I might just be a gearhead, but there's always time to look at old Fords. Very well done. Nice "modeling" in a couple of respects.
Nothing is written in stone that the cylinders MUST be forward of the wheels. With so many tunnels and snow sheds throughout the Rockies, Cascades, etc., SP decided to place the cab forward of the exhaust stack so the headend crew could assure their progress and didn't asphyxiate. This happened when one of the 9000 Class 4-12-2's was slipping in a tunnel. Sadly the headend crew didn't realize they weren't moving and all died of asphyxiation.
This week features my Atlas Jersey Central RSD-4/5 locos hauling the most recently completed weathered cars. 1 of 4 Lehigh & New England: Bowser 70-Ton Covered Hopper Reading: Bachmann Silver Series 40 FT Boxcar Pennsylvania: Atlas USRA Rebuilt Steel Boxcar
2 of 4 New Haven: Athearn Blue Box 40 FT Boxcar Burlington: Athearn Blue Box 40 FT Boxcar Delaware & Hudson: Custom Trains/Athearn Blue Box 40 FT Boxcar Monon: Bev-Bel/Athearn Blue Box 40 FT Boxcar New York Ontario & Western: Roundhouse (Athearn) RTR 36 FT Boxcar
3 of 4 Pennsylvania: Atlas USRA Rebuilt Steel Boxcar Lehigh & New England: Red Caboose X-29 Boxcar Lehigh & New England: Red Caboose X-29 Boxcar New Haven: Walthers 40 FT Steel Boxcar Kit
4 of 4 Jersey Central: Walthers X-29 Boxcar Kit Reading: Walthers X-29 Boxcar Kit Reading: Roundhouse (Athearn) RTR 4 Window Caboose The video of the run by
Below is a link to quite an informative article on the several classes of cab forwards. Myself, I am partial to the earlier ones with flat cab fronts, but they are all very cool looking. https://www.american-rails.com/forwards.html
Well the model pictures are way to sharp and colourful when compared to the old prototype photographs. But if you adjust for this, you may get pictures like this one: Which comes close to the pictures of the good, old days I think. What do you think? Best, Sven
