OK, first -- Yes, I know there weren't any such animal as 1850s narrow gauge 4-4-0s --- that's why it's a "Nonesuch"!Now that we have THAT out of the way, if there was one, what would it look like? Maybe something like this?Or maybe this?Another builder sent me an Aristo Pacific drive. It came yesterday morning, and by lunchtime looked like this. I know the counterweights are wrong for 1855, but it ain't worth replacing 1/3 of the spokes to fix.I also had an incomplete MPC "General" kit here. While the General IS an 1855 Rogers, the kit is a model of it's 1896 rebuilt configuration... So I decided to backdate it just a bit. The first step was to section the boiler and move the sand dome forward. It will now be a second steam dome.I recycled the Bachmann pony truck that I shortened for #12, then didn't use. The General kit is 2-1/4" gauge... narrowing things for 45mm required a bit of reconfiguring because the boiler is just a bit too fat. Good thing I wanted inclined cylinders anyway! Yes, in 1:24 those are about 66" drivers. So it's definitely an express engine!Narrowing the tender trucks was fairly easy, so was fitting them with Lionel wheelsets... I strengthened them with coffee stirrers so they MIGHT hold up under use.That stopping point is called out of glue blues, the cab is just hanging in mid air to see what it will look like. The motor will be in the tender like a B'mann HO scale 4-4-0... I couldn't figure any other way...not bad for a day's work?
I found a tube of glue with a few drops in so I started on the valve gear. I showed the pix to a rail historian buddy of mine who objected that the paint scheme was too obviously Mason for something that was a bit of a Rogers/Norris mutt.... So I added some Swinburne style trimmings, and, except that the brown is 'too light'.... he liked it!
Some thoughts for others who may eventually want to try something like this.1. A REA/Aristo Rogers drive would probably be a better starting point. An Aristo or Lionel 0-4-0 might work as well.2. The kit plastic is really light flimsy and some of it is just plain brittle. Plan on replacing the siderods, and perhaps using a bit of pvc pipe for the boiler (scavenge the wagontop section, smokebox and sand dome).3. Building a whole new frame might be easier than trying to narrow the kit one. Maybe even consider soldering one out of brass box for strength.4. The front truck HAS to be reworked to slide side to side... unless you have really, really broad curves, so you almost HAVE to incline the cylinders for clearance. The plastic rail from the kit actually comes in handy for making a set of guides for the truck to slide in. Z styrene or brass might be even better though 5. In gauge 1 the sides of the cab floor tries to occupy the same space as the rear drive wheels. It might actually be easier to just replace it than to modify it....Anyway, here's what it looks like this afternoon.... I just HAD to use that cool ball sand dome... it's a wooden bead.
Yesterday I got the bright idea to modify the counterweights to a more 1850s style, rather than 20th century crescents..... double dumb. I should have done it before installing the drive, or left it alone. The stress and vibration wrecked a bunch of stuff....
Since it was basically all apart all over again, I decided to redo the gearbox to mount the motor inside the boiler. The only way it would fit was at a 45degree angle, which required a bunch of carving and splicing
The reconfigured gearbox....It runs about as smooth as the original one did, so at least I didn't mess it up too bad.... And the Aristo Pacifics are geared awful high - so this thing is going to be a total racehorse!At midnight tonight, we were ALMOST back to where we were yesterday morning......... It only has 4 point pickup at the moment. I need to scrounge up a 2 wire modular plug and put skates or something on the tender.
Foodled with this a bit today. Got the backhead stuff put on... it doesn't look right to me, but that's the way MPC wanted itAnd worked on the cylinders
A well crafted "Nonwsuch" adds character to any line.Waiting to see how well it looks in final "dirty" livery.
Tom Trigg
ttrigg .... Waiting to see how well it looks in final "dirty" livery.
.... Waiting to see how well it looks in final "dirty" livery.
About the same. In the 1850s locomotive crews were proud of 'their' engine and worked hard (usually on their own time) to keep it clean and shiny. Today I'll glaze the cab and install it.
I have never seen anyone attempted this; and when I saw you making this engine, I figured only you could pull this off, nice scratchbuild! Peter
Modeling the Bellefonte Central Railroad
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PJM20 I have never seen anyone attempted this; and when I saw you making this engine, I figured only you could pull this off, nice scratchbuild! Peter
Funny you should say that. I was on chat on another board a few nights ago, and a fellow asked what I was working on. When I showed a pic of this a new guy says, "That's a New Bright! It looks exactly like my Christmas engine!"...... talk about a good swift kick in the ego! I'm still not sure he accepts it isn't. --- Even after showed him prototype photos of "Toronto", "Lady Elgin", and the Erie loco that I stole the paint scheme from.... as well as early photos of the build. New Bright, indeed!.... grrrrrrrrrrr!
Anyway, I finally got the cab on. Progress is slow because I'm juggling 6 builds simultaneously, plus regular winter maintenance and several other projects.
Oh well, I guess everybody has a critic. Right? Again the build is lokking good! - Peter
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