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Pneumatic locos & 0-6-0 Lionel switcher

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  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Florissant, Missouri
  • 493 posts
Pneumatic locos & 0-6-0 Lionel switcher
Posted by hoofe116 on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 10:17 PM

Hello all,

Two questions for the price of one. First, in my pre-1900 layout, on which some preliminary T&I is now underway, I began pondering the absence of electricity in the ca 1880s for mine engines. I just did a Google search and uncovered half a scad of 'air' engines, one at least made in 1878. And lo, they're apparently quite straightforward to model. And they possess a very important quality, to me: they're improbable-looking. Definitely not ordinary.

While pondering motive power, I thought of the Lionel 0-6-0 switcher I have. I forget the number and it's stored away for the moment, but it's the model with the small little wood bin right behind the cab. I came to wonder where this engine carried its water, other than in the boiler. If it was a yard engine exclusively, I suppose the crew would refill the boiler as necessary. But the boiler's under pressure, hence the feedpump. And probably checkvalve, though I've never read of one being used. But it'd about have to have that or a similar setup--injector(s) & pressure pump perhaps, at the water point?

Or, did Lionel pull a fast one and just omit a pair of water tanks? I looked at my 'Indie' and while it has tanks, I didn't see an oil tank for fuel. This could be a case of not recognizing what one is looking at. Or one tank held water, the other fuel oil. Such are the travails of the beginner.

To sum up: Where's the Lionel get its water in real life, since boilers don't like going thirsty? Where's the fuel tank for the Indie, or did it drag along a tender? (I don't think this is the case). Conversely, is the Lionel supposed to have a water tender? (I've never seen just a water tender).

Oh, and about the pneumatic locos: I'm slavering to build one to the point I've almost decided to begin a mine diorama, to be incorporated when the benchwork gets built. This will have the additional advantage of letting me figure out dual-gauge tracking and switches.

Les W.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, December 20, 2007 1:05 AM

Les I dont know how to tell ya so I do it straight and painfull, its not based on any real locoShock [:O], its a toy, in every sense of the word Wink [;)]

If anything it looks like a 0-6-6 D&SP Mason Bogie body selectivly compressed into a toy 0-6-0. there no water tank, or fuel pump, or brake hardware, because that level of detail was never designed into the little bugger in the first place. Its the product of the wild early days of the hobby when adherence to prototype was job #346 out of 350. All of Lionels small engines are NKP, No Known Prototype, the Atlantic and the Geep being the only semi scale models they ever produced in LS.

Be very carefull dissassembling it, I've read about part and springs flying off it during dissassembly never to be seen again.Big Smile [:D]

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Peak District UK
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Posted by cabbage on Thursday, December 20, 2007 11:42 AM
Mother told me; "Never temp the Devil"....

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/comprair/comprair.htm

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/ouestair/ouestair.htm

Henschel und Sohn built a few Meyer configuration locos that used liquid nitrogen as a the working gas. these were also for mine work -but in this case it was open cast -but the methane problem in the tunnels was curbed by the waste nitrogen gas. The crews sat in sealed compartment with their own air supply.

There was also a larger Meyer project for the SAR using compressed air -this was a for a mainline shunting engine. The poor quality of water in the Karoo area made it "worth a try"...

regards

ralph

The Home of Articulated Ugliness

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Florissant, Missouri
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Posted by hoofe116 on Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:33 PM
 vsmith wrote:

Les I dont know how to tell ya so I do it straight and painfull, its not based on any real locoShock [:O], its a toy, in every sense of the word Wink [;)]

Y'know, I really like blunt. I'm not kidding. Saves so much time. Okay, now that the Lionel is a toy, I need to fix that. First I'll have to run it to see what sorta gearing it has. Pulling power is no issue because all consists will well, 'consist' of 4-5 cars, 'bashed to some degree or 'tother. I already don't like the size of the cab. I'll add water tanks, and perhaps take a refresher look at that pix of the Forney(?) you sent over. The one on your masthead. Might be able to massage it to look like that.

Thanks for the hedzup.

Les W.

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Florissant, Missouri
  • 493 posts
Posted by hoofe116 on Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:39 PM

 cabbage wrote:
Mother told me; "Never temp the Devil"....

regards

ralph

Cab: My mother was the Devil's sister.Wink [;)] So, looks like I have lotsa parts to work with on the Lionel. As for the pneumatic, I saw a German one whilst googling along and then happened onto some American built ones. Darn me if I can remember off the top of my head who it was, but they were well known. I have pixes filed in my computer on several particularly intriguing-looking ones.

Thanks for the addrs.

Les W.

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