Large Scale Central

Yet another Skonkworks ugly duckling

Modeling
#1

There’s more than enough “credit” for this project to go around… First Dean Whipple shared this picture on another board…

Then Vic Smith send me a set of Aristo 0-4-0 cylinders… Next I got a Lionel cab for my Mason project and a running chassis came with it… Kimmee stacked together a bunch of bits when she removed them from her way… And finally, my muse got bored while waiting for putty to dry… Last night I stuck this together. The cab is the Delton one I removed from the Mason.

But it just wasn’t right. Those cylinders were just too honking huge. No amount of superheat could justify them… but a Vauclain compound just might!

Since I didn’t have the Aristo valve gear anyway, it was a simple matter to fudge the piston valves into high pressure cylinders

The boiler was raised and lengthened… giving it an odd, top heavy look, but allowing the bottom of the smokebox to clear the saddle. The cab was also raised a bit. The domes are New Blight.

If I can get a r/c car cheap enough I’ll lift the controls, battery pack, etc. I already have a tender started to house them… Am I going over to the dark side? Nope. The brass wheels just suck for track power

#2

Start on a backstory -

1898 was a very good year for the RR. Revenues had been growing for several years, and the board felt the company was now strong enough to expand again. Credit enough was available to both dual gauge the lower end of the line from Verona to Ford City, and to purchase three new locomotives to supplement their aging fleet.

That spring, representatives from Baldwin made a presentation on their ‘revolutionary’ Vauclain Compound, citing the many wonderful efficiencies of compounding, and of their design in particular. The AV, like many railroad boards across the country at the time, were intrigued by this modern marvel, and ordered two. A 2-6-0 for local passenger service from Verona to Kittanning, and 4-4-0 for mail/express service.

Also, like other lines, the AV soon found the Vauclains to be much more problematic than promised. Uneven crosshead loading lead to excessive wear and increased maintenance, rail pounding, and a rough ride for the crews, by far offsetting any savings seen from compounding. This bad experience was to be another nail in the coffin against “newfangled hoohaw” on the railroad.

The AV shops valiantly tried several approaches to remedy the problems with the design. A heavier, wider crosshead was installed on both locomotives within a year. This decreased the pounding somewhat but did not eliminate it. The problem was found to worse at higher speeds and heavier loads, so the 4-4-0 was eventually re-fitted with regular simple cylinders, a fate that most Vauclains met within a few years, but with the lighter loadings and lower speeds of local service, refitting “Old Slobber Stack”, as #-- had become known, was viewed as an unnecessary expenditure. She would retain them as a visible reminder to “trust the in tried and true” until she was retired in 1939.

#3

Looks good Mik. How many engines does that make?

#4

That I’ve built? Currently own? Or are currently under construction?
The answer to the last question is 4 (1860s 4-4-0 is still incomplete, the Mason, the cheeser, and this thing)

The current operable AV stable has… 11, I think…but only 6 are actually “mine” (as yet unclaimed by children or others). My eldest daughter’s steam dummy, B’Mann Thomas(Kim’s), Lionel James, the 2-2-0 (youngest daughter has claimed), the baby Climax (Kim’s), 0-4-0 #6, 2-4-4-2 #8, 2-6-0 #12(Kim’s), 2-8-0 plow thing #14, 2-8-0 #15, the diseasel #56… I think that’s it. (pretty sad considering only #6 and #15 have seen much track time in the last year!)

As for the total number locos I’ve built or highly modified - including those that went on to other pikes, or eventually parted out… add about another 15 or so to the above total.

Some of the current roster will probably eventually get sold off to make way for other projects as well. (I could save you some time and simply letter this one for the Kittatinny Mountain RR if you REALLY like it… I do have a set of decals here :stuck_out_tongue: )

Anyway, as soon as I get this lot more or less squared away, the Stainz #6 is due for a shopping and will probably get a 2 wheel pilot truck added since Vic sent one that I think can be made to work.

#5

I’ve been a bit under the weather the last few. So I haven’t felt much like doing anything. But I do have a few photos to show on this - Front of the cylinder block with piston valve (center) high pressure (top) and low pressure (bottom) covers nearly ready to paint - now if I can only get the silver to cover as well!

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P1260001.jpg)

I decided that the boiler needed lengthened more than the smokebox did, so it got a minor rework. The stack got moved back to make more room for a headlight as well.

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P1260002.jpg)

The tender is ancient New Blight riding on even more ancient Kalamazoo trucks. I think it might even look pretty darn good 'til I’m finished

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P1270004.jpg)

mock up of it’s current state - the basics are all there, now to flesh it out.

