Looks good earning her keep, David.
Wayne
I like Berkshires. Never had one though. It's nice to hear that a Rivarossi loco has good low speed, usually they're geared too fast. Nice work on this one. I hope it serves you well for many miles. Dan
Looks great now thats shes been thru the backshop and is back out on the line making money. I wish my Berkshire projects went as quick. Good job!
Got the Berkshire thru the paint shop. And decaled.
The graphite smoke box and fire box are Rustoleum light gray auto primer. The rest of the locomotive is dark gray auto primer. Some decals are an ancient Champ set, the others are Highball Graphics. Admire the locomotive number in the headlamp. Really teeny tiny number jumble from the Champ set. You can't see 'em on the layout but it was cool to do. The flanges are deeper than they ought to be, but they make it thru all my code 100 trackwork. My minimum radius is only 22 inches. I was able to superglue the white jewels into the classification lamps without loosing any of them. And a good thing, I only had 4 white ones.
Broad side view. The B&M logo are Highball Graphics.
Here she is pulling a revenue freight. This one is 12 cars long, she handles it with no sweat, has enough low speed torque to ease the train into motion. Considering her age, not too shabby. Plus tinkering with her is fun.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Pacific Fast Mail, Brass B15 Mogul. I got one, used, but with original box. Here she is on my workbench test track, all reassembled and running good.
And here is a 3/4 front shot, still on the workbench test track. This is original paint and lettering. I didn't repaint it.
And here she is running on the layout, pulling a string of open platform wooden truss rod coaches. I do remember picking up my father off a commuter train just like that at Wayland every other night. Locomotive was steam, coaches were wood. I was pretty young, so no camera, no photos, but the memories are pretty strong. The B&M wood coaches were 60 foot, and the Model Power plastic ones on this train are only 48 foot, otherwise it's a good match. One of these days I will build up a couple more Ambroid wood coaches and have a train of 60 footers.
Wayne, I got one of those PFM B15s. It came to me is rough shape, running boards falling off, frame desoldered, motor running hot. A big soldering iron got the frame back together and the running boards secured. Replacing the motor magnet with neodyninium super magnets got it to run cool and decent low speed operation. I kept it painted for the B&M, being a B&M fan.
Got the Berkshire back together. Runs decent, ten laps around the main line with no derailments. On 22 inch curves no less. Weight is a little farther aft than I would like, but it stays on the track. Cal scale brass turbogenerator replacing the factory plastic one that disappeared over the years.
Here it is, ready for the paint shop. I'm gonna do the smoke box and the firebox in "graphite" actually Rustoleum light gray auto primer. Here is the front end view.
The top-of-the-boiler number boards are gone, we have a workiing coupler in the pilot, and the Mars light is gone. The pink dot on the boiler front is a bit of stretched spue filling in the Mars light mounting hole. Paint ought cover it up completely. The bell was in place on the boiler front when the locomotive left the workshop and is missing after ten laps around the main line. I'll look for it today.
PM RailfanCreate a legend? No problem. Just like the real railroads did back in the day, consider your new Berkshire an "on loan for testing' locomotive.....
My hometown prototype, the TH&B, did just that, and borrowed an almost-new Berkshire from the B&A (the B&A's owner NYC was also a part owner, along with the CPR, of the TH&B). They liked it so much that they had two built (in Montreal), the only Canadian-owned Berks ever, and, in my opinion, among the best looking ones of any built.
If you want to do the B&M Berks, PSC offers a Coffin fwh, along with several suitable centrifugal pumps for the cold water input. I'm planning to do a DW&P N-2-a Consolidation with an exposed Coffin. (Incidentally, the TH&B Berks used Coffins, too, although they were concealed in the smokebox.)
As for the B&M, a re-worked B-15 from PFM:
...and in an earlier, but post-B&M, life:
Checking available catalog and parts diagrams, your example is a 1967-1971 version. After 1971 they changed to the type of motor I am more familiar with, which was fully enclosed.
AHM first offered the Berks in 67, the catalog on HO Seeker has a notation on the page saying May, 1967 delivery.
