OK, guys. I've found a new paradox. A tear in the logic fabric. A black hole of planning. Even though I've got this thing pretty much to size (a little tall, but otherwise right-on), I've discovered that, as my kid says 'ya know what?' The Class A Climax didn't have draft gear. Or a coupler box. Or, more importantly, room for one. http://www.climaxlocomotives.com/history/photos/15.jpg There was a vertical extension of the pilot beam, and a heavy steel casting bolted to that, and on that was a link-and-pin coupling header that usually had three settings and one big pin. That was standard. If there was a knuckle (and I've only found photos of two that ever had one) it was an adapter coupler that fit into the link-and-pin draft gear. Looks custom-cast. And, of course, if there was ever an A with air brakes, compressor, or air hoses, I've never seen or heard of it. There wasn't a coupler, or a coupler box, as we know it today. Not on the poor man's loco, the Class A. The Class B did, even little shays did, but not the A. So, fellow modelers, what should I do here? 1) ignore that and plan to put a big honkin' coupler and box out there, probably the MT passenger car box,. But it's gonna stick out somethin' awful. Worse than any of my others. but I could switch with it. 2) Make a resin casting like the prototype that can be drilled for 'real' link and pin coupling in N scale..... and let people improvise.... 3) try to cast an adapter coupler that would be 'solid' and wouldn't uncouple, but wouln't be way out of scale, either. The only thing I noticed is that the bolster-to-coupler head distance is so incredibly short that you almost have no swing on the coupler necessary. Like the Trackmobile, it would work if just 'glued' on, but of course it couln't be uncoupled except with the 0-5-0. How important is is to be 'right' on something like this? More important that you actually can switch with it, or should it look the part of the link-and-pin era logging locomotive?
Randy, the lack of air brakes is not a problem, the BEDT operated its 0-6-0T's with steam brakes and sans train air into the 1960's - and this was a common carrier! As to the coupler conundrum, personally, I think you'd be best to make provision of Micro-Trains couplers, perhaps the Z scale 905? Most folks will not be buying a "yard" ornament.
I think people who would like your kit would like it close to the original link and pin - choice number 2. Then that enables people to model cars with link & pin arrangements
As cool as link and pin couplers are, have you ever seen them in N scale? Even in HO they are a pain and over sized. Ideal would be a coupler made to fit into a link and pin looking slot and still keep it working!
I think the general approach I've made to the project is to add stuff on that can be easily cut off, rather than missing stuff you wish was there. So I'm going to cast in the deep pocket frame on the end sill (behind the 'coupler' casting), and make the pocket itself a separate part. If you want to put 'regular' couplers on it you'd cut the end sill drop part off; if you want to try either link and pin or the adapter 'dummy' knuckle the stuff is there to try it with. The pocket I came up with has three holes and would be deep enough to drill for a pin. Gotta try it anyway. I 'think' that I've got just enough clearance here to make a set of Z 905's work. I think.... Anyway, that's the goal.
That sounds like a good way to go. That way everyone can get what they want with a little bit of fiddling. Good Job!
OK, tried to cast the square tender tank; that was partially successful. Still having problems with bubbles in the thin tender wall section. It's big enough to fit the 1016 into, just hard to cast. Got the mold made for the boiler; first test will be tonight. Got the master made for the dummy coupler (about the same size as the MT 905 Z head I used as a reference and it is split so it can mount in the 3-position drawbar box. It will be interesting to see if this actually works. Molding is harder than modeling.....
Randy, Thank you so much for sharing your work - it is outstanding! I've watched your work both here and on the Atlas forums, and hope to one day attempt some of the work you have done. Sign me up for a set or two of the finished parts! Aloha, --Greg
First boiler casting was a disaster - did something wrong with the resin mix and it was soft wax. See the Atlas forum on that mess. Second one was golden. Along with the first 'good' cast of the square water tank option. Here's the actual cast boiler sitting on the frame, the cut-out round tank on the frame showing the motor opening. I painted up one of the defective tender tanks (one that came out minus a sand dome) just to see how the paint would adhere and if the rivit detail is still visible. It doesn't photo well, but it is still in there. Hard to photo when it is either black or white.
A little drybrushing will bring out all those details. I'm starting to get fidgety, I wanna build one. Look good!
