Many moons ago I picked up a Bowser PRR Class 75F210 "Coast to Coast" tender with the intention of finding an orphan Bowser I1s to mate with it. Problem is, I haven't been able to find one. BUT! I just stumbled on a Varney Decapod (I had no idea they made such) that is clearly an I1s, but has a Vanderbilt tender with an oil bunker (looks like it might be SP or UP) lettered for the B&O! Of course neither the Pennsy or "every railfan's other favorite railroad" (as Trains once put it) had anything like such a combination (although B&O had some E-24 Consolidations that were clones of the PRR H6s). I am considering selling the Vandy to the local hobby shop for a coupla bucks and joining my tender and the engine to make a Frankenloco (Bill Schopp lives!) Thoughts -
1) Making/adapting a drawbar shouldn't be much of a problem
2) Pennline/Bowser and Varney were about the same vintage and of similar construction, so the level of detail should be about the same
3) Varney had a reputation for a quality product back in the day
4) I might upgrade the decapod with a) "Super Magnets" or b) A can motor and possibly DCC
Your thoughts, please. Anyone have experience with Varney locos? The decapod in particular? What about upgrading an antique? I am a runner, not a collector, but I recognize the historic value that might be in this loco
I can't find anything about Varney making a Decapod. I seriously doubt Varney would have made a Pennsy one like the I1s you have. They didn't do any other PRR steam locomotives. I can't find that they ever made a ten-coupled mechanism, and if they did, I expect they would have gone for a 2-10-2 or 2-10-4.
I just don't see Gordon Varney as a Pennsy kind of a guy.
My first thought is that you really have a Penn Line one. But I assume you've alreay rejected that possibility. Why is that?
Ed
7j43kMy first thought is that you really have a Penn Line one. But I assume you've alreay rejected that possibility. Why is that?
I'm going by the on-line description and the fact the tender trucks are marked "Varney" in pictures provided on line (gonna have to look up a Varney catalog to see if the tender matches)
If it has a Belpaire firebox, the classic sign of a Pennsy steamler (although GN and Soo Line and some other roads had them too), then it is not Varney, but almost certainly Penn Line which later became Bowser's line (but with changes). Varney did have a Vanderbilt tender in their line. At various times they had 8-coupled steam including 2-8-2, 2-8-4, 4-8-4, 2-8-0. Not aware of a ten coupled. I have some vague memory that Aristo Craft might have had a 2-10-2.
By the way Penn Line, and for some years Bowser too, used the boiler/cab casting from the K4 4-6-2 and L1 2-8-2 for their decapod model even though the boiler diameter was wrong, because it was very similar looking and thus appeared correct unless a Penn Line was placed next to a more accurate brass import of the same prototype. Eventually Bowser had a new mold made for an accurate size boiler.
If you have the long distance tender, be aware that Pennsy put the 250-P-75 class long distance tenders behind some of their K4s passenger locomotives, an odd looking combo There are pictures of such combinations in Harry Albrecht's booklet "Pennsylvania Railroad K4s" (1967). 5453, 5493, 5365, 3772, 5341, 5432, 5442, 5422, 5385, and 5495 were the 4-7-2s that got the tenders.
OT but Albrechet (who was by the way the very first subscriber to Model Railroader in 1934) 9 different tenders for the K4s, and that does NOT include the streamlined tenders.
Dave Nelson
It was Cary who made the proper-sized boiler, back in the early '60's, I think. Since Bowser picked up both Cary and Penn Line, they could easily then provide the proper boiler.
There was an excellent article around then in Model Trains (I think) on detailing a Penn Line Decapod. I don't recall whether they used the corrected the boiler, though.
I think there was a detailing kit from Cary/Bowser for the loco.
Oh, yeah. Penn Line used Pittman motors in their steamers. My 2-8-0 had a DC-60. I think the Decapod might have had a DC-71. A rather good motor, I'd consider keeping it.
In the "olden days" before DCC when wiring was very simple, it was quite easy to swap tenders around. Years back I swapped out the large six-axle tender on my Mantua 2-8-2 for a smaller MDC one for example. So, the tender being from Varney only really means the tender is from Varney. (In fact, since you're going by the trucks, it could be some other manufacturer's tender with Varney trucks added.)
