Choo choo

[khaos]

I have designed the brakes and think that it looks better without them. Also, the counterbalance on the middle set of big wheels should be larger as in real life but as with the brakes I think it looks better without those elements. Although it makes the piece less technically correct.

Beauty is in the eye of the bemodeler.

[chiloquinruss]

Your engine is looking just awesome. I think it will be a terrific piece when done

A relief engine is on my bucket list of choo choo projects to do. I want to do an SP cab Forward. Right now I'm cutting out some more stations for another club, this time in 2 inch scale. Plywood sides with sintra windows and frames. Russ

[khaos]

Your engine is looking just awesome. I think it will be a terrific piece when done

A relief engine is on my bucket list of choo choo projects to do. I want to do an SP cab Forward. Right now I'm cutting out some more stations for another club, this time in 2 inch scale. Plywood sides with sintra windows and frames. Russ

Thanks Russ! That's top honors.

I cant wait to see what you've done! The SP is a 4-8-8-2 isn't it?!? Wow, talk about power.

I threw away some 'bubble-ish' looking starts at first. I want it to stand up to some train people scrutiny. And not look too much like a toy. The real test is when its actually carved, sanded, and finished.

As an aside I think I like the brakes again. When I did a test scale down it looked good. Whew. Also, decided the 2-8-4 would be a new project.

[chiloquinruss]

The beauty of the things I make is two fold, first for the live steam park we have what we call the 7-20 rule. The trains are going 7 mph and we are 20 feet away so what I do is good enough! Part two is the models for the O scale railroad are small and mostly in a dimly lit areas of the railroad room soooo once again I get away with some artistic license. I have always loved the looks of the cab forwards especially the early boxy looking ones. Heres a pix. Russ

[Xray]

Nice work.

I'm lucky enough to have this steel beast close by in a museum, hard to gauge how large and impressive these things are unless standing next to one.

[myxpykalix]

Russ,
What do you think is the reason so many of us like old trains? I can recall traveling by train when everyone slept in bunkbeds with drawcurtains

[chiloquinruss]

When I was a kid watching trains, the engineers were the astronauts of our time! We had no space shuttle but we sure had masterful engineering in the form of these giant monsters. The Norfolk and Western built their own locomotives and when they finished one of their locomtives the shop forman would HAND push it out of the shop! How's that for engineering! Russ

[khaos]

There certainly IS an attraction. Its amazing to think that the tolerances and machining so perfect as to HAND push a Loco out of the shop. Just wow!

[khaos]

So, I fixed two items that bothered me. #1 re-added the brakes. #2 increased the size of the #2 counter balance.

Added a tender and track. I need to make a few cars and then I will be ready to create the complete scene. This model has been test Z scaled from 3" to 1"

I keep trying to use my mouse to zoom/rotate the model in the forum image.

[myxpykalix]

Joe,
Excellent work. I can understand the need to get it right. In general most who look at this may not miss certain things missing on the model but YOU see it and know it's not there and in the overall model it may be a small part and it may take you hours to get that in there and it boils down to you just wanting to make it perfect. leep up the good work!