The talent in the live steam community is amazing. Some of the locomotives they have built are stunning in detail, and provide a means of "preserving"-in a smaller scale-some of the locomotives that enthrall us. Case in point #1-a NYC Mohawk:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 10,2408802

That led me to search for live steam examples of the Pennsy T1 Duplex. According to Wikipedia, one has been built in 1:12 scale:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRR_T1

A few photos:
http://users.rcn.com/borders/woodings/P ... RR_T1a.jpg
http://users.rcn.com/borders/woodings/P ... 4front.jpg

I haven't yet found any live-steam versions of the NYC Dreyfuss Hudsons, but hopefully they're out there.

I tip my hat to the people who've crafted these works of art.

A couple of us around here have joked that the definition of "masochist" is someone that builds a ride-behind 1/12th live steam SP cab-forward articulated....... consider where the exhaust would be spouting, to say nothing of firing or controlling the thing.

That T1 may be the most amazing live steamer ever built. It actually has working Franklin Type A poppet valves like the full-sized ones.

Here is one you prr fans will like, this visits our track once or twice a year. Unfortunately it suffers from stiff-frame-itis like its full size cousin and can not negotiate the turns of most live seam tracks.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 14&theater

Absolutely stunning work, and real museum-quality locomotives, perfect proportion and detail.

Apparently, there are other authentic aspects of railroading in the "smaller scales"---

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 2712405114

Yes, kneeling alongside a track, with wood blocks in hand is not limited to the full-size stuff...

Howard P.

Every time we see a thread regarding noteworthy engines that were not preserved, I think about how much more realistic it would be to create a consortium of financers/designers/builders and reconstruct the Mohawk or Niagara or NKP Berk in 15" gauge/3" scale. Never mind the fact that there are THREE NYC Hudsons already in 3" scale! And they are a real thrill to operate! BTW, the patterns, drawings and almost enough castings to build one more J-1 exist in CA. I'll see if I can post links to the two Youtube clips that exist of me having the time of my life behind the throttle of one in the Adirondacks.

There is also a 15" ATSF 3776 class 4-8-4 u/c by a Mike Weldon in Missouri. He previously built the same engine in 1.5" scale so it should prove to be quite a performer. I'll post a couple of Youtube links showing his engine as well.

Rob Gardner

Ones that I have either seen or operated:

The three 1.6" scale, 7 1/2" ga. locomotives built by the late Baltimore master machinist and founding member of the Chesapeake and Allegheny Live Steamers, R. Bruce Hamilton. Two B&O P-7 President class Pacifics, 5300 and 5301, and C&O Greenbrier #614. All were built by Bruce from the original blue prints to their as-delivered appearances. The 5300 is privately owned by the family of the CALS member who bought the engine from Bruce and no longer operates. I believe both of the others are still owned by Bruce's family, and they allow the club to operate them at their track in Leakin Park in Baltimore a couple of times a year. They are absolutely first rate models, very reliable and free-steaming locomotives. Bruce also built a 1/2" scale display model of NYC Hudson 5400 that could run on either spirits or compressed air. Like any model, he had to make compromises so they could operate, but most of them are confined to the controls and gauges in the cab.

Late Ohio live steamer Joe Whitaker built a 1.5" scale 7 1/2" ga. model of the last steam locomotive to operate on the B&O, Q-4 #421 that was very well done. I have no idea where it is now, I understand it still exists somewhere in the Eastern U. S.

Finally, two brothers in the Detroit area built either a 1.5" or 1.6" scale C&O Hudson that I have seen run at the NEOLS track. Another very well-done model. I have thought that if you could get the Hamilton #614 and their Hudson together and have someone like Pete Lerro set it up, you could do a photo session that would fool most people into thinking you were looking at full-size locomotives at a C&O terminal in the steam era.

Those are my nominations.

The C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge has this "baby" on it's 7.5" guage line:

http://www.candoheritage.org/gallery/di ... m=21&pos=6

There is a 1 1/2 inch scale model of 1218 on display at the O. Winston Link Museum.
I understand that there is a 1 1/2" scale N&W Y6 in England.

