ATSF 2-10-4 in nscale

alister May 24, 2020

  1. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    I’m thinking of building a ATSF 2-10-4 number 5034 that ran on the Santa Fe. The model I would like to build was built in 1944 by Baldwin locomotive Works. This was the last 2-10-4 version built.

    This version has 74 inch drivers, similar to a 4-8-4 Northern. The 4-8-4 Northern has 73 inch drivers, I was thinking of using 5 Bachmann 4-8-4 driver sets being only 1 inch smaller and in nscale this works out to be a minor different in wheelbase length. The rear truck appears to be the same type as the 4-8-4 so that won’t be hard to get. Are the use of the 4-8-4 drivers acceptable?

    The other item that is the same as the 4-8-4 is that large tender with 8 wheels.

    The boiler, cab and ancilliaries will be scratch built.

    Just asking for feedback about potential problems with this build.
     
    BarstowRick likes this.
  2. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    Um, the 2900 4-8-4 has 80 inch drivers, the Bachmann ones are smaller due to the huge flanges
     
  3. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    All model rolling stock has oversized flanges to some degree. It's tempting to use driving wheels with centers the proper scale size. Try it once and you quickly learn that the wheelbase soon grows all out of proportion. Your pilot winds up many scale feet ahead of the smokebox front, and you're left wondering if you should mount a picnic table on it.
     
  4. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    You can add me to the voting assembly of guys and gals that want a Texas Type 2-10-4, in Santa Fe Livery.:)

    Just not from Bachmann. :mad: Like a lot of locomotives that have been built for N Scale over the years, they will walk themselves apart.:sick:

    What we need is some quality stoves, valves, heaters, boiler makers from someone like Kato, Intermountain, and or Athearn. Well, so far they've proven to be better producers of said products.;)

    I wish you well on your adventure and hope you end up with what you want.(y)

    Later.:cool:
     
  5. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    I really regret selling my brass ATSF Texas type, I did not have the heart to cut it up to put a sound decoder inside it. Still kicking myself for that.
     
  6. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    I get it, I am looking at my brass 2-8-0 and I am wondering if it can converted to DCC
     
  7. bill pearce

    bill pearce TrainBoard Member

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    This question appears frequently here. Perhaps a better question would be on my blank blank loco is a drop in DCC installation possible? The answer to the above post is pf course. Any locomotive that has adequate space inside can be converted, There are very few locos that lack sufficient space, and as brass goes, it's not a tough conversion, there's plenty of space inside the boiler shell, and even more in the tender. The only trick is insulating whatever needs insulating. Honestly, I've done some brass using plain old black electrical tape.
     
  8. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Guys,
    Thanks for all your replies. I hadn't realised that the 4-8-4 Northerns were 80 inches in diameter - oops!! I'll measure my Bachmann 4-8-4 drivers and see how close they are. If the worst comes to the worst I can make some.
     
  9. dualgauge

    dualgauge TrainBoard Member

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    What size are the Bachmann 4-8-2 drivers. I do not have one to check.
     
  10. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    69" drivers
     
  11. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    The manufacturer of the 4-8-2 states 69 inches but bachmanns 4-8-2 measure out at 60 inches for the Bachmann Heavy Mountain.
    So I'm wondering if Bachmann has taken a lot of liberties on driver size maybe the 4-8-4 drivers are smaller than the 80 inches they are supposed to be.
    Can anyone measure the drivers on the Bachmann 4-8-4 and the Kato GS4 (4-8-4)?
     
    BarstowRick likes this.
  12. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Okay so I have found my Bachmann 4-8-4 and the drivers measure out to 73 inches. The 2-10-4 is 74 inches so that's pretty close, the boiler of the 4-8-4 northern is 4 inches smaller in diameter than the 5011 class 2-10-4. So the build is going to happen shortly.
    I have to wait until my donor loco arrives then the complicated fun will begin.
     
    badlandnp, M&E Alco and BarstowRick like this.
  13. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Okay, so my donor steam loco has arrived. I still need to acquire a spare shell and spare driver set from Bachmann. I'll also be getting a delta truck from the J3 and a front truck from a Spectrum 2-8-0.. It looks like the donor loco has been run a fair bit so I will use the new set plus a pair of the old set to create the wheelbase of the 2-10-4.
    I've added some photos of the donor loco. I'll be stripping it down completely then modifying the parts I need to before reassembling it in it's new 2-10-4 configuration.
    Now who's in favour of ditching the Bachmann motor and using something better?
     

    Attached Files:

    badlandnp likes this.
  14. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Ye gods Rick is right this donor loco runs like a 3 legged dog with a limp. I would have been very disappointed if I had bought this to run. 2 sets of drivers will be needed. I have a backup chassis design if this doesn't work out. I figure this is a voyage of discovery!! Why did they put an F9 motor in there?
    I'm running it with the motor directly connected to DC upside down and the drivers are all wobbling about. My new 4-8-4 - same production run is smooth as silk. (new as in bought 10 years ago but only test run from time to time.)
     
    badlandnp likes this.
  15. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Well the motor runs fine without its mechanism, here's what I've done to the poor Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern -- see the pictures!
    Now I have it in pieces I will cast the chassis halves in silicon and make two sets from resin. I'll cut them up to make the 5 driver sets and I have to move drivers 3,4 and 5 closer together to get the correct wheelbase length. (or close too). I also need to redesign the pick up on the drivers and the tender. The tender will house the dcc decoder and speaker (probably and ESU Loksound 5.0 and small speaker and enclosure). This is where I'm headed, it'll be interesting to see if I get there.
     

    Attached Files:

    badlandnp, BarstowRick and MK like this.
  16. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    While I'm waiting for a new boiler from Bachmann, I thought I'd attack the tender. I sprayed it in primer ready for detailing. I'll need to remove the rapido and add a MT coupler instead. Need to add two handrail things on top of the tender. I'll probably replace the wheel sets with better ones. The decoder and sound will come last.
     

    Attached Files:

    badlandnp likes this.
  17. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Uh oh,
    Uhoh, what curse did I unleash on you. Your learning what a lot of us have already learned. Sad to say. You'll get it figured out. My money is on you and I'm looking forward to seeing your completed 2-10-4. Don't give up.
     
  18. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Don't worry not giving up, the wobble is very probably the drivers out of quarter. Just the same I'm getting 2 new drivers sets.
    This is the first of 2 2-10-4 builds the first is ATSF 5011 followed by ATSF 5000 Madam Queen.
    After these 2 I should really finish my ATSF 3000 class steamer then after that a ATSF 3751 class 4-8-4. Then there is the 2 further 2-10-2 versions to build, a class 1600 and a class 3800. Then it's back to ATSF Diesels then back to steam again.
     
    badlandnp likes this.
  19. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Salute. Your a Santa Fe man after my own heart.
     
  20. jtomstarr

    jtomstarr TrainBoard Member

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    And I am tempted to place a 2-10-4 on a 4-8-4 Chassis.

    Tom
     

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