Northern 20 inch drivers on a 4-8-4 1/4 scale locomotive

[amberb57]

That thing is big enough to pull full size 2 foot gauge cars! I hope you're able to get it done!



[paullubliner]

Why didn't you make patterns for the drivers instead of welding them up? Then you could have had them cast in ductile iron with correct cross section and all the detail and lettering found on the prototype. Also as you're laying your own track why not make it to scale: 14 1/8" gage. OR if you want it interchangeable with other 15" gage set ups you could have made the locomotive to 1:3.766667th size since your starting from scratch. Other wise the same age old discrepancy of scale and gage.

[petro062]

@paullubliner Mike made wooden patterns for the drivers and had them cast in steel. There were 3 of them I think. I got to see them just before the old shop burned. He lost all the patterns he had and hundreds of old train books from the turn of the century. Many patterns form 1/8 scale. Everything on his 1/8 northern that was aluminum and brass was a puddle on the floor. He was going to give it a proper burial. Stanley and me said lets salvage it.And we put the roundhouse up and rebuilt 3776.

[petro062]

@paullubliner We been working in this since 1989. It would never get done if we tried to get too many details on it. Some of the pumps and compressor is gona take years to fabricate. and now there is not enough people working on the small things to run it. The hot water heater has taken 6 months. We haven't started on the air compressor and the high pressure water pump will take time. But we are going to try to run without them till we get them made. We don't have a whistle or a break stand yet.

[lolz976]

I'm sorry but with the size of that you might be better off just building a narrow gauge full size loco JESUS CHRIST ITS AMAZING THOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jesse8444]

If you need any machine work let me know. My website is JD Locomotive Works.

[petro062]

@jesse8444 We got to build the hot water pump and some air compressors.

[petro062]

@bnsf261 Actually we made the whole thing from drawings of 1939-42 originals.

[drgwsteamer]

Petro,

Is the boiler mounted yet on the chassis? Any new video or photo updates to share with us? It's been a while. Can't wait to see what she looks like now.

drgwsteamer

[petro062]

The boiler has been on and off a couple times trying to get things right. We had to re do the springs in the trailing truck. they were rubbing on the boiler and wouldn't let the boiler set down all the way. It's fixed now. We are working on the feed water heater and the power reverse cyninder. We also need to make a water pump to fill the boiler. We got a massive bridge going too. No new photos this time.I didn't get to go to the meet Oct 3. I had a music gig.I live 200 mi away from it.

[drgwsteamer]

So is there some 15" track being laid as well? I assume the massive bridge is the 15" track? How much track will there be when finished?

[petro062]

About 3/4 mile if we can get the rest if the track. Right now we got some 20lb rail but it isn't enough to get all the way around. Ye got to find some 20 or 12 lb rail to make it all the way. That is why the turntable is 35 feet long. it has to fit the engine and tender together.I for got how long the bridge is.

[disturbedone5009]

It would be awesome to work on something like this. How long until it is running?

[petro062]

Idon't know. We are building a water heater 2 pumps and piping the boiler. We started it 1992. It's something we are doing on the side.

[disturbedone5009]

Oh ok. That would be a lot of fun to build. Good luck with finishing it.

[drgwsteamer]

Petro062,

Look for "Digging update".  That will show you a lot of the earthwork that's been done over the past year or so. We started digging last fall to lower the upper reverse loop and increase the radius to a more uniform 83' or so. The Hudson doesn't like curves under 80' in radius very well!

Rob

[drgwsteamer]

Petro,

Please show us more. Mike's making great progress on this beautiful Northern. Has the tender been started yet?

Have you seen any of the video clips from the Hiawatha Live Steamers? It's a 15" gauge RR in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY. Sandy has a 3" scale NYC Hudson and four passenger cars there as well as some other equipment.

Rob

[petro062]

Most of the trucks are done on the tender. They are 4 feet long and have 10 inch wheels all done. We got the breaks almost all done. Many many parts in the breaks. they just need to be assembeled thats all on the tender. The small stuff on the engine is gona take a while.Water pumps air compressor, water preheater ,steam generator etc.We are going by a 1942 drawing that don't have all the small details on it.I'll look for the Hiawatha Live Steamers. That is all the videos I got this time down.

[drgwsteamer]

Petro, show us more, show us more! Is the tender under construction yet?

I'm working with Sandy and Kinsly Whittum on the 3" scale NYC Hudson and railroad up in the Adirondacks of NY. Have you seen any of those clips?

Rob Gardner