MDC made a four-axle Vandy tender, and Mantua a six-axle, but those both had plastic body shells so would be easy to tell from a metal bodied one - which I'm guessing is what you have(?)
dknelsonBelpaire firebox, the classic sign of a Pennsy steamler (although GN and Soo Line and some other roads had them too)
Great Northern yes, although they had quite a few radial boilers (like their 4-8-2s for example), but not Soo Line I think. They might have bought some early on (or second hand) but Soo engines were pretty typical - many close to USRA designs.
Once you get it running watch where you park it. I had a section that had a definite sag from the engine sitting in one spot for a month or so. I swear you could hook that engine to a piece of furniture to move it.
7j43k It was Cary who made the proper-sized boiler, back in the early '60's, I think. Since Bowser picked up both Cary and Penn Line, they could easily then provide the proper boiler. There was an excellent article around then in Model Trains (I think) on detailing a Penn Line Decapod. I don't recall whether they used the corrected the boiler, though. I think there was a detailing kit from Cary/Bowser for the loco. Oh, yeah. Penn Line used Pittman motors in their steamers. My 2-8-0 had a DC-60. I think the Decapod might have had a DC-71. A rather good motor, I'd consider keeping it. Ed
I can say these things because I'm looking straight at the article.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
up831Here is a pic of the two versions of the decapod as built from the kit and after the Cary boiler was added. i hope this is fair use of copyright. its from Model Trains Jan 61. apparently i cant get it to work, so youll just have to take my word for it or find the articles yourself' 7j43k It was Cary who made the proper-sized boiler, back in the early '60's, I think. Since Bowser picked up both Cary and Penn Line, they could easily then provide the proper boiler. There was an excellent article around then in Model Trains (I think) on detailing a Penn Line Decapod. I don't recall whether they used the corrected the boiler, though. I think there was a detailing kit from Cary/Bowser for the loco. Oh, yeah. Penn Line used Pittman motors in their steamers. My 2-8-0 had a DC-60. I think the Decapod might have had a DC-71. A rather good motor, I'd consider keeping it. Ed The articles you mention were in the December 1960 and January 1961 Model Trains magazine. Linn Westcott built the kit for the Inspection Pit series and had a parts list for detailing and for obtaining the Cary boiler. The parts listed were from Cal Scale and Kemtron. When the articles were written, there were no super detail kits available per say. Bowser didn't acquire Penn Line until a few years later. You're also correct in that the kit did have a DC 71 motor. I can say these things because I'm looking straight at the article.
apparently i cant get it to work, so youll just have to take my word for it or find the articles yourself'
The articles you mention were in the December 1960 and January 1961 Model Trains magazine. Linn Westcott built the kit for the Inspection Pit series and had a parts list for detailing and for obtaining the Cary boiler. The parts listed were from Cal Scale and Kemtron. When the articles were written, there were no super detail kits available per say. Bowser didn't acquire Penn Line until a few years later. You're also correct in that the kit did have a DC 71 motor.
Yes, I can spot a Pennsy loco when I see one and this is quite definately an I1s, Belpaire, 2-10-0, air reservoir on the pilot deck. I am also aware that PRR converted some 75-F-210's to 82-P-210's for use in passenger service (the first two digits indicate the cab floor height from the rail head in inches) and mated them with K4s locos - the tenders were longer than the engine
prr5493.jpg (1280×240) (steamlocomotive.com)
Anyway, did some research and the tender is plainly Varney - page down to the "PRR Super Berkshire" for a match
http://www.tcawestern.org/varney.htm
As I said, to my untrained (bad pun) eye it looks like something that would roll behind a UP 4-12-2 or early Challenger
This here is a Mantua engine with a Varney tender, various mods and detailing added:
Jim, nice reading your comments. Model Trains had some good stuff in it, even for people who didn't feel they were beginners anymore.
DELETED
Here's some photos of the loco in question
https://imgur.com/a/7YQOC4Q
Hmm. I have no idea what this is.
It does not look like the Bowser model, at least not that I recognize.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I think the mechanism looks like an old Bowser. Not sure about the boiler.
Gary
SeeYou190 Hmm. I have no idea what this is. It does not look like the Bowser model, at least not that I recognize. -Kevin
It looks EXACTLY like the Penn Line Decapod: