Here are a couple of images of a model of a USRA 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" steam loco. The model is 0 gauge and runs on butane gas. It was originally a Japanese brass electric model but was converted to steam propulsion some years ago; it then passed thru' a few different ownerships and was reboilered and fitted with a more efficient gas burner by the gentleman who sold it to me. I have not been able to test its pulling power as I only have a few box vans but I would not be surprized if it would pull 40 or 50 vehicles on smooth, level track. Ben
WOW Ben, that is an impressive engine! Tell us more about it. Does the throttle work by hand, or is it remote controlled? Does the whistle work? It looks like it would be heavy. Can you post more photos from different angles? Do the driver equalizers actually work, for unequal dips and humps in the track?
Yes, Watash:- the throttle is manually controlled (although the previous owner is a great exponent of radio control for model steam locos and did have radio gear fitted to this engine, I think radio control is inappropriate for engines and more suited to model aircraft; I prefer getting my hands on the controls, even if it means having to trot round the track alongside the engine and getting my fingers lightly barbequeued on occasion). There is no working whistle on this engine although they are quite common on gauge 1 and gauge 3 engines (but the feeble noise they make is a bit pathetic). The drivers are sprung. I did take about 11 pictures in all, but one of them did not upload properly to Photopoint. I will try and go through the uploading and posting process with a few more of the pictures next weekend (but it takes so long; it took me about an hour to get the two photos from my camera to the forum yesterday; I'm too tired on a weekday evening to spend that sort of time but I'll do it at the weekend). I have a large 2 1/2" gauge coal fired consolidation which I will also try to photograph some time. It is an S160 (built by American builders to a typical USA design and shipped over to GB and Europe in quantity during late WW2 to help with the war effort and replace locos destroyed in Europe) [ 19 February 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]
I spent hours putting these further images on the board; if nobody is interested I won't bother wasting everybody's time any more. Ben
Hallo Paul, yes, I have the garden (parts of which you can see in the photographs), but even if you waited until the start of the third millennium I would never be able to build a railway in it; I run on other people's lines. Ben
Gee Thanks Ben! It sure makes my heart pound to see your engine! What a brute!! I can't top that, no way! Do you get to run it very often? I'll bet it will really creep along slow when you just barely crack the throttle doesn't it? I always got a thrill when starting up, and the first CHUFF barks at me, then a second later another CHUFF and we begin to roll off to places exotic! I have some VCR tapes almost worn out trying to recapture that sound! Thanks very much for all your effort and trouble to post these photos, I really appreciate your time! Thanks again Ben.
Ben, don't get discouraged. Your locomotive is a unique beauty. I sure enjoy the photos and there are many folks who just look, appreciate, and don't post a message.
Thanks, folks, for your comments - sorry, I had a slightly fraught day yesterday hence the short temperedness! Dear Watash - I suppose I get to run the engine 4 or 5 times a year; I have a couple of other live steam locos (which I will feature on the board soon) which I also have to fit in time to run; a year sounds a long time but there are only so many open days organized (and with no track of my own I am dependent on the kindness of the get-together hosts in gauges 0, 1 and 3 which I want to acknowledge publicly; even hosting a small meeting for 2 or 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon means a hell of a lot of work getting the track and refreshments ready and I really appreciate the efforts of the same small group of people who make their railways available for running on year after year) in the running season and inevitably I am not able to make it to all of them. The 2-10-2 is very controllable and looks wonderful under steam with a train hanging on the back. At the gauge 3 meetings I go to there are many coal fired engines and I will try to post some pictures of these engines being serviced and running over the next few months. Ben [ 28 February 2001: Message edited by: Ben ] [ 28 February 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]
Now we just need to find a way to craft some of those beauties in 1:87.1 Heh heh heh!!! What I would give to read some literature on how to do it! Course, the heat might be too much in that small of a space, but I am sure it can or has been done. Very nice locomotive. My dad's dreams are in the G live steam, he can't stand electric rails and batterties, Someday! Hope to see more.
Ben... anyone that would not appreciate that loco, should not be living... I WANT ONE! Please keep posting images of it... As Watash says, that would take some beating... that is fantastic...
Didn't know you were into O scale as well, Ben! Wouldn't one of those look good in Gauge 3? Where do you run it? Are there O gauge outdoor GTG's?, as in 1 and 3.
Yes Alan, any American steamer in G3 would be fantastic but I would need an extension to my house in order to be able to store it! There are a few outdoor meetings partly or exclusively for steam and also a steam test track appears at some of the indoor shows. As you will realize, the vast majority of British 0G enthusiasts are not interested in running live steam (altho' they enjoy watching it!) but there is a small hard core following and these same people host the meetings every year. John Shawe has an indoor test track that I run on from time to time and I believe he is constructing an outdoor track as well. You may have seen his fantastic coal fired 0G LNER Atlantic. Ben
Ben you mentioned a live steamer in 1:87. It was done in 1938! My dad was a tool and die maker and later worked in the development department for U.S.Time (wrist watch mfgr.) He built an 0-4-0 live steam switch engine that was to run on the little metal bulbs of CO2 we used in the Boy Scouts to power gliders, and race cars. The engine would run, but the excaping gas would eventually freeze up the valve gear with frost, and he sold it to store for a display.
Heh heh heh, that would be a live CO2 Engine. Great Idea! I still would love to see a minature flame boiling water. But like I said, this is probably very impractible, as the boiler and all of the detail parts could get melted off, and then the fingers trying to underail it...well., you get the picture. Too much flame for too little space, and water has a specific heat of 4.184 J/g*K. Kind of high. Ben, that is one sweet engine. [ 01 March 2001: Message edited by: Benny ]
Ben, that is a magnificent engine. Your photographic eye isn't bad either. Are you aware of an International Live Steam Meet (not sure of the correct title) held annually here on the US Mississippi Gulf Coast, in Diamond Head I believe. It has been held in the late Spring in past years. I have met many non-US attendees from various "exotic" lands, including the UK, the few times I have attended. I will attempt to get more details if you are interested. Hank You really should try to hire Stuart Little as your Driver.
Yes, Hank, I know all about Diamondhead; many of my acquaintances visit every year. Thanks for mentioning it. Ben