I always thought the AHM/Rivarossi stuff was great - next to the (mostly) Tyco locos I had as a kid, I had 2 of the old timer 4-4-0s, the 2-4-0 Bowker, the B&O Docksider, and the streamlined Hudson, and they were all smooth and silent. Going to the hobby shop as a kid, I would dream of having the Allegheny or Big Boy.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
So, I have Kadee couplers fore and aft. Now for some weight. Right out of the box this baby only weighed 12 ounces. Sheet lead in the plastic boiler,
And, more sheet lead in the chassis.
This got the weight up to 17 ounces. Balance point is right at the third driver pair. I'd prefer it to be a tad more to the front, like at the second driver pair. Could not find any more room for lead at the front, so I will accept the current slightly tail heavy balance.
So far, I have removed the Mars light, and removed the top-of-the-boiler number boards, followng some suggestions received earlier on this thread. My plan now is to paint it, paint the smoke box and firebox light gray to simulate graphite, and just decal it for the B&M and enjoy it as large steam to pull long heavy freights.
Weather up here has been nice and summerish, causing some slowdown on MR projects. Now we are into Fall, it's getting cold and rainy, and I'm getting back to work on the railroad.
PM Railfan, Your suggestion of calling it a NKP demonstrator on loan is a good one. Covers all the bases, answers all the questions, and it's easy to do. For some reason or other it doesn't appeal to me, but it's still a good idea. Getting things moving, I converted the tender to a Kadee coupler.
A pad for a Kadee coupler box. A piece of 0.080" styrene strip for the deeper part and some 0.020" strip for the higher end sill.
And the coupler (a #5) comes out low. I cannot do the old washers-under-the-trucks trick here. The tender trucks have a nice spring load feature that allows you to tighten up the trucks screws all the way and leave the trucks free to swivel. Putting the traditional #6 flat washer under the trucks takes up all the spring play and jams the trucks. I will have to install a Kadee coupler with an "upset" coupler head to get the coupler height right. But this is close enough for a bit of test running.
Create a legend? No problem. Just like the real railroads did back in the day, consider your new Berkshire an "on loan for testing' locomotive. I explain,
Its a known fact B&M wasnt happy with their Berkshires. With ever increasing tonnage B&M needs to supplement its motive power, or replace it outright. Pretty obvious the more modern Berkshires built a decade or so after the B&Ms, were very successful. So, much like you an I test drive a new car before buying it, B&M goes to NKP and works out a deal to 'borrow' a Berkshire for testing.
This time B&M is assured, by building their new ones off existing AMC Blueprints, this time they will get the Berkshire they wanted. This happened alot in the steam era. Probably the most famous of trades in history was the PRR and N&W trade of the T1 and J classes. These were always temporary trades.
Not only does this idea give reason to an NKP Berkshire (that is the Rivarossi model you have) being on your B&M, it also gives you even more 'modellers license' in such that when these 'trades' happened, the railroads would put all kinds of trains behind the test loco and see how it performed. Freight, passenger, drags, anything that wasnt nailed down. Thus, you could do the same on your B&M.
I would however mention it does look authentic to place a Dyno car behind the tender making it the first car pulled. Now you have a legend, a purpose, and some creative operating sessions ahead.
EDIT: BTW, its easier to let the model pass as an NKP than trying to alter it. I myself thought the coffin heaters were ugly too. Other things too would have to change like the valve gear. The B&M Berks had Walshearts while the model has Baker. The NKP berks had 69" drivers where as the B&M were only 63". Stuff like that.
dknelson 30 years old? Based on the packaging it could be just shy of 50 years old
30 years old? Based on the packaging it could be just shy of 50 years old
About 25 years ago, I found a gondola at a yard sale in a box with that exact same art work. Being a child of the 80s, I was vexed to see an address without a zip code (having never seen such a thing!).
Basing an update on the B&M R-1 4-8-2 could also work. That AHM engine is too late a design to look like B&M 2-8-4. Look at the picture in the link and imagine the Berk just with a replacement pilot and covering the sand pipes from the sand dome.
http://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/bm4113.htm
Think we'll hear from the OP again.
