Great looking locomotive, great job, can anything be better than an 0-4-0 or an 0-6-0 ladderback switcher??? forget those "big boys'' with too many wheels that take up too much room. There is never enough coverage on this forum for these "goats"
Great work art. Looks a sweet little loco . And it is WAY older than me.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Dave. I used the gear on the drive wheel that came with the kit. I tried the old Pitman motor and it ran fine on DC but would not run on DCC. Dan at Yardbirdtrains sold me a new can motor with wormgear and mounting bracket that dropped right in. I have added pickups to the wheels but not yet installed the decoder. It runs fine at address 00.
Beautiful work Art. It's a real tribute to that classic old kit. It should look great painted. Somewhere I have one assembled and heavily weathered that I got at a swap meet or auction, but lacking the motor and worm gear. Did you regear the entire engine, use the old worm gear on the new motor, or find a worm gear that matches the original gear on the axle? If the latter I might well investigate powering mine up again although between when I bought it and now I ceased to be a PRR modeler. Remember when Hobbyline offered one in plastic for just a buck or two?
Dave Nelson
Hello Talk about taking your time. Well it was worth it that is one fine looking loco. How well does it run ?
Frank
what a wonderful little loco ! and the kit is older than i am !!!
great job on the detailing and photos , you must update us when you paint it
It all started on my birthday, 1950. My dad bought me the John English kit of the PRR 0-4-0 Yard Bird. I think he wanted me to build something besides airplane models. The next issue of MRR had the article on detailing the engine. I needed the valve gear kit. I put it together best I could and it was my only motive power for 20 years, in and out of the hobby. As the years went by parts were lost. When I quit the hobby on 1984, this old engine was one of the few things I kept. When I started up again in 2005, I found what was left of the old engine, now beyond running again. It became the centerpiece of the “Last Kiss” diorama. Last year I decided to finish the job. It took 9 months to find another Yard Bird Kit. It took another month to find the Valve Gear kit. Other parts also fell in place and I started the detailing. It is not done but I now have something to take a picture of. My dad has been gone a lot of years now, but I think he would be pleased. The sound chip comes next and then a paint job. Here is a partial parts list and some pics.
John English Yard Bird Kit – 1950
Central Valley Valve Gear Kit - 1950
MRR - June 1950, Super Detail article by Bill Smith
Bowser Super Detail kit for PPR 0-4-0 - current
Can motor by Dan atYardbirdtrains.com - current
Kaydee couplers
Digitrax sound chip
Special thanks to the Yardbirdtrains.com Yahoo group
Northeast.railfan.com for dozens of pics of the prototypes ( No two engines were alike)