Model Train Journal

Mikado first. I just realized I have eight SP Mikes around here - seven more or less finished. Yikes! So Bob Stevenson sent me a tailbeam and Hodges truck, and putting off the Y1 sides I am supposed to be doing for him (and me) I carved a frame, so up to 8 1/2 SP Mikes.

I had an SP Mike cylinder block, so that went on the front of my new frame. But no more SP Mike pilot parts - so I set out making that part. Best fitting part is a one piece frame extension with footboards, which didn't seem very SP-ish.

So off to the Karam & Ainsworth Photo Album - maybe a prototype?

Surprise - 3/4 of them had footboards, with only a tiny spoked pilot under the coupler. So, Yippee, I guess.

Other ramble - I was having a beer at the Stearman hangar this evening. Too many people, so I was about ten feet away from the porch, pretending I could hear what was going on. One guy said "I haven't seen you since you flew the Cubic Cheyenne (Cubic was where I pretended to be an antenna engineer until they bought me a turboprop twin).

Yeah? He says yeah, my dad was Bruce Cronkhite.

I knew Bruce quite well, but did not find out his dad was Minton until I had known him for six years. Bruce and I wound up buddies, and I got to share some Cronkhite models with OSN readers in the 1990s.

Anyway, small world. Over and out.

Oh - happy to post photos. Somebody tell management to figure out how to host photos like in the olden days.

I have seen only a few Cronkhite models, not including whatever was still on the Santa Fe and Museum layout in Chicago when I was a kid (which was some years after the first layout rebuild by Bob Smith of CLW). Of the few models I have seen up close and personal, the monel streamline cars were particularly cool. I would have liked to have seen the layout at Rancho Santa Fe(?), but I guess it's been gone a long time.

Jim

Hello all ...Minton had some wonderful pieces ...but he did have help from others ..here is a link to my Minton "set" ...engine is from 1934 ( per Minton's article in MR?) ...cars from1937. ( Minton had 2 or 3 sets of cars ..his home..later up at Treasure Island ..and this set (4 out of the set of 7) ended up on the MSI layout ) ..cars were probably made by Minton's old company Crovan ..just before Otto died ..Otto a machinist ..who Minton took with him after selling his electrical parts factory in CT. Otto was the talent behind many of the early Minton engines . After Otto passed in 1938 Minton had two local LA builders help with many of the projects .
Cheers Carey

Sorry engine nor cars like my 48" radius ...so only on the straight section ...will try again once the 54" radius is up...if any improvement.

https://youtu.be/Li3Z8RC2_YI