Large Scale Central

Replacement wheels

Modeling
#1

I’m casting around looking for a good project. Checked the parts bin and I have an old LGB Stainz and I’m thinking it could be turned into one of these:

The first thing that strikes me is the wheels are wrong. The Stainz has nearly solid wheels. Does anyone make a reasonably priced spoked wheel that would fit on an LGB 2020 motor block?

#2

Hi Mike,

One posibality might be Hartland wheels. I would suggest you call Hartland and talk to Phil Jensen, he can tell you if they will work or not.
Have you considered using another set of lgb wheels? Ask on line Vic Smith does a lot of small engine bashes he might be able to help you out.

Chuck

#3

Mike
This is the best I could do on short notice. http://www.grsuk.com/index.asp?docs/91.asp and he is in the UK

There is a guy who lives in British Columbia, Canada that attends the shows in the Seattle area who does this sort of casting, but I could not find his card. Perhaps H.J. knows who he is, or one of the guys who lives in the Puget Sound area.

#4

Thanks Steve, thanks everyone. I would have thought someone would make replacement LGB drivers, since they just screw on. I could try cutting the wheel out to make spokes, but that might weaken it too much.

#5

Or do like Madison Hardware did on some of the Lionel Steamers. Drill out the casting between the spokes using one sized drill at the outside near the tire, and a suitably smaller drill near the hub.

#6

Mike,
LGB had spoked wheelsets for the #2015/2017 series locomotives. These used the same drive block. Wheel replacement is the same as the early Stainz solid wheels with a single central screw fitting. Joe Hylva (eBay - joemodeler) regularly has LGB replacement wheels listed on his site. I fitted the spoked wheels to my recent models - the steamcoach, the Euro goose.

   The more commonly available replacement wheels are rigidly connected to the axle shaft and are used on the post-1993 sandwich style drive block,  with the removable lower cover.  To make the 'mother hubbard' then I would start with the #2017 loco.  This was the green 'Porter' style loco that came with a powered tender.  The drive has more appropriate steam cylinders as well as the spoked drive wheels.
#7

This is the model I built based on a Bachmann loco. It is intended to be a freelance ‘never built’ narrow gauge version. They are very different to your normal locomotive.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/madf1.JPG)

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/madf8.JPG)

#8

Mike,
I have no clue as to what you gentlemen are discussing workings wise and don’t mean to be ignorant . I would like to add that I have a picture of a Reading loco as such running full steam in one of my local history books. It would be on the Harrisburg to Hagerstown route if your interested(e-mail me)? They call them camelback or something like that?
Sorry if this is a stupid question as the hard drive floating between my eyeballs is very full and I don’t know steam loco details but do appreciate their beauty.

#9

David,
cheap anthracite coal was plentiful on the east coast, but needed a very wide Wooten (Wotten?) type firebox to provide the surface area sufficient to produce the heat required from the poor quality coal. The width of the firebox generally meant that the cabin was repositioned forward over the boiler as positioning it over the large firebox would have made the cab sit too high. the engineer rode in the cab, while the poor fireman was totally isolated on the rear footplate. Around 1923 these locomotives were outlawed as the fireman was dangerously exposed to the elements and the engineer was liable to be killed by one of the driverods, should it fail. The backhead usually had two doors to enable the fireman to better rake the coals to give an even spread and better heating of the firebox.

    Originally called a 'mother hubbard' locomotive design,  they have generically become referred to as camelbacks,  although I believe that the 'camelback' was a specific design.

    Very large locomotives were built at a later date incorporating the Wooten firebox,  but retaining the standard cab location.
#10

Nice work as usual Tim!

I was planning on cutting up a set of cylinders/steam chest from an LGB mogul to narrow it and finding a way to mount it, and then using the boiler shell from a big hauler and building a cab around it. No clue yet how it would all attach

Is there a set of plans for one of these around anywhere? It would be much easier for a novice like me if I knew the proportions instead of trying to guess them out from photos

#11

Mike,
Shawmut Car Shop does a 0-4-0 camelback version. Link to Shawmut steam page -

http://www.shawmutcarshops.com/steam.html

   I do not know of any plans available.  I searched both camelback and mother hubbard locomotives to get inspiration.  The Bachmann boiler is tapered and would be difficult to make a standard gauge locomotive.  I suggest you try the method you have accomplished previously and build a boiler for it.  These really are worth the trouble to build as they are so unique.
#12

Thanks for the link–that’s very useful. I was going to hide the taper inside the cab, and cut firebox end down. I think I can make the large end of the boiler be the start of the wooten firebox

I should probably go up to Strasburg and see the one they have there–although I think it’s still in restoration

#13

Thanks Tim,
I’m ignorant to the steam era locos. Thats interesting.

#14

Hey Tim! Thats a right nice loco! how’d ya go about extending the wheelbase? Or is that a BBT drive?

#15

Bart, I have extended several Bachmann chassis to get a four-coupled axle drive. The operation is very simple and involves cutting two original Anniversary chassis (should work with Big Hauler, also, but the Annie chassis is much nicer) and mating together, with suitable strengthening. I have made the 2-8-0, 2 off 4-8-0 and a 4-8-2.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/aaaconsa.JPG)

#16

This shows the early Mastodon chassis. This was another freelance loco, based on engineering practice of the time. It shows that a ‘see-through’ chassis is possible using the Anniversary chassis as a basis.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/madss4.JPG)