Union Pacific vol 2

[bob turner]

Bump. I note that almost all the photos posted in this thread before page 5 are gone. I will repost mine this evening - I really don’t have a lot of UP photos, so it won’t take long.

[bob turner]

I had a question about this one, and my progress (or lack of it). I think this is the same photo that is now lost in the first many pages of this thread.
Except for drivers and obvious castings this is entirely scratchbuilt. Dennis and Kathy did the rods in nickel silver from my patterns, and Jay C supplied truly beautiful Gresley gear levers and guides. It does run (unlike a lot of my locomotives) and the center cylinder and Gresley gear work. As you can see, a few handrail posts and some paint and she is good to go - unfortunately it has gathered a lot of dust since this photo, and may need a trip through the bead blast cabinet.

[bob turner]

I did have the Lionel version around here for a number of years - never converted it, but can tell you it was worthy - except for the sand dome - I never did find a photo of a sand dome that matched the Lionel version. And sharp eyes will note that those are 700T tender trucks under my scratch tender.

The thing is huge - I no longer remember whether it was 17/64 or 1/4" scale, although those are 66" drivers in 1/4" scale, so that should be a hint.
I may stick the Challengers back in this thread, and I think I have only Diesels and that giant P-77 Pacific with the wrong tender to share.

But you know I will share - thanks to Shutterfly!

[bob turner]

See? Stunning!

[R.K. Maroon]

I am so confused. That these things ever existed in real life is amazing, though it is not clear how they could possibly negotiate the curves on railroad right-of-ways that had been surveyed decades before anybody dreamed of anything this big. And I can see why a modeler with the skills might want to scratchbuild one (because they can). But I can't for the life of me figure out why Lionel would make one, or why anybody with an actual layout would buy one. This is all rhetorical -- there are many stranger mysteries in this world.

Bob, are the curves of your outer test track sufficiently broad for your model to navigate? That would be something to see.
Jim

[ScaleCraft]

Lionel only flanged on #1 and #5 drivers.

[bob turner]

Yes - 74” R is good enough for this, my fleet of 4-10-2s and 2-10-2s. Oh - and the PRR 4-4-4-4, which has a flanged wheelbase roughly as long as the 4-12-2.
The restricting part is the tailbeam (which must be narrowed considerably) and the pilot truck wheels must not strike the cylinder block.
The 3-rail crowd wants to run these things around corners. I really don’t know how that works, but tailbeams are missing.

[bob turner]

The big-drivered Northerns have a bit more trouble with the 74" loop - my 17/64 GS-2 always lifts its front driver on the superelevation, and the S/C Northern has such a narrow tail beam you can almost see through it.

We did do a Northern thread a while back, and I am quite sure all these photos are in that thread, and still intact. Still, I am putting off heading to the airport for another 15 minutes, so here are a few photos for Tuesday:

First, the Lionel FEF - this thing is a spectacular model! May it never succumb to zinc pest.



I did paint the running gear - those are USH drivers, in a brass frame with tail beam. Side rods are from some very early patterns I did - Harmon Monk had a friend with a foundry, and they made these in a decidedly grey-looking nickel silver. Mains, valve gear, cylinder block, etc., are all Lionel.

[bob turner]

Here is a closeup of the USH version for comparison. Still cannot beat the USH line for ruggedness and attractiveness, although subsequent imports have far more detail. Even the Lionel had way more of the little stuff hanging on it.

[bob turner]

Lobaugh version:

[bob turner]

Scale Craft version:

[R.K. Maroon]

I don't have a lot of UP steam, but I did find this Lobaugh FEF on eBay back in 2017. It was paired with a Scintilla power supply and a display track made of Tru-Scale roadbed:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eymhad8bz3a1n99hl1qob/Lobaugh-UP-FEF-4-8-4-806_02.JPG?rlkey=cxt8e9utl9bv4yufsephh0ggb


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/otighxfk45hw34j923dfz/Lobaugh-UP-FEF-4-8-4-806_01.JPG?rlkey=jeduepf2xtqj983pecxxlhbfl

As a reminder, the link below each photo should show the image full-screen, for those wanting a closer look.

The model is shown as it arrived, coated in decades of dust and grime. I haven't done much to clean it since other than to dust it with soft brush and canned air.

Note the hand-lettering:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jazld2fgxnb1w1y9hom2j/Lobaugh-UP-FEF-4-8-4-806_09.JPG?rlkey=u0q2q7zs8ux686gakaq50moq9

Not surprisingly, the model did not exactly get up and fly on arrival. A good clean and lube servicing did it wonders, as shown in this brief video clip:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0uz5jzq7tu4pl8fc8fgti/FEF-with-Reefers.mp4?rlkey=agj1czgvqxo8syzkz2rlqpg5m&raw=1

The video takes a few seconds to download and run. If the link above doesn't work, try this one:

https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0uz5jzq7tu4pl8fc8fgti/FEF-with-Reefers.mp4?rlkey=agj1czgvqxo8syzkz2rlqpg5m

Jim

[bob turner]

That is a really good model. Do the valve gear levers have full clevises? Tender sides were hand-pressed - and it is possible that the lettering is individual press-on type transfers (?).

Let me see what else I have -



These are my sides - pressed while watching some truly scary TV. I am actually getting good at it.

[bob turner]

I note that one Fetters Challenger remains on page 5, and that all the other Challengers are gone, at least from this thread. Here is one for this evening:



Genuine Lobaugh, my rivets.

[R.K. Maroon]

is it possible that the lettering is individual press-on type transfers?

It looks like paint to me, but given how consistent the letter forms are, I might guess some sort of rubber stamp

These are my sides - pressed while watching some truly scary TV

The evening news, no doubt