Lets See Your Cab-Forward Locomotives

Here you go.

My favorites, Legacy Daylight cab forward from 2013 and 3rd Rail AM2 from some years before:

My favorite “Mallee,” as the guys called the SP cab forwards. It is actually my favorite Locomotive on my layout.

That looks real.  

I have a collection of almost every variant except the "simpled" AM-2 and AC series.  Happy to post, but they are 2-rail and slightly oversize (17/64 scale).

@bob2 posted:

That looks real.  

I have a collection of almost every variant except the "simpled" AM-2 and AC series.  Happy to post, but they are 2-rail and slightly oversize (17/64 scale).

I think you should post 'em! I was looking seriously at a fine 2-rail cab forward project a few years back but it never got made by the importer. FWIW, and IMHO, the AC-12 by Lionel is some of their best tooling ever.

I didn't realize that this was the photo album - I guess 2-rail is as good as any here.  This model was sort of incubated in the mid-1950s by an MRR construction article.  I had seen the giant AC series in action in Lordsburg and my home town of Fairbank, but never saw even a photo of the early MM class.

In the 1970s Bob Church published the definitive study of SP Cab Forwards, and from that I drew up plans for my MM-2.  In 1984, I decided I had to learn scratchbuilding, so with a hunk of steel exhaust pipe, a set of Lobaugh main frames, and some Max Gray drivers, I built this thing.  It ran perfectly the first time I put it on the track!

The 2-axle lead truck was a failure, and very shortly after the first deliveries of the Mallet Mogul class, Baldwin supplied a kit to change it to a 4-6-6-2.  As you can see, I built a model of that as well.

If you like these photos, I can post an MC-6, an AC-4, and an AC-8, also scratchbuilt in 17/64 scale.  Many of you have seen these before, but this is a nice thread to again post them in.

And of course there are the Lobaugh models, which I am happy to repeat for this thread.  The Lobaugh AC-8 was 1/4" scale, and the drawings are dated December 7, 1941.  Maybe that is why it is such a rare model?

That looks as good as 3rd Rail to me! I have never gone in for weathering, however.

I think I remember your other various models but if you don't mind please post them here as trying to find them via a search is not something I am likely to succeed with.

(Isn't 1/4" scale standard O scale? Or is that the point of your comment.)

Thanks.  Happy to repeat them.

1/4" Scale and O Scale are the same.  17/64" Scale is slightly larger, and is the proper scale for O gauge track.

Of interest - since a lot of 3-rail is not to any particular scale, the magazine title changed from O Scale Railroading to O Gauge Railroading when converted to 3-rail.

Our traditional 0 gauge track is gauged for 17/64" scale.

1/4" scale models should run on narrower gauges track like Proto 48 which I think is 1.17" if I am correct.

That is why our cylinders are overly wide on many models and why many truck side frames protrude.

Once you see a 17/64 model next to the same prototype in 1/4" scale you will really appreciate the difference that 1/64" makes.

I had a 17/64 model run on on of my layouts awhile back and it took some scenery out first time around!

@bob2 posted:

Thanks.  Happy to repeat them.

1/4" Scale and O Scale are the same.  17/64" Scale is slightly larger, and is the proper scale for O gauge track.

Of interest - since a lot of 3-rail is not to any particular scale, the magazine title changed from O Scale Railroading to O Gauge Railroading when converted to 3-rail.

@Tom Tee posted:

Our traditional 0 gauge track is gauged for 17/64" scale.

1/4" scale models should run on narrower gauges track like Proto 48 which I think is 1.17" if I am correct.

That is why our cylinders are overly wide on many models and why many truck side frames protrude.

Once you see a 17/64 model next to the same prototype in 1/4" scale you will really appreciate the difference that 1/64" makes.

I had a 17/64 model run on on of my layouts awhile back and it took some scenery out first time around!

Thanks both. This is all new to me, except the track gauge which is dimly familiar. Would like to see some examples of the slightly different scale especially if they are cab forwards.

I do know from experience that once you get inside a “quarter scale” model (I mean in particular an O scale passenger car interior, at least from Lionel or MTH and sometimes GGD), it’s really closer to S scale. Sorry, I can’t do the fractions in my head although I think it’s 1/48 vs. 1/64.

AC-6 #4126 off turntable at Ellison engine terminal.

AC-6 #4138 takes orders at Ellison Tower.

AC-6 #4138 leads heavy westbound through Cumberland. AC-6 #4126 is rear helper on 2% grade approaching McClelland.

Those are really good looking models and exceptional scenery.

Here are the promised AC models - 17/64ths scale, but you have to look at the ends to see how they match the O Gauge track.  Even then, our treads are too wide, and the sideframes and rods stick out too far.  My original solution was 1 1/8" gauge, but I gave up on that about six decades ago.  Track width really looks good under my few 1 1/8' gauge models.  When I croak, somebody will really be irritated to find my Lionel 763 doesn't fit O gauge track.

The one with the square tender is the AC-8, and my third attempt at scratchbuilding.  I got better at it over time - the lower one was about #12 or so, and features a wood block tender with brass overlays.  Trucks are not accurate, but they are cast from my masters in lifetime bronze, so they await a new owner for "correction" to the proper Commonwealth style.  Good luck finding Commonwealth in 17/64 scale.

There are a few more - notably the MC-6, a 2-8-8-2 with a rather strange haystack tender.  Later for that.

Thank you!

My MTH Premier SP AC6 with PS3.

Here is my MTH AC 6 with PFE Refers

OH! So that's the way my Cab Forward should run! LOL!!!! I think I have a scrambled board, been like that since I got it. Very nice video!!

Here is mine pulling some of my PFE cars (I have more that would make the train too long).  This is a Proto 1 MTH I upgraded to the ERR Cruise Commander.