Locomotive Workshop List of Diesel Brass and White Metal Kits and Accessory Kits?

hi Chris -  Yes, twenty years ago I was working with an organization who wanted to bring back streetcar service to a section of Brooklyn that had been neglected for decades, a virtual transit desert, except for the trailing edges of bus lines that pretty much still followed the trolley lines they replaced 70 years ago.  The relationship between them and the NYCDOT imploded after 9/11 and the whole thing was scuttled by the city.  Since then, I've done the paint and bodywork on the restoration of B&QT 1001 the 1st production PCC in time for its 70th birthday in 2006 and am now working on the same for B&QT 1000, the Clark aluminum bodied car up in Kingston. 

One thing that came to mind after thinking about this subject over the weekend:  What if I suggested to those who run the O scale National to open up a "Locomotive Workshop Kit Build Challenge",  where all those LWS kits lingering on back shelves for a variety of reasons, were built to the best of everyone's ability (and if needed, perhaps a forum made for answering questions or providing assistance from those who've done it before) and presented at an upcoming National Convention as a group subject?  Not necessarily a contest so to speak, but if you built it, show it off.  Take the challenge.  Thoughts?

It'd be fun. At least for those of us who like a challenge.

I was looking a LWS body of the EMD BL2 the other day. Thought 'hmmm, there's a prospect there'.

@PRR Man posted:

I was looking a LWS body of the EMD BL2 the other day. Thought 'hmmm, there's a prospect there'.

Been there and did not do it; sold it off..........the weight alone made it most useful for hand to hand combat.

Have however built MP54 kits and have also a PRR H1.....and there's a tank car waiting for more warm weather resting quietly off to the one side.

Add the Fairbanks Morse (FM) Erie-Built A-Unit (1945 Passenger Locomotive) as yet another Locomotive Workshop O-Scale 2-Rail Brass Kit.

I just purchased one off of eBay that seems to be missing a few small parts....

FYI, the Erie-Builts roster was briefly discussed in Extra 2200 South July 1968 Pg 20.

Does anyone know where I could find an FM Erie-built Enginemen's Manual published after 1945?  I'm looking for Erie Built interior detail info and pics.  I already have an FM C-Liner Enginemen's Manual 1706, but it was published in 1952.  The C-Liner Cab details and layout seem different than the Erie-Built.

I wondered who would pick that one off.  The windshield was a giant turn-off for me.  The etched sides looked passable.

I would post my Erie-Built, but you can find it in another thread.

https://ogrforum.com/...he-erie-built-diesel

I just got a LocoWorks U-50 from a friend.  I think it is Britannia metal, a variety of pewter.  It is in four pieces - all jigged up for joining.  Should I try soldering, or stick to the safe J B Weld type assembly?

Bob, have you ever tried the copper bearing product that wipes on metals like zamac and Britannia? Allowing easier soldering. I believe it was once marketed by Micro-Mark.

On building LWS locomotives, I've worked on a few.

This SIRT 0-6-0 camelback grew out of a LWS "Economy 0-6-0" kit, which modeled a late 19th century loco. Admittedly, I made a new boiler/firebox for it and also inverted the driver spacing in the frame to match the loco I wanted, and still use the kit's rods. The cylinders were slightly modified, but are from the kit, as is the smoke box front, stack and modified cab.  The tender is scratch built, although I ran it with the original tender for a few years before I decided to scratch build a bigger one. The domes on the loco are from All Nation.  It has constant/directional headlights and an onboard battery powered sound system that is correctly synchronized with the drivers.  In case the sound gets to be too much after a while, there is a switch under the tender to turn it off.   

The other project was this Union Pacific DDA40X on which I did a full rebuild for a friend after it was badly damaged by mishandling at the O scale club of which we  were members at the time. I made a new frame for it.  The original trucks were reinforced, and Central Locomotive Works drives put on all four axles of each truck. Power is from two 9xxx series Pittman motors.  The couplers at each end are mounted in an articulated drawbar to ease operations on curves.  It has a constant headlight and working strobe on top of the cab.  It hauled a 65 car freight on a large O scale layout at about 60 scale MPH or so for over an hour, with no problems.  The sound of that train with all metal wheels rolling along was almost deafening after a while.

Two others I've built were bought at Loco Workshop's open house visits. The New Haven Alco DL-109 has a cast resin body, for which I made a frame and installed a Central Locomotive Works drive. The trucks are by Locomotive Workshop.

