C&NW and Erie Steam Power

[bob turner]

Update:

Butch is sending a better sand dome, and I have successfully added an eccentric rod and temporary Baker lever. I can get the nomenclature, but it is the one that most closely approximates the Walschaerts link. Also added a headlight and bell, and refined a couple other things. The space between the boiler and drivers is getting "filled in."

Back to the Baker gear - the part I stuck in there is called the gear connecting rod. It attaches to a pair of radius bars, which swing from the reversing yoke. It is attached as well to the bell crank, which is in turn connected to a radius rod.

All this is found on p.24 of the big MRR Cyclopedia - a really valuable book when used with a grain of salt (especially when ordering hundreds of PRR K4s based on the MRR drawing). I can probably post a picture without running into copyright problems if any of you are interested.

I have done Baker gear in the past, all the way - the Greenbrier springs to mind, although it is dark in there and I really cannot see the insides. Most of the time I leave off the radius bars as far too finicky, and just let the rest of it wiggle around. Last night I assembled a nice nickel silver set, complete with radius bars, and decided it is just not worth it for the Erie Berk. Photos of the modified gear maybe next week. I need to do new running boards and permanently attach the air tanks.

My "flange" project fizzled for reasons described elsewhere, and I am still putting off the tutorial on assembling and soldering sand cast Diesels.

Last - I note that UP Butch has a nice thread on OGR, getting a lot of good responses. I believe, if we count them, it is actually just as busy around here, although Butch's project is not here getting the accolades it deserves. We do have nice Greyhound Bus photos, and my personal favorite is the Grande Gold FT set on the front end of the Prospector. I have an A-B set of cast FTs in Grande Gold, awaiting decals.

[up148]

Like you Bob, I don't do it for the accolades, as there are much better modelers here than me. But, I enjoy the comradery of the group and learning from their experiences. The only problem is there are fewer and fewer of us than there once were. I would miss MTJ horribly if it went away.

Yes, I posted to OGR as there are a few 2Rer's there who really do model and know a lot more than I do. And, the ones who are learning, like me, have good suggestions (sometimes) that you can take or not.

I ask a lot of questions before working on my car or model trains if it is something I've never done, as this is how I learn. I've always been pretty good with my hands, I just don't care to do the same job more than once.......if possible. Feedback helps me avoid the pitfalls that others have experienced.

De-soldering the 3rd Rail Z5 for parts right now and I'll post more progress on the FEF after I get back into it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...... I'll post more progress on the FEF after I get back into it.

Looking forward to it!

[bob turner]

Bump.

I have added another prototype shot on page 1 - educational purposes, of course. I am working on the sand dome, and will need all these pictures gathered in one spot, and by golly, I have forgotten how to do that in my personal files, so page 1 is helping me with getting this thing more or less looking like the real thing.

Butch's dome is leading me in the right direction, but I now have a very rough solid brass deal - photos probably in a few days, but I will add them to page 1 instead of here.

[bob turner]

I finally got the sand dome just about perfect. It is now .040 higher than shown on the bottom of page 1.

The dome was fabricated from layers of thick wall brass tube, held with screws and solder. The flange on the bottom is rounded with a solder bead applied with an 80-Watt iron. I will be adding a bunch of details later this week - I seem to have gotten really busy at the airport lately, with inspections, a failed magneto, and a radio problem that may yet drive me nuts. Leaves little time for flying and lag clamp installations.

Time will not slow down enough to get all this stuff going.

[SWrailroader]

Bob,
This looks really nice. Not sure everyone appreciates the fact that you use about 2-3x thicker brass on your boilers than the mass produced pieces. Your stuff is designed to last!
Rob

[bob turner]

SW alerted me to a Berk on eBay - sand cast boiler and cab, All Nation tender, most parts to complete. I am not 100% sure, but I believe this to be a CLW project, and I am sure Bob etched a tender kit to match the heavy Adams boiler. Here is mine, on USH drivers. It is possible that I am repeating myself, so I will go back and check, but I don't think I have posted a photo of the CLW tender. Carey sent it last month. Good to have such great friends!

[bob turner]

I would be remiss to not include a link. On closer scrutiny, the finished locomotive is most likely a Lobaugh Greenbrier. The tender shown is a well done scratchbuilt, and the iron drivers are blind on #2 and 3 axles. I doubt it has ever been assembled much further than shown. Stillo, if you want one of these doorstops, this one looks ok. In my short life I have only seen three of them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/306832081755?m ... ecd6b06fc5

[Nortonville Phil]

This Pacific is said to be a rebuilt Icken locomotive done by George Kanary.

[bob turner]

Nice models! I am currently stuck - kinda like writer's block - on the piping.

I have washouts and lag clamps installed, and debating on whether to add boiler steps, but I am trying to get to the simple stuff - a few sander lines and the starter out of the turret. Holes are drilled - I have no idea what is holding me up. I even have the lagged line for the booster ready to heat and bend, but for some reason I find myself looking for some other project - the Mongrel Mogul and ATSF Mountain were two distractions in the recent past.

So I shall get diligent - maybe the sanders and starter tonight, and the front end throttle. Maybe. I can't find my collet to cut the air tank bands, but that could be because I never had one, and simply wrapped the tube for the next larger collet.

[bob turner]

So here we are with lag clamps, about half the pipes, hatches on the cab roof, full valve gear, and now I am contemplating removing the cab roof one more time - it appears high in the back. A lot of work, but last time I did it I think it was under an hour.

Anyway, very close to what I want. I have been doing one simple task each day - with a lot going on in my other hobby (antique airplanes). I am in the middle of a rather extensive inspection on my Cub, and just started covering the spare Stearman wing. So doing Erie Berk stuff is like a little break.

I cannot add to Butch's post - I can only hope that we survive. This forum is pretty much my connection with the greater O Scale world, and I would miss it if it founders due to a lack of an ability to sign in.

So, current photo:

[up148]

Looks outstanding. I never intend and will never have the ability/talent to build a model from scratch or do heavy modification like this Bob, but I sure understand the skill and dedication it takes. Great job.

[bob turner]

It is really hard to tell - the cab roof appeared to be "up" in the back, so I lowered the back end of the cab. You can barely see it - the lower edge of the cab now goes uphill - which means the roof itself should have been adjusted.

Done! Took exactly one hour, including re- soldering the hatches.

I might add - the stanchions holding part of the front end throttle came from my friend Boyce Yates. I thought they were HO parts, but they turned out to be 0-80 threaded.

Boyce ran the All Nation steam line for maybe a decade. I knurled his axles.

[up148]

Looks good to me. It's so easy to nitpick on items no one sees but you. Great looking work.