C&NW and Erie Steam Power

[bob turner]

Almost finished. I am down to the half-round for the tender, some coupler pockets, a generator, an oil separator for the feedwater heater, and a couple handrails. Then, if some Erie decals find their way to my hot little hands, paint and a final photo session.

I am pleased with this one. It is not a masterpiece, but it is fairly close to quite good.

And I am not a big Erie fan.

[up148]

I am down to the half-round for the tender, some coupler pockets, a generator, an oil separator for the feedwater heater, and a couple handrails.

Well, lets see, at the rate I make progress with my little projects, that would only take me 6 months to do.

Look forward to seeing the finished (if they ever are) model. This is a great looking model.

[bob turner]

Only semi-related - remember the niceSunset Erie Berk that sold in Atlanta for $800, then immediately wound up on eBay for double that?

Since it was "buy it now," how would we know if it actually sold?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Since it was "buy it now," how would we know if it actually sold?

Buy it now listings still show whether an item sold, if it actually sells.

[R.K. Maroon]

Bob -- eBay has a feature that allows you to search for completed and/or sold listings. These are options (check boxes) on the left-hand side of the screen (on a PC, at least). Here is what I found searching for completed listings for "Erie 2-8-4 -lionel -MTH":

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=erie+2-8-4+-lionel+-mth&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&rt=nc&_odkw=erie+2-8-4&_osacat=0&_dcat=262303&LH_Complete=1&Gauge=O

I should mention that I also limited the search by checking the "O" box on the left-hand side under "Gauge". I added "-lionel" and "-MTH" to the search to suppress listings for Lionel and MTH models, of which there were a few.

I don't know if that is the model you are talking about the price is more or less correct. It was listed three times and did not sell. Switching the search to "sold" returns no results. Changing the search to Berkshire instead of 2-8-4 returns the exact same three listings.

Jim

[bob turner]

That's the one - same one you saw in Atlanta for $800 and change. The photos were helpful during my build. The seller often overprices stuff - I think he sometimes drifts through here, and I know he is an avid O scaler.

I note that his subsequent listings featured, first, an $11 discount, then a further $10 discount. It is a very nice model, but probably the original ATL price was more in line with value.

Really good photos! Unlike some eBay sellers.

[bob turner]

While I am at it, I found half-round brass wire on Amazon! That will really set off the tender sides.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

......I found half-round brass wire on Amazon!

I was wondering about that - good to know it can be found. Getting harder to find brass special shapes, at least at prices that do not require consulting my load officer.

[bob turner]

Locomotive is finished, at least for display - except for the steam pipes under the cab that go to the booster. There were two types available, and I am out of both. The ones I prefer were dummy - you had to pretend they were hooked up to the trailing truck. The other type was fully swivelable, just like the real thing. Way too fussy.

I looked at Wiseman, and will check PSC. I might have to just fake it - just bend copper wire, and try to find some flanges.

Photo is coming after the half-round on the tender and some rattle can black. I still have a half bottle of Scale Coat black that Jay gave me - this thing is good enough that I may use that.

[up148]

I'm not sure I understand about the steam pipe, could you post a photo.

[bob turner]

We did have a long discussion on booster engines. Probably should have done it here -

A lot of steam locomotives had trailing truck boosters - a two cylinder steam engine that drove the rear axle at low speeds. An "idler gear" allowed free wheeling at track speeds.

The "pipes" are simulated (usually) on our models. PSC catalogued a working set - ball joints under the cab, at the lower end of a vertical pipe, and at the back of the engine itself. A nightmare to assemble in O Scale.

I found enough castings to make a pair of non-working "down pipes." I will point them out in the next photo shoot.

That was going to happen this week. All I have left is the half-round beading on the top of the tender sides. I ordered half-round (I thought) but got "round, half-hard. So, back to Amazon.

No self-respecting liberal pinko should ever order from Amazon, but they have made it so easy . . .

[up148]

They sure do........too easy. Wife orders a lot from them.

[R.K. Maroon]

Bob and I were discussing heralds for the his Erie Berkshire. I have one Erie steam locomotive, which I am posting here for reference. The question for Bob is whether this is the correct herald and more or less the correct size:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/swm23sck13vqaup7uwi6j/Pearce-Tool-2-8-0-Erie-584.JPG?rlkey=xxy6z3biv1a8lfcns337lnpsr

I should mention that I have found no evidence that the Erie actually had a 2-8-0 with that big air tank under its chin. Ten years ago I asked Erie-modeler Bob Garrelts if he recognized it. He said that he didn't, but he thought it was a decent looking model (agreed). He recommended that I run it as-is and don't volunteer that it is of questionable pedigree.

Jim

[bob turner]

I was so entranced by that model that I had to sort of duplicate it. It is still unpainted, but now I am motivated to get out the black rattle can.

[SWrailroader]

Bob,
I consider myself a moderate, and every time I order I order from Amazon, I feel like I need to take a shower. So the disdain for Amazon is not just held by “liberal pinko[s]”

Jim’s and your Consolidations look pretty nice.

BTW, there is a variation of the Diamond logo where “Erie” uses a Serif font instead of the block like font so commonly seen.

Rob