. I made little tenders for them and they are great runners.

#10

Oh yea. I bought a lot of them LGB Porters over the years.

#11

I forgot about them and they can be found for decent prices

Hey and just to add some fun trivia where was the Helena run?

#12

The Bachmann Lil Hauler scales out very close to Eric’s #10 drawing. I think I have a good idea of where to start going with this. I plan on making a loco very similar to that one.

#13

Devon Sinsley said:

Speaking of the “green one” is there any difference between the yellow one and the green one. The blue one is the saddle tank but looking at pictures of the green one and yellow one they look the same.

Identical, just the green tender engine has a flat dull finish, its the better choice to carve up. The yellow passenger engine looks great as is. My Greenie is actually the green saddletank that comes with the starter freight set,which I also have buried in the garage.

#14

I didn’t realize there was a green saddle tank. As for the yellow one looking good as is I have to agree it is the nicest looking one of the bunch. But I won’t have any trouble cutting it up (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

As I have looked at pictures of this size loco and of the drawing of Eric’s #10 and the Fairymead 0-4-2 another small loco I like of this type I think this is going to be a fun project.

I have been pouring over Ozarks and Tracksides 1/22.5 and 1/24 detail parts and just day dreaming and I think this will just be a fun loco to build. The nice thing after looking the Lil Hauler over up and down is that is best feature is its lack of detail. While on its own that isn’t great but for a kit bash it is almost a blank slate.

#15

Devon Sinsley said: … is that is best feature is its lack of detail. While on its own that isn’t great but for a kit bash it is almost a blank slate.

That can be a very strong selling point to people like us! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#16

Yeah, “less detail” means less cast-on details that have to either covered up or carved off. I was also thinking of something like the Fairymead, only with the saddletank, sort of a poor-mans Olomana (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

The only thing is now without any more spare Big Hauler cylinders and pushrods I’ll have to scratch something together with the stock pistons

#17

I was thinking on this just last night. I do have big hauler parts available and i think I did an OK job of modifying them for my 2-6-0.

Now admittedly there is very little left of the Big Hauler cylinder and push rod left here. The cylinder end is Bachmann but the cylinder body is sprinkler pipe. The push rod is B-mann. But it is so heavily modified that it might have well been totally scratch built. So for the Lil hauler project I think I will just fab my own. Have to decide the type first. Using the simplest Big Hauler style might be good enough.

#18

The Helena was used in Idaho’s Silver Valley. I forgot what mine. I’ll look through the book “Railroads through the Coer d’ Alenes” and see if I cab scan a pic.

#19

Nope John,

Sorry but no prize for you. John Wood does write about it in Railroads through the Coeur d’Alenes but it was not used in the Silver Valley or even in Idaho at all. But it was close. It was used just outside of Superior, MT on the Iron Mountain Mine.

Photo found on Narrow Gauge Chaos

This is the only photo I know off of the Helena. I find it funny that a European company would have even found the Helena to model it but It is cool that they did.

#20

wonder how many places in different states have used the iron mountain name?

This huge mountain of iron was the subject of conversation throughout the nation. Immigrants from the European countries heard of it immediately upon their arrival in New York and as a result, many of them came to Missouri and settled in the vicinity of Iron Mountain. For a time the people of the Atlantic Sea Board considered it a fable. They referred to it as a mineralogical joke. It is said that at the White House dinner, the president of the United States, with a skeptical smile, said to the wife of a senator from Missouri, “Mrs. Linn, I hear you have, in your state, iron ore so pure that it does not have to be smelted; that you forge directly from the ore.” Mrs. Linn informed him that his information was correct and when she returned to Missouri, she sent to the president, a knife made by a Missouri blacksmith from a chunk of ore. Much missionary effort was required to impress the people of the east about the truth of the mineral riches of Missouri.
(well, that made hash of my attempts to arrange this post) (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mostfran/mine_history/iron_mountain.htm

http://www.mopac.org/corporate-history/57-st-louis-iron-mountain-southern-railway

"CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE
ST. LOUIS, IRON MOUNTAIN AND SOUTHERN RAILWAY

1851 Mar. 3 Created by special act of Missouri Legislature

1853 Feb. 9 Cairo and Fulton Railroad of Arkansas is chartered

1853 Feb. 14 President Fillmore signs act of Congress granting right-of-way through U.S. reservations at St. Louis

1853 Oct. First shovelful of dirt turned to begin construction of the Iron Mountain Road