Live steam examples

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:25 pm

Thanks to all for sharing these images of small scale steam locomotives; the workmanship shown is amazing.

One of the things that impresses me about these small locomotives is the sound. Some of them bark a lot like the big ones, and in some cases, the models have working air compressors and turbogenerators, and those sound right, too, if a little quieter because of their small size.

Had to start looking around myself; we'll start with this UP 4-6-6-4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTHq1Flx ... re=related

Ross Rowland recently commented in another post the wonder of pacing a big engine, and like me, said he sometimes wished he had been born 40 years earlier. We have some examples of this in this next clip, featuring a UP 4-8-4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW6uB136 ... re=related

The C&O H8 replica at Clifton Forge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vFOzmL6H8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCW1ndiDIek

At least one person was masochistic enough to tackle a Cab-Forward:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abSVjcU0 ... re=related

Ross should appreciate this, his 614 in miniature at Leakin Park in Baltimore:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxypW7Ie3zQ&NR=1

I had the chance to talk to one of the people from Leakin Park about the 614 when this gentleman was in Martinsburg some years back, and I commented about how the photos I had seen of the engine at the time had relatively short trains on the order of five cars or so. I chided him that he "needed" at least 50 or so hopper cars, loaded with coal, to give the engine some proper exercise. He replied that one day, they had coupled up all the cars they had behind this 4-8-4, and he said it made no difference in operation at all, other than that the engine barked louder on the upgrades!

How else would one get a cab ride on a Northern Pacific Yellowstone, watching the front engine swing out on curves?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ENvCa5S ... re=related

Cool as can be, if well out of my budget. . .

big-bad-2666 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:42 pm

These are all very nice steamers! Although, I think I will just go for a 1:1 sized steamer...

SR6900 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:45 pm

As far as live steam goes, I don't think much any can compare to Joe Holbrook's Ps-4. I've seen it a couple of times. The detail on it is amazing, every last appliance even down to the dynamo works. The stack talk on it is amazing for it's size, it's a very loud little locomotive. And I just can't get over that miniature brass eagle.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1669393858
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1669393858
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msZffO6C ... ideo_title

Aside from just the steamers, there's a lot of great models in this size.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1669393858
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1669393858
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1669393858

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:52 pm

I normally wouldn't want to post train wreck footage here, but this example, from the 1952 film "The Greatest Show On Earth," illustrates how these large live-steam models (in this case, 1" to the foot scale, 1:12 ratio, and a track gauge of about 4 3/4") can look wonderful on film. In my opinion, this actually looks far better than the computer-generated images that are so commonly used today (I'm thinking of something posted here a while back, in which a Pennsy K-4s was derailed in a collision with a modern tank in some sci-fi series), and the whistles sound great, too. I like how the first section stops for a fusee, and then smokes some more from the blower (which isn't pulling as much air as the exhaust had been moments before), and also note the matt shots of the crewmen dismounting the locomotive to check the stop signal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUtf_RE6r5Q

Can you imagine a properly steam-era "Atlas Shrugged," or perhaps better still an adaptation of "The Long Trains Roll," or modern versions of "Danger Lights" or "Other Men's Women," done this way? Of course, this old movie was shot on that amazing three-strip Technicolor film, which had beautifully rich color saturation. . .

Update: have added a link to the trailer, which has some footage not used in the movie, including some shots of the models at about 1:10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggnE9DyX0yE

If director C. B. de Mille's performance and enthusiasm in the trailer is any indication, this is one movie he had a lot of fun making.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

Rob Gardner wrote:

Never mind the fact that there are THREE NYC Hudsons already in 3" scale!

Where are those located, and more importantly, are any of them open to the public? I seem to recall that Sonoma Traintown has one?

Rob Gardner · **Joined:** Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm **Posts:** 576

The original 3" scale Hudson, the 5212, has been the mainstay at Sonoma Traintown for decades and was recently rebuilt including receiving 6-wheel Commonwealth tender trucks for the first time. Seymour Johnson's Hudson was purchased from Bill Norred's estate a couple years ago and is now stablemates with the 5212.

The third Hudson, the 5344, was also at one time in the collection of Bill Norred and is currently owned by Sandy Whittum of Tupper Lake, NY. Look back a couple of posts and you will see links to a couple of Youtube clips of this engine.