Just a few of the elegant live steam locomotives that ran at Waushakum Live Steamers, in Massachusetts, last August.
The K4s is an exact replica of the 1361, except this one runs.
The Hudson is one of three out of Pennsylvania Live steamers.
I saw three different PS4's in different scales at that meet.

Ask and you shall receive,

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 14&theater

Also build by the same C&O nuts in Michigan that did the hudson.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 14&theater

Don Guill of Shandon, OH built a Grand Scale (15" Guage) N&W 611 (diesel powered) which he hauls around in a very large trailer on occasion. You can view a Slide Show of his toy at: http://www.classiclights.org/611-guill-slideshow.html



Don brought his "Baby J" to Roanoke last summer for the 60th Birthday Party of the real N&W 611. A YouTube interview with Don & his "Baby J" may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQpjA9E3mcs

Duncan Herring of Rock Hill, SC built a 7.5" guage Class J two years ago. He also brought it to Roanoke last summer. A Slide Show of Duncan''s N&W #611 may be viewed at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/107924153777606781813/DuncanHerringSNW61175GuageOperationalLiveSteamer#slideshow/5500563597378348754



A YouTube interview with Duncan & his 611 may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRS7e2JY_20

Duncan also has a 7.5" guage Class A N&W 1218 under construction which should be completed in early 2012.

Another short YouTube video of the C&O Allegheny H8 #1607 running at Clifton Forge may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vFOzmL6H8

Diesel-powered 611? Blasphemy!!!

Me and my dad are building a prototype Pennsy B6sb in 1.5 scale exactly to the drawings. We are currently working on the frame and many other parts. The journal boxes are all done and soon we should start working on the axles. For anyone who wants some info on these live steam engines there steam pressure usually is between 115-125 PSI, and they can take a LONG TIME TO BUILD! Usual time to build a 1.5 scale engine is 10 years when working on the weekends. When working on it every day maybe 5 or 6 years. And one more thing about these engines is that THEY CAN REALLY PULL! They may look small but it is hard to make these engines work hard as they are so powerful. I have seen a 1.5 scale NKP Berkshire pull 40 cars loaded wih passengers up a 1% grade and not even slip its drivers. If a Berkshire could do this could you imagine what a bigger engine such as the Q2 pictured above could pull?

Paul,

The C&O Hudson and T-1 Texas were both built by Larry Goldsby. Larry's twin brother Al is an award-winning O-scale model builder. Larry has also built a 1" scale C&O F-19 Pacific and has a battery-electric powered C&O 0-8-0 almost complete in 1.6" scale just for those times when he doesn't want to fire up a boiler.

Larry also made patterns for the Box Pok drivers for the J-3a Greenbrier in 1.6" scale and are the castings I am using for my Greenbrier. At one time, Larry was working on a 12" gauge Greenbrier but has since sold it to a gentleman in Illinois who has fabricated his own Box Pok drivers out of solid steel plate!

There are many, many C&O live steam models right here in the OH/MI area including another 1.5" scale L-2 Hudson in Cincinnati, a C&O K-4 Kanawaha in an estate a half hour from Canton, another one under construction in Doylestown, my Greenbrier (just barely under construction), a C&O K-2 Mike in Clifton Forge, VA at the C&OHS as well as the 2-6-6-6 Allegheny built by Andy Clerici that has operated for a year or two at the C&OHS. There is also a J-3 Greenbrier under construction on Long Island. And the list goes on....

Now for some Youtube clips of a certain NYC Hudson in 15" gauge with Yours Truly at the throttle having the time of his life...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5X50JJFBTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoXNMnYv ... er&list=UL

Here's the owner, Sandy, taking his turn at the throttle. You climb roughy 25' in elevation to the upper loop. Lower loop should be completed sometime this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_CMKiOY ... re=related

Hope you can get past all that Southern Green paint. She's still a marvelous engine to run. There are two more such engines at Sonoma Traintown in California.

Rob Gardner

Even worse than the diesel power.....C&O "J" style drivers!!!!!!!!!!.......