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P1270005.jpg)

#6

You guys are just TOO COOL.

#7

That poor, poor washing machine.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/nicholas_savatgy/_forumfiles/EmoticonRingAround.gif)

#8

Nicholas Savatgy said:
That poor, poor washing machine.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/nicholas_savatgy/_forumfiles/EmoticonRingAround.gif)

It’s about plumb wore out on the inside too… Kim sez she wants a new(er) one for her birfday.

#9

A birfday gift for your wife is a dinner at Red Lobster or Olive Garden–not a washer/dryer. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#10
John Bouck said:
A birfday gift for your wife is a dinner at Red Lobster or Olive Garden--not a washer/dryer. :) :)
YOU argue with her... I've learnt better ;)
#11

My lovely bride wanted a floor scrubber for Christmas.

I got her cross country skis.

Big mistake.

I slept with the dog for two weeks.

#12

My wife wanted something that goes from 0-200 in five seconds, so I got her a scale.

#13
Bob McCown said:
My wife wanted something that goes from 0-200 in five seconds, so I got her a scale.
That's when the fight started, right?
#14

Cleaning items can be sensitive gifts in a relationship.

" The last fight was my fault. My wife asked ‘Whats on the TV?’ I said ‘dust’. " Red Skeleton. :slight_smile:

#15
Victor Smith said:
Cleaning items can be sensitive gifts in a relationship.
The big dif being whether it is your idea or hers, I think.

Some ladies (darn few, maybe?) actually WANT practical gifts. Especially over “wasting” money on stuff they don’t want. Kim is one of those. Our last big disagreement was because I bought her something non-essential (and not really all that expensive!) that she had been “looking at” for months, rather than saving the money towards getting the dogs their shots, or snow tires …

#16
Steve Featherkile said:
My lovely bride wanted a floor scrubber for Christmas.

I got her cross country skis.

Big mistake.

I slept with the dog for two weeks.


Steve if you get me skis Ill sleep with the dogs.

#17

Caution - Major revisions ahead! I probably should have been working on the Derrick today, but I wrecked this thing and started over, instead… It probably was no real secret that I wasn’t all that happy with the Aristo cylinders. And since Kim vetoed me buying a c-16 to make into a Camel, my options became pretty clear.

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/WINANS4.JPG)

In the bottom of Vic’s goody box there was also a set of cylinders from a Stainz. After about 2 hours of fussin’ and cussin’, I managed to figure out how to make them work.

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020001.jpg)

The Lionel 0-6-0 is really, really short. So my Camel will be a short firebox version by necessity. 89c worth of pvc pipe, some leftover plexi, and an empty pill bottle, and I was on my way!

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020003.jpg)

Since about the only way to lift this thing will be by the cab sides. I needed a way to ensure that the cab was not only level, but attached securely. Drilling the boiler to put some 1/8" music wire under the floor sounded like a pretty good idea.

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020004.jpg)

The old Lionel cab floor pieces were re-used… waste not, want not!

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020005.jpg)

Fenders were fabbed from a bit of leftover c-16 boiler shell and coffee stirrers. They should look OK once they are painted.

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020007.jpg)

sand boxes installed and cab started…

(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j371/AlleghenyValley/2012/P2020009.jpg)

I’m thinking it actually may look more attractive as a Camel than it did as a Vauclain…

#18

I’m sure I asked you before but you glue some really unlike things together successfully, What did you use to glue the pill bottle to the pvc?

#19
Doug Arnold said:
I'm sure I asked you before but you glue some really unlike things together successfully, What did you use to glue the pill bottle to the pvc?
This time I used E-6000. Welder will work too. You just need to roughen up the waxy finish on the pvc a bit so the glue has something to adhere to.

The big thing to remember is to let the glue set at least 24-36 hours before trying to paint. ---- For whatever reason Polly S paints will actually soften the contact cement and cause the joint to fail if you don’t. I tried shortening it to 12 and had to re-glue the domes and sandboxes. Apparently the main boiler joints were wide enough that I got away with it there.

#20

Courtesy of
Rodney Dangerfield

My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.

“I asked my wife, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you
rate me as a lover?’ She said, ‘You know I’m no good
at fractions.’”

My wife is such a bad cook, in my house we pray after the meal.

I’m so ugly, when I was born the doctor slapped my mother.

I could tell that my parents hated me.
My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.

I’m so ugly…My father carries around the picture of the
kid who came with his wallet.

When I was born…the doctor came out to the waiting room
and said to my father…I’m very sorry.
We did everything we could… But he pulled through.