Rob Gardner

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

As long as we're talking about live steam and locomotives that aren't around anymore in 12" to the foot, does anyone know if there's a Santa Fe 4-4-2 in a scaled-down version? Back in the 1940's, my first main line train ride was behind one of these Atlantics on #42, to LA to San Bernardino local. Many Santa Fe steamers were preserved, but this type disappeared before preservation really caught on. They're probably not what a museum or excursion operator would want--with their high drivers and limited pulling power, but it would be nice to see one in action, even in miniature.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:23 am

Had to look up a little more:

NYC L-2 4-8-2 in Florida:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Aap5Qh ... re=related

Not strictly a scale model, but interesting for the length of this pacing shot of 15" gauge 4-8-4; this must be a fairly long miniature railroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9shINyA4 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyHu-wA6 ... re=related

There is some impressive civil engineering on this line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaRt7ieX ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u5IxbHu ... re=related

http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazi ... index.html

NYC 4-8-4 (and an NKP 2-8-4) in Stapleford, England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Niagara1.JPG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-rI_4Gonbw

Other links:

http://www.grandscales.com/index.html

http://www.grandscales.com/photos/photos.html

I wonder what else is out there, particularly among the well detailed and proportioned miniatures of engines that no longer exist? I know there is at least one other NYC Niagara around, and a video ad in Live Steam some years back had a photo of an NYC 2-6-6-2. No doubt there is a good deal more.

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:23 am

One more entry with an extinct locomotive type. This Reading Atlantic is so much like its predecessor, it can not run at full speed, due to the size of the drivers and the limits of its home layout trackage. At beautiful piece of workmanship.

Jeff Badger · **Posted:** Sun Mar 06, 2011 4:47 pm

The only one I know of is up at the Sacramento Live Steamers and was built by Ed Yungling. No problems with exhaust here...

How about some SP Daylights with matching trainset!

And there are also the fine looking West Side Shays that Rich Ulin of Colorado has built...

AndyPullen · **Joined:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:27 pm **Posts:** 33

PaulWWoodring wrote:

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.

Paul,

Bruce's 5300 was sold back to the family. I was to be the caretaker of it when it was going to be put on display at the family's company. The 5301 belongs to another CALS member and he converted it from oil to coal fired.....and then to propane.

The Hudson is also set up to burn coal. Bruce told a friend of mine that one day when we went for a visit. All 4 of Bruce's locomotives are gorgeous models.

There is a SP Cab Forward in California in 1.6" scale. Ed Yungling built it in the 1970s because he was told it couldn't be made operable. It runs on a somewhat regular basis.

There are a large number of beautiful models out there. I have a close friend in Ohio that built a 1/16" scale model of a B&A 4-6-6 Tanker. It is an amazing machine. We have teamed up with a few others to build some D&RGW K-27s in 1.16" scale.

Andy Pullen

AndyPullen · **Joined:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:27 pm **Posts:** 33

Here are some photos of Bruce Hamilton's locomotives.

The first 2 are of his C&O #614. The third one is of the B&O P-7 #5301.

Andy Pullen

AndyPullen · **Joined:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:27 pm **Posts:** 33

Here is a friend's Lackawanna Hudson that is being finished by Jack Bodenmann in California. Jack has finished a number of locomotives for people and he does beautiful work. He is truly an artist.

The first pic is of the front end of the Hudson as it looks right now.

The second pic is a general view of the locomotive and the third is the tender.

Here is the thread from another bbs: http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =8&t=94345

Enjoy!

Andy Pullen

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:32 am

Andy;

Thanks for posting your photos of Bruce's engines. I was just hunting through my digital photos for something suitable, but my best are slides I'll have to scan. I have one I took at a Timonium, MD train show some years ago where both of Bruce's P-7's were on display on a trailer, and I persuaded the great man to pose sitting between them.

You know, I think we're going to have to have an invitational meet of the best of these things at some centrally located track sometime. Sort of an American live steam version of the Wolsztyn locomotive gathering, only without the hokey 20 engine header. The real problem with a meet like that is getting enough quality riding cars to match up with the locomotives - just like the full-size ones, all the glory is in the engines, not the cars.

AndyPullen · **Joined:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:27 pm **Posts:** 33

Jeff Lisowski wrote:

I have seen this German built N&W Y6b before, and I can't remember if it strictly runs on air or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDrDU6P9DG4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx1sz8nfP30 Go to about 2:20...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYHOFGnfiU

Here's one of an A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtBujST ... e=youtu.be

Andy Pullen