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Help,looking for small loco and critter cab info

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  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Help,looking for small loco and critter cab info
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 12:29 PM
HELP NEEDED.

What are good sources of information for cab details, controls, arrangments, etc for small critters, gas/mech engines, gooses, switchers and the like.

I am trying to model the interiors of my small gas critter switchers and cannot find any info on what went into the cabs of smaller gas, diesel, powered engines.

Everything full-size thats on display out here, namely Traveltown in Griffith Park has been stripped clean, so I dont have anything to base my modeling on other that just guesswork and I cannot seam to find any good book sources either.
Any info will be appreciated, Thanks.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 12:55 PM
Gooses were combinations of autos/trucks and box cars so the enteiors were pretty much unchanged from the standard auto interior used in the first place.
A switcher cab conforms to the standard cabs and controls of the day that the individual railroad utilized. all had standrad compnents but some had additional components like deadman pedeals in early units, directional set ups subject to which end was forward, etc. Engine like a 44ton, 70 ton, etc fall into this category.
motor cars have been subject of numerous articles and interior pictures are called for when modeling a specific version or manufacture.
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 3:48 PM
Thanks, but can you suggest where I might find something (book, planset, magazines) that shows the layout of the equipment, switches levers,knobs, gauges, etc. inside the cabs for some of these engines. I'm trying to model the interiors of my two axle critter switchers at 1/2" scale. So I need detailed information if I want it to look correct. So far I've come up pretty dry.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 27, 2003 3:09 AM
Hi, Mr. Smith.
There was a review of a book that might be interesting to you, in September 2000 issue of Trains magazine. (Amazingly, it took me only three minutes to find it - I was very lucky). The book is called "Critters, Dinkys, & Centercabs: The Identification Guide for Small American Gas and Diesel Locomotives". The author is Jay Reed, published by Rio Hondo Publishing Co., 2595 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; www.sonic.net/~jayreed/critter.html
It's 6x9 in., softcover, 192 pages, 254 photos, but it doesn't really say if there are any photos of interiors, just that it is an excellent book, very informative and entertaining, too.
Good luck with your search & best regards,
Oliver
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Monday, October 27, 2003 6:43 PM
Thanks Oliver

I already have it and its exterior photos only. There are some photos of open cabs but nothing detailed.

I am trying to find shots of older operative critters, the types that had manual transmissions, hand operated brakes and the like. So far I'm doing a lot of guesswork and I'd like to be a bit more accurate. I have some photos of stripped engines but its almost impossible to figure out what went where. Thanks again though, it is a good book.

   Have fun with your trains

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