Switchers-Road Engines - A NON-PROTOTYPE question

[Anonymous]

I love the look of that Riverossi Indiana Harbor Belt 0-8-0 switcher (it looks a bit like the Reading Consolidation in the Steam Cyclopedia). I'd like to add a lead truck, some castings, modify the tender (and add a doghouse) and create a 2-8-0. Is it "dooable" without great difficulty? What lead truck would I use?

My skills are REALLY limited, as are my tools, so major milling of frames, etc., etc. would chase me away from the project.

[Anonymous]

I love the look of that Riverossi Indiana Harbor Belt 0-8-0 switcher (it looks a bit like the Reading Consolidation in the Steam Cyclopedia). I'd like to add a lead truck, some castings, modify the tender (and add a doghouse) and create a 2-8-0. Is it "dooable" without great difficulty? What lead truck would I use?

My skills are REALLY limited, as are my tools, so major milling of frames, etc., etc. would chase me away from the project.

[Anonymous]

you could just buy a bachmann 2-8-0.

[Anonymous]

you could just buy a bachmann 2-8-0.

[dknelson]

There were railroads that added lead trucks to 0-8-0s (I think the Buffalo Creek and Gauley was one) and many railroads removed the lead trucks from their consolidations to make yard 0-8-0s (B&O among them).
The IHB 0-8-0 is one of the biggest there was and it would make a pretty chunky and squat looking 2-8-0 -- a bit like the D&H one that MR recently had plans for. But adding a lead truck that does not interfere with the cylinders or pilot would be a challenge as of course the prototype would design around that and obviously the IHB (owned by the New York Central) did not. Finding a pivot point alone would be a challenge. A pilot trucks needs to swing freely. And installed wrong it can reduce the pulling power of the engine.
If you got the 0-8-0 cheap (and at a recent swap meet a guy was selling a box full of them for $10 each!!) I'd say go ahead. Otherwise I'd leave the engine alone. There were railroads that used 0-8-0s as road power after all -- I seem to recall seeing a photo of the Central Vermont or some other New England road that had an 0-8-0 leading a freight thru a typical rural scene.

Dave Nelson

[dknelson]

There were railroads that added lead trucks to 0-8-0s (I think the Buffalo Creek and Gauley was one) and many railroads removed the lead trucks from their consolidations to make yard 0-8-0s (B&O among them).
The IHB 0-8-0 is one of the biggest there was and it would make a pretty chunky and squat looking 2-8-0 -- a bit like the D&H one that MR recently had plans for. But adding a lead truck that does not interfere with the cylinders or pilot would be a challenge as of course the prototype would design around that and obviously the IHB (owned by the New York Central) did not. Finding a pivot point alone would be a challenge. A pilot trucks needs to swing freely. And installed wrong it can reduce the pulling power of the engine.
If you got the 0-8-0 cheap (and at a recent swap meet a guy was selling a box full of them for $10 each!!) I'd say go ahead. Otherwise I'd leave the engine alone. There were railroads that used 0-8-0s as road power after all -- I seem to recall seeing a photo of the Central Vermont or some other New England road that had an 0-8-0 leading a freight thru a typical rural scene.

Dave Nelson

[AltonFan]

If you're in N scale, Micro-Trains makes a conversion kit to do just this.

I seem to recall an article in Model Railroader, say back in the 1980s, about converting the HO and O versions of the IHB 0-8-0 into a rather formidable-looking 4-8-0. There might be some useful information in there.

[AltonFan]

If you're in N scale, Micro-Trains makes a conversion kit to do just this.

I seem to recall an article in Model Railroader, say back in the 1980s, about converting the HO and O versions of the IHB 0-8-0 into a rather formidable-looking 4-8-0. There might be some useful information in there.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, everyone! I was able to get the 0-8-0 cheap enough (although not the $10 that one of you mentioned) so I'll give it a shot. How bad can it be?

[Anonymous]

Thanks, everyone! I was able to get the 0-8-0 cheap enough (although not the $10 that one of you mentioned) so I'll give it a shot. How bad can it be?