Lionel Grand Canyon Railway Locomotive #29 (2-8-0) Question (2222050)

If I remember correctly, that really big 2-8-0 (#29) is a former LS&I ore hauling locomotive. Thus, I do not believe Lionel, nor anybody else, makes a model of THAT size, which is also like the big 2-8-0 that used to operate on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway.

@Hot Water posted:

If I remember correctly, that really big 2-8-0 (#29) is a former LS&I ore hauling locomotive. Thus, I do not believe Lionel, nor anybody else, makes a model of THAT size, which is also like the big 2-8-0 that used to operate on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway.

Grand Canyon #29 is a smaller ex-LS&I 2-8-0 than is Western Maryland Scenic's 734.

Weaver's old 2-8-0 (whatever happened to that tooling???) would be an adequate fit for Grand Canyon 29.

Rusty

Gee, and l was waiting for Weaver to make some Western road names with that tooling, and, poof!  I watched that GC loco steam into the South Rim, assisted, sadly, by a diesel, after a hot day hike along the Rim, and was too pooped to take her pretty picture, which would have involved my getting up and running after it.  More scrutiny and comments requested, please   

The locomotive will in all probability have the Lionel generic details, but at least it shows marker lights on the boiler front which is correct and is the correct number - 29.  But I cannot tell from the online graphic whether the cars are the correct Harriman ones and with four wheel trucks.  I know I did not order the Southern Pacific 4-6-2 from last year since the generic version had so many elements that were just not correct that it did not even look like the prototype.

It looks like the passenger cars will use Lionel's newish Reading Company passenger car tooling. So while they will not be Harriman cars exactly they will have four wheel trucks and round roofs.

Since the locomotive is going to be a slightly modified version of their standard Union Pacific Consolidations, don’t go in expecting strict accuracy on this one.

That being said, the oil tender and especially the bell mounted up front above the headlight does make it look closer to the real 29, if only by a slight margin.

You’re all missing the biggest innacuracy which would be nearly impossible to change: the valve gear!

Weaver model was a Baldwin 2-8-0.  At the time, Weaver did (several of these models), with different paint/different railroads.  The Baldwin/Alco discussion was done 20 plus years ago. 

Last trip to the Grand Canyon, #29 is an Alco steam locomotive.

As mentioned these late steam locomotives, one at the GC, and one, Cumberland MD., were from LS&I. Lake Superior and Ishpeming,  An Iron ore hauling railroad.

734. Cumberland, MD.

I don't know of any models of this large 2-8-0.  The 734 tender was also different, a larger tender for the Maryland Railroad.

Neither is operational.

You may have better luck finding a model that fits the most recent steam at the GC. CB&Q (Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) 2-8-2 Configuration.  One, or both,  of the Grand Canyon R.R. steam locomotives, were converted to burn peanut oil, because of the South Kiabab forest fire hazard.

I sent a note to a friend who is the GCR shop foreman about the differences, in addition to the steps to the running board and the piping on the fireman's side.  Here is his detailed response:

Loco has Stephenson (inside frame) valve gear and piston valves.  29 was converted at LS&I to Baker valve gear (outside frame).

The front steps – as you previously mentioned.

Running boards – 29 had an air compressor mounted on the engineer’s side, so the running board goes up and over this appliance.  Same for the fireman’s side for a Worthington BL Water Pump (which I can’t see on the model)

29 has top boiler checks, not side.  Also a sander line missing to the front of the #2 driver

Lifting injector on Engineer’s side instead of non-lifting.

Tender trucks should be standard AAR roller bearing freight trucks.

The large radiator piping on the sides was a Franzen (prior Supervisor) addition.  They are for cooling the compressed air, and also for hiding the air reservoir.

But I plan to scratch build the steps and the piping and I can live with the rest of the differences, BUT only if the passenger cars are Harrimans!  Otherwise, will have to pass.