Here is a pic of a scaled down General Loco in front of a dentist office in Bentonville, Ar. Taken from car, as we were sitting at stop light. I will try to get better pic next time I'm there, at least closer. Gee I hadn't noticed the bullet train to the left; until I posted pic.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Bullet Train? Looks more like a maglev or monorail to me!
Our dentist office, in Wallingford, PA, has "quality" large scale trains all over the place (some running at times). Even their business card shows the front of a streamliner diesel.
Not many dentist's have a full sized 4-4-0 locomotive at the front door, that's pretty cool! I wonder if it's real or something that someone created as a prop?
it looks like a C.P Huntington amusement park train. I don't know if the company that built them and other models are still around as a manufacturer. I would call their products "real", narrow scale. One that I ride on in Myrtle Beach is powered by a four cylinder Ford engine. hydraulic drive unit. hydraulic brakes on the engine and cars. Electronic sound effects.
That makes sense, a genuine one would be pretty expensive I would imagine.
it is different than the amusement version. I can't find my photos to check the builder of the Myrtle Beach train. The fact that it has a separate tender is what makes me question that it may be something more than an amusement ride.
Moonman posted:it is different than the amusement version. I can't find my photos to check the builder of the Myrtle Beach train. The fact that it has a separate tender is what makes me question that it may be something more than an amusement ride.
It is definitely not a Chance C.P. Huntington. That company is still in business and I believe has or will deliver their 400th unit this year.
The steam engine in the first photo sure looks like a very well done home built replica. It doesn't look like a Crown Metal Works steam engine. Crown built live steam engines for park use I think in gauges ranging from 15" - 36".
It is in no way a Chance CP Huntington. We've got three of 'em here. I was the engineer and deeply involved for years in our local operation. I hear the whistle all day long at my house in the summer.
Our engines were powered by Continental TM27 gasoline engines. An automatic transmission and drop down 90* gearbox transferred power to the front and rear power trucks via drive shafts and gear boxes. The year after I left, we bought a brand spankin' new DIESEL engine (#378 in photos) below. I am not sure what powers it.
I think the current trains are using Kubota motors. You have Gas, diesel or propane as fuel options. They are, and always have been, using air brakes. I've heard of people putting a "sound system" but it is not needed, IMO and kind of cheesy over the roar of the internal combustion engines. No hydraulics are used on the non-electric trains. A few weeks ago, a revolutionary solar/battery hybrid was announced.
Chance has been making the CP Huntington since 1961. That is what they got started with. It is the pride and joy of the company and the Chance family. Dick Chance, current CEO frequently tells a story about his father when he started building them in 1961. He says he remembers his father saying, in 1961 when they started building them, "if I build 10 of these, that'll be a big deal. I'll be successful". Chance will celebrate the construction and sale of CPH #400 later this year or early next year.
Attachments
No fellas I don't think its any more than a prop. I will get back over there soon. This is about 5 miles away from my home. I'm pretty sure its a fake. And yeah II just called it a bullet train cause I hadn't noticed it until I put the pic out there for all to see. My son use to go to the kids dentist office next door, but that was about 5 years back, It wasn't there then. We don't have to go there now, and hadn't been by there in along time. Went over to the Crystal Bridges Art Museum and Gardens another very beautiful place to visit if your in the North West Arkansas area, and drove by this dentist office and seen the loco setting there ; so while sitting at the light I snap the pic. Yeah I want to get a better look, mite do this tomorrow, so I can report back what I find out.I know these are not train pics but I want to give a shout out for the Crystal Bridges Art Museum, as this is a very wonderful place to visit.
Attachments
No I don't think its a crown, we have those at Six Flags at Saint Luis and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. Rode on those many times. I think it was probably built buy a local contractor and Metal shop; lots of crafty Hill Billy's here in the Ozark's.
My childhood dentist had a very old-fashioned electric drill - a monstrous cast-iron thing painted cream and driven by lots of belts. At the top was a train painted on a board. To distract children from the pain, the wheels turned round according to the speed of the drill. It's a wonder it didn't turn me off trains for life!