Subject:
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Re: N&W J-class steam locomotive
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:03:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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14570 times
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In lugnet.trains, Benn Coifman wrote:
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I was finally able to clear out enough time and off enough room to photograph
my N&W J-class steam engine (northern, 4-8-4) and consist.
Full Gallery
I wanted to build the N&W J class for some time, but the bullet streamlining
around the nose proved formidable. So there it sat on the back burner until I
stumbled onto the modified facet,
2463 (yeah, only
afterwards did I realize Steve B. invented that
same basic idea
several years earlier). After a quick mock up of the nose section with a pair
of beat up yellow 2463’s from the bottom of a storage box, I had the
solution. I was convinced that all of the other aesthetic details could be
worked out and started the design... but more on that process in an upcoming
issue of RailBricks. The end result is
shown here,
By the twilight of steam in the US, the northern wheel arrangement had become
one of the workhorses. And because Norfolk and Western was a coal hauling
railroad, they were determined to stick with steam. They managed to do so
until about 1960 too. The 14 J class steam engines were built in the N&W
shops and pulled most of the passenger trains on the N&W. The J class
includes the last passenger steam locomotive built in the US. The 611 is the
only surviving J and ran many excursions until she was re-retired in 1994.
Click the two reference images for more information on the J’s.
I think the model captures the look of the prototype, but judge for yourself.
While I thought the nose would be challenging, once I found the right piece
it turned out to be easy. I had no idea that the pilot would be an even
bigger challenge. How do you get that angle, and keep it light, and so forth.
I’m happy with the way the pilot turned out though. One feature of the model
that had bugged me from the start was the way the sheer walls of the boiler
drop straight to the running boards (deliberately not too obvious in most of
the posted photos). While taking these shots I became so fed up that I
reworked the boiler and I will post photos of the new boiler when I have a
chance to take them. And obviously, I did not even attempt the gold
pinstriping, too narrow to resolve in lego.
As for the mechanicals, after thorough R+D on the home layout, she runs like
a charm. Handles curves, switches, etc just fine, with the drivers spinning
smoothly throughout. This time I designed it for shows from the start and she
has the equalizers to handle ugly peaks in the track (I think I tested as
high as two plates at the junction of two straight tracks). She can probably
run just about anywhere the 10020 can. The drivers float on the pilot truck,
so she can handle curves with grace,
The forthcoming Railbricks article should show the drivers off of the boiler
to give you a better idea of how I worked it out. Oh, almost forgot, I was
able to fit the ladder from the ground up to the cab around the “drawbar”
between the engine and tender,
Now you can’t have a passenger engine without a consist, can you? Most of the
cars follow what has become my standard 6 wide design and they clearly show
heavy inspiration from the 10022. Though the fact that they are dark red is a
nice touch. On the head end I step the width down from an 8 wide engine (with
a few spots of 9) to a 7 wide tender 7 wide and then the 6 wide cars.
I did advance my style some on two of the cars, I am fond of the service door
(with guard rail) on the dinner,
and I spent quite some time working out the round end observation,
In addition to the obvious curvature, note the use of cheese bricks for
streamlined marker lamps (not prototypical, but so what) and the radio
antennas on the roof (which were prototypical).
The train debuted at BrickWorld, but I had to leave about the time most
people finished setting up, so few saw it there. It has been to one show
since, at the Ohio State Fair (note
Gallagher’s bridge
in the background of some of the photos).
Comments are welcome,
Enjoy,
Benn
Full Gallery
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Benn, this is just brilliant! What a gorgeous train you’ve built! I absolutely
love this locomotive, and I’ve wanted to build it for some time, myself. I
never would have thought to float the drivers and not the trucks on the
locomotive, but it certainly seems to work well for you. I’m dieing to see more
detailed pictures on how you were able to get the pistons to work in relation to
the moving driver assembly. If it weren’t for the particular design elements
I’m working toward on my next build that prevent it, I’d do exactly this.
And of course your standard 8 wide locomotive, 7 wide tender, and 6 wide cars
theme has always been a clever signature of yours.
The cars are great as well, I see a few techniques I’ll have to blatantly steal,
especially all that undercarriage detail.
I hope I can see it in action someday.
--Tony
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: N&W J-class steam locomotive
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| (...) ... (...) And thank you Tony, like Cale you are too kind. The cylinders are rigidly fixed with the drivers (well, there's a little slop), so the whole unit rotates together. The hard part was making it small and sturdy. The end result works, (...) (16 years ago, 15-Nov-08, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | N&W J-class steam locomotive
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| I was finally able to clear out enough time and off enough room to photograph my N&W J-class steam engine (northern, 4-8-4) and consist. (URL) Full Gallery> I wanted to build the N&W J class for some time, but the bullet streamlining around the nose (...) (16 years ago, 12-Nov-08, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.announce.moc, FTX) !
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