Southern Pacific Steam 2020

[bob turner]

I would be up for a few more photos from others - surely somebody has a Sunset, Key, MTH, or Lionel GS model? Please?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I would be up for a few more photos from others - surely somebody has a Sunset, Key, MTH, or Lionel GS model? Please?

Not I.

[bob turner]

That is not, apparently, true over on OGR - I got several responses. So, to finish this up, I need Atlantics, the 4-8-0, and the 4-4-0. Maybe a mogul or two. But for now, here is an unfinished Harriman - freelance to the extent that T-31s never had square counterweights and spoked pilot wheels. Needs checking, bead-blast, and paint/decals. Obviously.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Like the lines and look of that one, Bob.

[rogruth]

Yep.

[Chris Webster]

Bob, have you ever built a M-6? #1744 is the only live SP steam I've ever experienced in person.

[bob turner]

No, but it is in my long range plans. I did pull the throttle on the "Oklahoma!" M-4. My brother, younger and cuter at the time, got to drive it back and forth. I have a couple Mogul photos, next.

I agree with Martin - the T31 ten wheelers have very nice lines. Making that boiler is no joke - probably the most difficult tapers I have ever attempted.

[bob turner]

Max Gray - close to the M-6, I guess:



Mine is closer to an M-4, although admittedly it is a bit freelance, and not finished:

[Chris Webster]

That's a very nice model.

I got to ride behind and chase #1744 when Iowa Pacific (RIP) was using it to pull 4-car passenger trains over Veta Pass and its 3% westbound grade.... that was not a nice thing to do to a mogul, but it was spectacular to witness.

[rogruth]

Nice stuff, Bob.

[bob turner]

1744 was for years the Heeber Creeper. LTC Joe Dale Morris, the original sparkplug for the Austin Steam Train, spearheaded an overhaul for some tourist line in Louisiana - then it went to Colorado. In spite of having the world's most ungainly Vanderbilt tender, I hope it is being cared for and out of the elements.

Shift gears to Atlantics: I never cared for two axle steam until recently. I now have seemingly stacks of them - five Atlantics, a 17/64 "Mantua Shifter," and a PRR T1 (technically four axles, but it looks a lot like a pair of two axle engines).

The #3000 has cast iron drivers on one side, and the other side has insulated cast iron pipe salvaged from a plumbing job at my old employer and cut into driver tires. I have no idea why, but this little locomotive can pull anything I can hook to it. Does cast iron have fingers that dig into nickel silver rail, or what?



17/64 scale, Pittman/NWSL, Lobaugh drivers (84" pattern rough cast).

[bob turner]

That one begs for a matching model with 100C tender and Daylight stripes!

Here's the A-3. This one is also 17/64. It was done as part of a magazine article. Of note: there are a lot of HCWT Lobaugh driver castings out there, in contrast to a dearth of LCWT. I do not recommend this, but in desperation, I took a jeweler's saw and converted the HCWT castings to what you see here. Again Pittman/NWSL.



Decals by Jim Wilhite (RIP). Available(?) from LaBelle.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nice smaller engines, Bob!

[Chris Webster]

1744 was for years the Heeber Creeper. LTC Joe Dale Morris, the original sparkplug for the Austin Steam Train, spearheaded an overhaul for some tourist line in Louisiana - then it went to Colorado. In spite of having the world's most ungainly Vanderbilt tender, I hope it is being cared for and out of the elements.

The Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) purchased #1744 and has been moving it to Niles Canyon: SP #1744 Running Gear Arrives – 9.02.2020

The #3000 has cast iron drivers on one side, and the other side has insulated cast iron pipe salvaged from a plumbing job at my old employer and cut into driver tires.

I remember coming across a piece of iron pipe when I cleaned out my crawl space -- now I'm wondering how many driver tires I threw out when I recycled that pipe.

[De Bruin]

These are all fabulous Bob, evidently the smaller steam hits a certain "sweet spot" with a lot of us.