My personal choice would be to remove all vestiage of its obvious NKP linnage, replace the sand dome and pilot,lose the mars light and number boards and the inboard bearing lead truck, if building one for myself that overhanging coffin FW would be a must and perhaps a whaleback tender in the SP manner!
Dave
30 years old? Based on the packaging it could be just shy of 50 years old, since the very first version of these NKP 2-8-4s came out in the mid 1960s. The drive was innovative at the time because traditionally the motor was mounted at an angle to the frame and you'd see the shaft angle down towards the driver that had the gear -- you'd see that in expensive brass as well as Mantua and similar kits. Rivarossi had the idea, possibly pioneered with the N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2 of about the same vintage, of a vertical shaft that was surprisingly unobtrusive.
When these Rivarossi steam locos were newly released people marveled at how quiet they were -- generations of metal kits and brass imports had accustomed all of us to the notion that steam engine models should sound like coffee grinders. When the traction tires are rubbery the engine pulls surprisingly well with no need to add weight.
Replacement traction tires were made by Stewart/Virnex but I think that firm has disappeared. AHM/Rivarossi sold a little special wrench for removing the side rods for a time.
By the way, 30 to 40 cars would be a normal load for a "modern" era 2-8-0.
Dave Nelson
The B&A had some Berkshires, in fact the first, and named the type. A later "sports model" has the general look at a late form Berk.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/berkshire/weinstein/ba1447.jpg
If you don't mind bending history some, just call it a war production special from 1944 and paint it for what you like. You can later mod it as you wish for a specific railroad. (An all weather cab would be nice)
I will let the Rivarossi fans tell you about mechanical upgrades. That is a rich world.
Forgot to mention that "Google is your friend". (Except for that selling your data thing...)
A search for B&A Berkshire led to this site. (Via a picture link)
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/berkshire/?page=nyc
Search and be happy.
I've been wanting a bigger steam locomotive. My 2-8-0 Consolidation is looking a little small with 30 coal hoppers in tow. It pulls 'em, but it just doesn't look big enough on a long train. So at a train this baby turned up.
It's old. If memory serves, AHM disappeared in the mid 1980's to be replaced by IHC. Might be 30 years old. It is made by Rivarossi. There are nicely tooled Rivarossi trade marks cast into the undercarriage of both engine and tender.
Looks not too shabby. It's surely big enough. Runs too. Handles my 22 inch curves. I have to find or invent a legend for this baby. My layout represents the Boston & Maine, a second rate branch line up somewhere in Mogul Country (NH). Trouble is, although the Boston and Maine did own some Berkshires, class T1, they all had distinctive Coffin feedwater heaters that over shaded the boiler front like the bill on a baseball cap. A look that I am not fond of, even if I could find some cast brass Coffin heaters. I do have some decent T1 photos to work from.
Or, I could call it a R1 Mountain type. 4-8-2. B&M did have those, right up to the end of steam, and they are more handsome to my eye than the Coffin heater T1's, and the size is about the same. And I have decent photos.
Or, I could call it foreign power, Rutland or Maine Central, or Canadian National, or Central Vermont. At a real stretch, perhaps Boston & Albany or even New Haven. NH used to run up the Connecticut River, maybe as far as St Johnsbury, which is close to the center of my "Mogul Country". I do NOT have any useful photos of any of them. Any pointers to web resources would be well come.
The boiler comes off no sweat. It's too light, but there is some room for adding lead inside. It has a couple of traction tires, well dried out and hard as nickel silver. I notice Walthers still carries replacement tires, as well as Bullfrog Snot. I wonder why they mounted the motor so far back when there is room inside for it. It has a strange drive mechanism, a real gear box that turns a 90 degree corner. The input shaft is horizontal and the output shaft goes down vertically by the wheel set that carries the gear. I'm guessing there is a second worm on the end of the output shaft to drive the wheels. I haven't taken it apart far enough to see.
Couplers are old fashioned. Horn Hook. About the right height according to my home made coupler height gauge.