Hemi, I read this in one of the RGMHS magazines from a couple years ago that featured the Grande's 4-8-2's. Rob
Hemi: I've got that LaMessina book around here, and I'll check it out. I think Rob might be right about the 1600's. I know that BOTH the Rio Grande series were some of the largest-boilered 4-8-2's around. One thing that has always made them difficult to 'kit-bash' from a commercial HO 4-8-2 is the placement of the main rod on the 3rd driver instead of the 2nd, which was much more common with most 'mountains'. I could be wrong, but I think only the N&W had that rod arrangement in common with Rio Grande--which might be why 5 of the N&W 4-8-2's ended up on the Rio Grande as the 1550 series during WWII. Even though the big Grande articulateds got most of the photo coverage, those 1500's were the real 'workhorses' of the railroad, from what I understand. Tom
3rd driver main rod I had never thought of the mainrod being attached to the third driver! I have attached some photos, 1553 is an IHC that has been modified, and the 1206 is an Athearn 2-8-2. The 2-8-2 does have the third driver attached to the mainrod. Perhap[s some one could use the 2-8-2 drive train to build a 4-8-2? Looking in the "SUPER POWER OF THE ROCKIES" book on the 4-8-2s, in 1921 they took the huge boiler from the 2-10-2 provided a slightly smaller firebox, and maintained the 63 inch drivers. The first ten 4-8-2s for the Grande were the largest, weighing 377,000 lbs., with a 67,000-lb ttractive effort, than any existing 4-8-2.
Paul: All of the Rio Grande mountains had the rod connected to the 3rd driver. The two classes of Northerns (1700-1800) had the rod connected to the 2nd driver. But that's a nice conversion to that IHC 4-8-2. I especially like the green boiler (I've been thinking of re-painting several of my mountains with green boilers). Actually, on looking at that conversion, if you were to put a 4-wheel trailing truck on it, you'd also have a pretty close approximation of the Baldwin 1700 series M-64 Northerns. They were, at least IMO, just about the prettiest Northerns I've ever seen. Nice work. Tom :tb-biggrin:
PHL, Nice green boiler on the 1553! Very classy. Found the info I wanted: The 96" dia boiler of the D&RGW 1500's (the largest ever fitted to a 4-8-2) was so big it could swallow whole a PRR 4-8-2 type boiler, and have a 12" space all around.The boiler was a 2-10-2 size boiler, and was just as tall as UP's enormous 4-12-2's. (from page 13 inset, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Denver-Rio-Grande-Western-Superpower/dp/1883089484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262290910&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Denver and Rio Grande Western: Superpower Railroad of the Rockies (9781883089481): Robert A. Lemassena: Books[/ame])
Tom: I wish I could take credit for the IHC conversion. My friend Chris Hawkins did that one for me. I have one "on the shelf" that I'm supposed to do, with the same green boiler. I like the idea of the 4 wheeled trailing truck and doing a 1700...very intriging!
Paul: Could I ask what shade of green you used for the boiler on that conversion? As I said, I've been thinking of re-painting a couple of my mountains with the green boiler, but I've never seen any color photographs of Rio Grande locos with them. As I said, I sure like that conversion, though. Tom
