One of the minor inconveniences of anchoring your pike in time is, well... time. MOST things have a limited service life, that's why you don't often see a woodburning 4-4-0 pulling double stack intermodals in the real world....
Sooner or later I simply had to address the fact that an 1880s 2-8-0, no matter how well loved, would be unlikely to still be in regular service after WWI, let alone into the summer of 1960. So the quest began for the 'next' class of freight power on the Allegheny Valley. Several avenues were explored; Inside frame, outside frame, 2-8-0, 2-8-2, 2-6-6-2, etc. I was actually leaning in another direction altogether when I ended up with a fixer-upper Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0, popularly called a "Connie".
It had the predictable Bachmann 'undocumented special features' of this particular model - a stripped axle gear, a broken - then marginally repaired - tender truck frame, loose screws everywhere.... But it was fairly inexpensive. Northwest Shortline has an improved gear, and the rest will be addressed as we go through it during the rebuild process anyway.
There was only one really major problem. The 'Connie' is this huge pig of a thing in 1:20.3 scale and my AV is +/- 1:24.... But I knew from reading several forums that others had downscaled them before. It was just going to take a little meatball surgery....
First things first, though. Strip the shell off the running gear, inspect it, and tighten all those screws! Most were 1/4 to 1/2 turn loose. But two were almost ready to fall out. While I had it apart, I stripped the boiler as well. The piping is visually interesting, but bears about as much resemblance to what you'd find a real locomotive as a unicorn. In 3 words, it's Wrong! Wrong! WRONG!!!
I decided to justify the thing under the same kind of story as the Grande did when they built the K-37s - an older standard gauge boiler fitted to a new narrow gauge chassis. Finding a suitable alleged 'donor' locomotive was actually pretty hard. Most pictures show few locos of that vintage with both a straight boiler AND slide valves... This one is close enough for now, but actually a little small. a possible changeover to piston valves is seriously being considered.
Some of the piping addressed, domes re-arranged, and shortened, the stack shortened, the pilot shortened, the headlight moved....
The tender trucks got narrowed by about 1/8" on both sides, and strengthened. This eliminated the flex feature, but should keep them from breaking ever again... Left is stock, right modified.
The tender body and cab were just way too large to use. They were replaced with Big Hauler items. I built an extended coal bunker as well since this one is intended for mainline service.
My old Aristo-Craft based 2-8-0 #5 is sold, so I simply had to get a picture of the two together before she left, even though this one isn't finished. We'll call it 'Changing of the Guard', It shows the newly delivered locomotive being hauled dead in tow to the shops for final preparation to enter service in the winter of 1925...
A different angle shows just how much beefier the Connie is than the c-16, even though they both have Big Hauler cabs and tenders. #5 is now headed to her next assignment in El Cajon, California.
When the new gear arrives from NWSL I'll photograph the changeout process and post it to this thread as well.
Just for the sake of comparison the c-16 and the Connie have about the same rigid wheelbase (drivers). However, even with both having Big Hauler cabs the difference in mass is impressive. This is going to be the grubbiest freight hog anybody ever saw.... and I haven't even done any overspray weathering yet - that's just washes! I also modified the 'cowcatcher' by grafting half a broken off Aristo 0-4-0 pilot step on each side. I also reinforced it on the back side with brass strip since it was broken.
Cosmetically, it's pretty much where I want it, now. It still needs couplers and the gear replaced, yet... Yes, those are R-1 curves. It looks kind of silly, but I think it might actually go around them in a pinch.
Better late than never--- Here's the straight poop on doing the gear swap. It took me about 45 minutes to an hour. But I had to keep stopping to take pictures....http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gear.htmlThe NWSL gear seems to be a lot more substantial than the original B'mann one
This seams to be a winter topic and picture. I replaced two but got sick before I could do more then bench run them, now the railroad and yard are covered in leaves.
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
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