Did I do my Pacifics?

[E7]

Lobaugh the screw-maker is still in business, sixty some odd years since it departed the model train business.Jim

The above might be the most interesting thing, considering the transitory nature of things these days.

Other companies were much smaller. The Lenoir Locomotive Works had a staff of one, and I imagine there were many others the same (though none as famous). Jim

Similar to the modern brass importers in that one person is Key to production (although there are MANY more workers building the stuff.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Lobaugh the screw-maker is still in business, sixty some odd years since it departed the model train business.Jim

The above might be the most interesting thing, considering the transitory nature of things these days.

Well, a good screw is always in demand.....

[hibar]

One thing about those 30s display layouts they had very large areas to work with, check out the size of the curves on what appears to be the standard double track oval. With the audience railings set some 3' +/- off the table edge we are talking at least a 4' viewing rule. just saying!

[robert.]

Quality head is the foundation of a good screw

[E7]

.

It started out as a B&O P-1, but the boiler was modified to look a lot like the USRA. No, the SP never had any boilers that looked like that, nor did they have the KCS version of the Vanderbilt that Lobaugh provided. In the olden days we took a lot of liberties with reality. Now, we are looking for absolute fidelity except for track gauge.

Couldn't copy your image, but:
Could you give us a short run down of what you did to this loco to get it to where it is in your Pic?

[Nortonville Phil]

Bob T,

The things that jumped out to me right away about the 2477 were the taller domes and the tail beam which are different than the stock model. Very nice.

Also is that display layout built by Minton Cronkite? I seem to remember something about him building display layouts as well as the large scale model E unit for Santa Fe.

[bob turner]

Sure. I think you are referring to the Daylight Pacific.

Lobaugh started with the B&O P-1. After the war, they changed the boiler shape to more closely resemble the USRA. Not much else was changed.

I always add some length. Usually it is a 1/8" ring behind the smokebox. And I usually replace the cab. On this one, the skyline casing and running board shrouds are the obvious additions.

Yes, the 2477 has different domes. More on that one when I get to the Arizona Eastern locomotive.

[bob turner]

I am going to put these two together. Lima made two smaller Pacifics for the Arizona Eastern. They were similar to the Harriman P-6, but with 72" drivers. Students of SP power know that the Harriman heavy boiler was of unusual shape, but all I wanted was something similar. So 701 is one of those locomotives - it has an extended smoke box, as did most SP steam in 1909, and a small Vanderbilt tender. Yes, those are USH tender trucks, even though I usually use Lobaugh. Decals by the late Jim Wilhite.

701.jpg (655.49 KiB) Viewed 7468 times

So now I repeat 2477 from page 1. This is one of the two AE locomotives as it appeared in 1950, pulling the Santa Cruz local. I believe 701 became 2476, but there were only two of these. 2476 had a pilot on the tender for back-up moves.

2477.jpg (598 KiB) Viewed 7468 times

[bob turner]

By the way, all smaller SP Pacifics and most Mikados had the Hodges trailing truck, with that strange open-beam tail beam. The Mikado in the 1937 catalog had that kind of tail beam, but the kit came with the Berkshire style tail beam. I used Lobaugh, CLW (my favorite), and Pearce/Stevenson trucks for all these models. The Stevenson truck is elegant, and still available. When Sunset did the SP Mike, I begged them to get this area right. They didn't; the tail beam and truck were designed for 3-railers, and we got what was left. I make the tail beams themselves on the end mill - I simply do not have the patience to file these things from blanks. Stevenson has a good one for the Mike, and it fits his truck.

[bob turner]

Time for a couple projects. First, the prewar Lobaugh Pacific in very preliminary form. Not sure whether that sand dome stays. It might be Hines Lines.

B&O Pacific.jpg (597.81 KiB) Viewed 7443 times

Next the Lobaugh transformed into a Bowser K-11. Yes, I even have an SP tender for it with Buckeye trucks, per the Bowser Vanderbilt variation.

NYC K11.jpg (712.42 KiB) Viewed 7443 times

Tender here is an Overland, to approximate the K-11 NYC tender. Drivers are metal CLW.

[Strummer]

Nice work...of course!

Those Bowser K-11s must be popular; when they do turn up on eBay, they go for a lot more than one would think.

Back when I was into HO, I built one, and replaced the stock motor with a smaller one, to open the cab for detailing...FWIW.

Come to think of it, I think may have tried to alter it into an NP Q-6...

Mark in Oregon

[bob turner]

961.jpg (610.43 KiB) Viewed 7405 times

Still Lobaugh, although I am running out of them. I did one of these for Jim Seacrest with that ugly tender that looks like a Pflauder milk car.

This was actually my first Lobaugh model - bought it in Bakersfield on a layover for $50. I was so impressed with the mechanical layout I immediately bought another.

1 1/8" gauge, with .172 wheelsets, puts the side frames at the proper width.

Oh - and this one has a Jan Lorenzen gearbox. It consists of a plastic worm and maybe a brass axle gear - some truly weird setup, destined to fail in about fifteen minutes. This thing has been running for over three decades. I can tell it needs some driver springs some day, but that is low on my list. I have a bag of them, and it would probably take an hour to add them.

[bob turner]

Now we leave Lobaugh - This one is a scratch light Harriman of turn-of-the-century vintage:

Scratch Pacific.jpg (1.09 MiB) Viewed 7404 times

[R.K. Maroon]

Whoa....You're posting faster than we can respond! How did the Rock Island project come about? Am I correct that somebody had a prototype in mind and maybe photos to follow (as opposed to just putting a Vandy tender behind and adding RI decals just because)?

Jim

[Strummer]

Now we leave Lobaugh - This one is a scratch light Harriman of turn-of-the-century vintage:

Scratch Pacific.jpg

Wow... I've liked them all, but I think this is my favorite...

Opinion.

Mark in Oregon