Inspired by John Bouck’s scan of a 1898 Baldwin standard gauge steam railcoach, I decided to try a narrow-gauge version. Progress to date, based on the B’mann J&S cars and a LGB #2117D drive block. Finished coach will have a clerestory roof. The B’mann coach body is very narrow and so the standard LGB #2117D cylinders need to be replaced with narrower Stainz type. I inverted the drive to have the cylinders to the rear and smokestack exhausting through the roof, just prior to the passenger section of the coach. Just to be different, I mounted the drive block via a vertical brass tubing section, through which a long bolt will pass and secure uner the block housing (think of how the smokestack is mounted on a standard LGB drive block). While this does limit the amount of available drive block lateral swing, it does enable a reasonable interior in the driver’s compartment. Mid-mounting the drive would have the block housing almost up to window level in the driver’s compartment. The length of the coach body does not help either, but I do like to increase the length of the standard B’mann coaches. Overall length is 62.5 cms. The drive did need slight alteration in that the cylinder mount (normally encased inside the locomotive body), needs to be ‘beefed’ up slightly. I fabricated a brass angle plate and attached to one of the drive housing motor mount cover screws on the upper surface of the block. Even on ten foot diameter curves the crosshead slides mounting protrudes beyond the body. I had to modify the side of the coach by providing a cutout each side to enable more swing on the drive block.
