Jim Vails, well known in NG circles for his Glenwood and Black Ceek - Crested Butte Branch HOn3 road had an article in the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazatte, July/Aug 2004 that showed, in the distance, what looked like a kludged up Narrow Gauge Mallet #550 on Pages 66 and 67. It looks like a marriage of two K-27's!! Wow!
Anyone know about this interesting looking item. He did a great job on this one-off piece. I would like to know more and see some better images of this loco. Like a K-28, the air compressors are on the front of the smokebox with the headlight down on the front pilot deck much like the D&SL 2-6-6-0. Lots of everything I like on this beauty.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Richard,
I thought you might be talking about a loco I think Vail had that was bashed by Westside Model Company from some spare WMC HOn3 K-class loco mechanisms, with a K-boiler slung in between like a Beyer-Garrett. There was a small run of these produced and they show up from time to time on ebay, etc. No real prototype, but looks like fun.
However, looked at the magazine and it's not. I'm pretty sure it's the more common model of the Uintah mallets after they were converted to tender locos when sold to the Sumpter Valley. I wouldn't mind having one of those myself.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thanks for the heads up on that, Mike. I saw the tender looking like a D&RGW dog housed tender and that front looks like a modified mudhen front end. Too small to really see the detail. Yes, it does look petty cool. Me want one of those.