I'd like to think the worst is over with getting the boiler and tender tank molds to work. The tender tanks are two-part and the boiler is a three-part. Except for the bolt detail, the sides and ends are done on the patterns. Those are all open-face. I haven't designed the roof, or the cylinders (to partially conceal the driveshaft), or the gearing for underneath. Those have to wait until I can take dimensions and alignment off of the finished resin parts from molds I have yet to make! The 00-90 screws on the pilot deck would be 'inside' the gondola-like sides of the front, pretty well concealed. The rear screws come up from underneath into the tender tank.
Sounds great! yes, photgraphy of items white or black are tough, and even tougher when both black & white in photo together.
One thing that's occurred to me is that the way I designed the molds/parts; both the boiler and the tender tank are 'complete'; you have to cut the holes out to accomodate the driveshaft and the motor. I also did a cab 'deck' attached to the boiler as you can see. And the wood bins have siding in the bottom. To make this 'work right', I had to pile the livin' heck out of the mechanism with lead. I've already made cast metal weights to fit alongside the boiler and under the 'woodpiles' which would be there. The harder decision is what to do about the inside of the cab. I'm probably going to make a removable cab weight; you can use it or not use it. When I put some more lead amidships, along with the side weights, it ran pretty darn good on the HV. As I loaded up the cab area with lead, it began to have some pulling capability and pushed around about eight 25' log cars on the level, so that's acceptable. Slow speed is also acceptable with the 12v motor. Led me to another idea and I'll solicit comments. It would seem to be 'possible' to use these parts as a pretty nice static model. You could put it over a short styrene frame, add some simple bolsters, put the "Climax" sideframes over a freight car truck, and all the parts 'should' work. If you didn't want the aggravation of trying to make it function right, you could have a really neat-looking 'derelict' static locomotive out in the woods, or beside the shops. Anyway, I'm trying to make the parts so that is possible - you have to cut stuff out to make it work, not add stuff in to make it look 'right' as a static model. There simply isn't any room for a coupler box, particularly on the front. The truck gears are almost directly behind the end sill. You might get away with a Z905 on the rear, can't tell just yet. I'm about three days away from casting the sides, ends, link-and-pin boxes, etc. Link-and-pin boxes with a dummy knuckle adapter are looking more and more like the reality here.
OK, you guys get the very first look. These are all 'production' resin parts except for the roof, which is the pattern. Don't have the driveshaft casting done yet. Today was the first time I tried to put everything together. With the 'saddletank' weights I made from 160 metal it runs 'OK'. I made a pattern for a cast weight to almost fill up the entire cab; you could use part or all of it. With some more lead in the cab it ran wonderfully. I really don't think I need to sweat over the boiler not being metal; it would be nice, but it's not going to stop me. I can hardly wait to get one 'done' and painted, this is next to impossible to photograph this thing! That's a Z 905 on the back, and a 3-position link-and-pin box on the front. I made a dummy knuckle with a 'split shank' that successfully pins into it. Need more work though; a little too tight. Only works right with Z knuckles...
One of the problems on working with resin is there's a practical limit on the cross-sections of material. About .020 is minimum. I did some .010 edges on some tests, and had a heck of a time with bubbles stuck in them. I did .010 wire on the Baldwin sideframes successfully, but wall .010 'cutout' sections on the tender tanks are so thin you can see through them and can poke a finger right through them. The bolt detail is .010 wire drilled in the masters. If I knew photoetching, I'd do the footboards and windowframes that way, but this will have to do for this attempt. The whole thing still measures out OK for length and width. Still want to see how it looks painted; the resin just looks 'chunky' compared to what I can do with original material. One great surprise was that regular ACC works FANTASTIC on putting this material together, much better than I thought it would.
Randy looks great, just thought I would add that when I was in to pouring resin to help get rid of bubbles and for thin cross sections, if you heated the mold in the microwave and then use talc power (baby powder) to coat the inside of the mold. This allowed the resin to flow in and push most of the air bubbles out. I also heard that if you use a pressure pot to push the air out to get rid of them. Also you can paint the inside of the mold before using it and get a molecular adhesion to the part. Pretty neat stuff. Thanks for sharing