The NYO&W unit was built from a heavy brass Adams & Sons castings set.  Only castings for an A unit were there and a matching set for the B unit could not be found.  Like the others, I made a frame in which a Central Locomotive Works drive was installed. On a test run at the Kingston NY O Scale Club layout, it ran alone with a 45 car freight with no problems.

I have one more LWS kit yet to build - The Ingersoll-Rand 300HP box cab diesel of 1924. This one will likely be built using the LWS drives that came with the kit. A few weeks ago, I tested both motors. One ran much better that the other. With some adjusting of the bearings and relieving a binding shaft, both now run equally well.   I will be building the drives for each truck and testing them first, before working on the frame and superstructure to become B&O 195 as I remembered it in the early 1950's.

S. Islander   

@S. Islander posted:

On building LWS locomotives, I've worked on a few...

The NYO&W unit was built from a heavy brass Adams & Sons castings set.  Only castings for an A unit were there and a matching set for the B unit could not be found.  Like the others, I made a frame in which a Central Locomotive Works drive was installed. On a test run at the Kingston NY O Scale Club layout, it ran alone with a 45 car freight with no problems.

S. Islander   

Those are all great, but for some reason the NYO&W FT has always been a favorite of mine...this is a great topic!

Mark in Oregon

I always love to see Ed's work.  Encourage him to post more.

I too like the brass cast FTs with rivets.  Henry Pearce had the patterns, and he cast me an A-B set.

I decided on JB Weld for the U-50.  It is in the last six hours of cure time now.  There were some gaps that solder would not have filled, and there was no way to close them up without upsetting roof detail.  I promise a photo or two.

A month ago I would have told you I would never own a pewter model.  I have changed my mind - it won't survive a heat wave or a drop to the floor, but it holds detail like injected plastic, and can be formed with gentle pressure.  I think it is plenty strong for normal handling, and if I power it it is heavy enough to pull a couch across the floor.

@bob2 posted:

A month ago I would have told you I would never own a pewter model.  I have changed my mind - it won't survive a heat wave.........

If it gets that hot in CA that pewter melts, I'd bet that model RR'ing won't be on the top 10 list of concerns.

@bob2 posted:

1. I always love to see Ed's work.  Encourage him to post more.

2. I too like the brass cast FTs with rivets.  Henry Pearce had the patterns, and he cast me an A-B set.

3. I decided on JB Weld for the U-50.  It is in the last six hours of cure time now.  There were some gaps that solder would not have filled, and there was no way to close them up without upsetting roof detail.  I promise a photo or two.

4. I think it is plenty strong for normal handling, and if I power it it is heavy enough to pull a couch across the floor.

1. Me too.

2. Can we see it?

3. Please do.

4. I would love to see a video of that! 😁

Mark in Oregon

I saw these ads for years, and chickened out of what looked as if major soldering skills and equipment were mandatory.  I thought about attending one of LWS's "meets" and didn't get to any of them   The diesel shells were not metal castings? Also, probably not, but maybe, a "kit" for a Rock Island EMD AB6 was offered, produced, and sold?  If there was a shell casting, vs. a box of solder fodder, it would have been a beginning.  No hope LWS  did a McKeen shell?  Any source beats no source.....  These postings and hope of a list is very interesting history

Don't get your hopes up.  The jewels were done by Penn Erie.  Jan's models always had the aura of scrap brass.  I loved the guy, but I was very careful about what I ordered.  

@Questor posted:

Does anyone know where I could find an FM Erie-built Enginemen's Manual published after 1945?  I'm looking for Erie Built interior detail info and pics.  I already have an FM C-Liner Enginemen's Manual 1706, but it was published in 1952.  The C-Liner Cab details and layout seem different than the Erie-Built.

The Erie Built cab was completely different from the C-Liner.  The control stand was a GE control stand, as used on Alco-GE cab units.  All were equipped with 24-RL air brake schedule, with the automatic brake valve in the right front corner and the independent brake valve more or less in front of the Engineer.  The gauge panel closely resembled the Alco version.

Here is my pewter Loco Works U 50, sitting carefully on trucks.  On another forum I am going into detail.

Bob, great start! Quite a beast.

Dan Weinhold

It is a beast.  Ten pounds, and no motors yet.

I have a couple progress photos - they are not great photos, but one shows a “proof of concept” power section. The other shows the air intake screening - unavoidable on this model.  Most of my E and F models wait for screening for decades.

I attached the screen with water based contact cement.  We’ll see . . .

Bob are you going to make the U-50 into a Southern Pacific model?

Nope.  UP #33.  SP was a different configuration and a stunningly drab paint scheme.