ATSF Steam 2023 1/2

[bob turner]

Rob was asking about ATSF Pacifics and Mountains - my convertible shots have dropped off the MTJ time limit for sourcing from Shutterfly, so I shall repeat my collection for you.

The better way to do this is to space them out - one a week - but I want them stacked together, so I shall post all four of my Santa Fe locomotives (not counting the PAs, which for sure are honorary steam locomotives).

The deal here is - I started out with Scale Craft boilers. Two of them came my way, and I think if I spot two more castings somewhere I am ready to re-create the Mountain and Pacific at the drop of a hat. My boilers are drilled for interchangeability, so while I only have two, they can be swapped - the Mike can become a Pacific, and the 2-10-2 can become a Mountain - all in the space of 15 minutes with a screwdriver.

At 82, I have a penchant for repeating myself, but this is (at least for me) fascinating. For the longest time I assumed I had the wrong taper for the 2-10-2, since the Scale Craft casting has minimum taper under the second sand dome. I could see photos of 2-10-2s in the Worley book with softer tapers, but assumed that all were done with the same boiler and it was the camera angle.

Not so - I discovered that the later series - roughly 3849 and up - had less taper! In fact, they look a lot like my stretched Scale Craft boiler. And ditto the Mountain - my boiler works! Well, within the tolerances allowed we doorstoppers.

[bob turner]

So here they are again - first the Mike. This thing has a Lobaugh Berk mechanism, which is in balance a good thing. And since I have great disdain for the Scale Craft tenders (all of them) I make my own.



That can become a Pacific with a couple of screws replaced:



Apologies for the tender truck (that is for Dave - hope he is doing ok) - and it looks like I could use a spacer under the cab end - but don't forget, right after this photo the boiler became a Mike boiler.

[bob turner]

And the 2-10-2 - again Lobaugh frames. I believe all of these are operable, but it has been a while, so maybe a little lubrication? And paint! It is time to find some rattle can black.



Again a screwdriver and two screws, and voila:



Yeah, this one is unpowered, and needs some work. If another boiler shows up, you can bet I will finish it. And one of these days I will do that standard ATSF six axle tender that Scale Craft so poorly attempted. I can see the brass sheet from here.

[bob turner]

Exclamation point!

[R.K. Maroon]

If another boiler shows up, you can bet I will finish it

Well, look what Santa found in his bag of goodies:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6xa1apx7n991cnwfo07kw/Scale-Craft-Mikado-Boiler.jpg?rlkey=rqb3jw6skhznd1ijdjsoor09p

It's looking for a home, and it's been told it has cousins in San Diego, so off it goes to Bob.

Merry Christmas, All!
Jim

[bob turner]

Wow! Only question - Pacific or Mountain?

[R.K. Maroon]

Wow! Only question - Pacific or Mountain?

I would have to spend some quality time with "Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail" to be able to answer that question based on Santa Fe history and practices. Subjectively. I would say the boiler sits more naturally on a Pacific chassis than a Mountain. Would you be inclined to stretch the boiler if you did it as a Mountain? I would think having a little more space to fit those four tall drivers would be helpful.

Jim

[bob turner]

Jim is sending that boiler, and as of right now it is slated for the Mountain mechanism, which could use my attention anyway for rods and crossheads. My reasoning is only this: I cannot find a photo of an ATSF Pacific with exactly those sand domes - nor could I find a photo of any ATSF Pacific with the more or less standard Box Pok drivers shown here:



I am repeating this photo on the off chance that a forumite might uncover an ATSF Pacific photo that sort of tracks this model. As it is now, the mechanism is under an All Nation boiler, and is (was) doing yeoman duties on my loop - a smooth runner. It will become "KATY" - because that is the only road for which I could find a Pacific (unstreamlined) with Box Pok drivers of this type.

The Mountain (and 2-10-2, of course) requires a 1 1/2" boiler extension - as I recall, it goes immediately ahead of the firebox throat sheet. The prototype will be #3700, as shown on p. 295 of the Worley book. That will not include yellow rods and gear. Note that, as with the 2-10-2s, the boilers of the Mountains seem to range from abrupt tapers to the more gentle taper found on the Scale Craft casting.

As an aside, I have found variations of this type on the PRR Mountain types as well - my preference is for the more graceful tapers.