Large Scale Central

Steam Donkey from 2 LGB "Daisy" cabs

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Last spring I purchased a tram or steam donkey engine from GRS UK. It had been put together by someone in europe - no idea who. It looked great running on Jerry’s (Naptowneng) SC&M RR.

I was told it had been built from a couple of LGB engine cabs - in fact the inside says “2077” which makes the part a “Daisy” cab.

I started converting it to battery r/c operation this week, and thought I’d post a few photos so anyone who wants a quirky little tram will know how it was done. Here’s the body, which is symmetrical and obviously 2 cabs back to back.

Inside you can see the cab back and front. There are windows in the ends. Whoever built it added a coal bin at the back (needs a fake load,) and side water tanks. You can also see the cutouts for the ‘daisy’ boiler that he filled.

The front has a smokebox and a pair of cylinders, plus those pretty lamps, which I am lighting with a couple of small LEDs.

Lots of rivet detail around the frame, which hides a Piko 0-4-0 mechanism.

And inside the bodywork is just enough to suggest the steam boiler and controls. The wires come from the motor - I have removed the skates and wheel pickups.

I think it is a neat little loco. It’s getting 4x18650 Liion batteries and a protection board, plus a Viper ESC (and a couple of 6A diodes to drop the voltage a bit.) I think the r/c will be an Orange DSM2 RX and my Deltang TX.

#2

While we are on the subject of steam donkeys, here’s my other new one that arrived just last week from the UK.

This is a Roundhouse “Stanley” (a k a “J.C.Watson”) - live steam and r/c. The other boxcab is Jack’s and also came from the UK. It’s electric, though the Crest r/c has steam sound (!)

For comparison, here they are together on top of my new workbench / roll-top desk. The LGB-Cab unit is 1:22.5, and the RH Stanley is 1:19 scale.

#3

Hi Pete,

Found the link, these are fantastic! The Tram or Steam Donkey is a great example of what I’ve been looking for. Something like this will be a good model to work from.

Now I’ve got to wait to get home to get dimensions off the “Tram”. Trust me, its really not that hard to wait.

As I said earlier - FANTASTIC!!!