What company models "dinkys"?

Not sure that anyone would make that as a production piece as it is very unique. I bet someone on the Narrow gauge forum is more familiar with it or has made their own.

Guys,

 

It has a smokestack coming out of the middle as well as a small bell and a whistle on top.

 

 

Start with a Beep chassis for power, build the car body and interior benches using Evergreen Scale Models strip and scribed styrene, add the cow-catchers and other details from Precision Scale Models.   

Old Goat that is the picture from the book, you sure I'd have to do it myself? I couldn't get it made to order? I wouldn't know the first thing about it. Could I have it custom made by someone? Just asking......

 

Mike Maurice

Mike,

If you can't locate one that's available commercially then you'll need to have it built by a custom builder.  Check with 'Brother Love'...he works in styrene and posts mostly on the 2-Rail Forum or locate his email in his OGR Forum Profile.

I agree, you could make one from a BEEP pretty easily.  Probably your best bet: the picture you have looks to be just two axles.   If you wanted to do a four axle one you could you a BANG instead

Made to order?  Yes, if you are prepared to spend serious money.  Same story for custom work.

 

That has a steam engine component in it - cylinder is visible for the one side; looks like a compartment for coal at then end.  Figure canniblizing a small steam engine - need small drivers - might be something you could adapt from an On30 engine with a re-build of the frame & axles.  I gues that you could dummy the engine, but that would be unsatisfying to me.

 

Rest is doable in styrene or wood after the mechanism is established.

 

Probably could be done for under $1k as a custom job; $400 -800 likely figuring $50/h which is just below dirt cheap.

 

Suggest that you lookover issues of NG&SLG to see what is available that might also be adaptable from narrow gauge to standard gauge.

 MWB and guys,

 

In his book Way of the Hobo, A # 1 describes a hobo doubling himself so as to fit unseen into one of these small things and then riding all the way for hundreds of miles like this! I don't doubt that it happened, it's just amazing that it did! Hard times make for weird occurences!  Does it look like there would be enough room beneath a cowcatcher? Just wondering?

 

Mike Maurice

Mike,

 

Found this photo. It's not identical to yours, but it shows the powered drive wheels that were hidden in your picture, but which provide the power. I'm guessing this one wasn't steam powered, but internal combustion. Not sure about yours.

 

Still, I would suggest the K-line Porter 0-4-0 as the best starting point in standard O gauge, or the Bachmann On30 Porter in narrow gauge. Maybe even a 4 wheel Brill trolley. Would take lots of work, but looks like a fun project.

 

 

 

Jim

Street railways back in the day, called these "steam dummies" and for a time there were "soda motors" that looked identical. Some wags thought they were set up this way as to not scare horse traffic. So, this type was used for other purposes than inspections. A high tech alternative to cable cars..and then there were rechargable battery cars as well. Quite a few options were fiddled with.

 

To all,

 

I cannot tell a lie! While it would be an absolutely fantastic project to do for one of you. I cannot profess adaptability or prowess of any kind. Alas, I am handicapped and can use only one arm, so even if I were talented it would take me 3 times as long to get it right! I am not as nimble with my fingers as some of you fellows are.....It will be a pipe dream of mine unless you know of someone whom I can contact.

 

It is a noble project though! It would take me years to complete even if I had the tools and raw materials (which I don't)!

 

Do you guys now anybody who would be interested. I remain interested in financing such a project.

 

Mike Maurice

 

I have one, a steam dummy, that was pictured in an issue of the TTOS publication

some years ago.   I had played on the "Hercules", a steam dummy that towed a

short combine from L&N tracks to Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park, during

visits there when I was a kid.   The Mammoth Cave Railroad, no longer operating, when I was a kid, even,  once had several steam dummies.   Hercules, with a new cosmetic restoration since my photo visit, is still displayed at Park headquarters, with its shorty combine coach.  I made a trip there, photographed it, and built mine on a Marx #999 early chassis with the spoke wheels.

I did not build a faithful model, but used some artistic license.  I also took some liberties with its combine coach, that I built from a severely truncated Walthers kit,

since I was decaling it with my private road decals.

With Marx under it, it runs great.

Naturally, one of the early brass importers brought at least one in, in HO.  I have

not seen or heard of an O scale brass one, though.

Having accomplished this, I am interested in building a couple of other odd ball

steam cars, an inspection engine, and the loco front, long coach steamer I saw

in a photo at Shelburne.

Mike Maurice:  I think somebody made a plastic, unpowered kit of a steam dummy...

I think it was On3, and I might even have one buried somewhere.   My brother and I

used to move around inside the dummy at Mammoth Cave.  You had the horizontal boiler down the middle with probably a tight squeeze for adults down each side.  I could believe somebody could curl up and hide down next to the boiler toward the front and remain out of sight of the engineer, but I do not believe any of these teakettles ran anywhere for hundreds of miles.  The Mammoth Cave route was probably about ten miles.   Their fuel and water capacity would not permit a long

run, nor, probably, a fast one, on rough track and that short wheelbase.

Over here in the Land of the Burlingtons, "dinky's" refers to commuter trains.

 

Rusty

"Dinky" is also what the fleet of tank switchers that the Great Western Sugar Co. maintained at their sugar factories on the high plains were called. 

Coloradohirailer..

How bout fireless cookers? Huge "boiler"..those tiny wheels..short runs much like the steam dummies..did not have much of a range either. Not exactly a traditional looking steam locomotive, also in that way, like a steam dummy.

 

 

 

Bruce

Guys,

I would suggest starting with a Lionel postwar 520 box cab electric as the frame and power. The body could be kit bashed in to a reasonable appearing version with a bit of work. 1800 series passenger cars could provide the windows. Just a thought if someone wants to attempt the project.

Regards,

Randall

electroliner:  Now THAT is an unusual Shay....a boxcab/steam dummy? Shay...I think I read "New York Central" on it... what did the road use it for?  Usually managing to be different, I prefer Heislers to Shays, and small two trucks to giant three trucks, so....that, too, is a DIY project.

http://www.railarchive.net/nyccollection/nyc7189.htm

This is a steam powered inspection car on display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis:

 

 

The NYC Shay switched 11th ave before the Highline and banning steam from the city.  The box was to not scare the horses and a flag man on a horse rode in front of the train at all times.

The name dinky was used for all kinds of small engines and critters. In New Jersey there is a one car electric train from princton jct to Princeton still today called the dinky.

Well, that Reading "Inspection Engine", in spite of its wheel arrangement, must be

larger than the "Hercules" steam dummy, which could not have accommodated anything close to that interior.  I have been to the St. Louis museum but don't remember it.  It is more evidence that there are a lot of interesting critters in steam history.  It would have been more economical to operate, but with a shorter range, than the type of "inspection engine" I am interested in, which look more like the usual steam locomotive, but with a "house", or truncated coach, built out over the front of the boiler, with elaborate "stairs" accessing the interior from the pilot, and a

stack sticking up out of a clerestory roof.  The "Black Diamond" would work to build

a steam dummy from, as it looks just like one, as in the "electoliner" photo above.

Something like the "Black Diamond" COULD have been pressed into revenue service

on a branch or underfunded short line and not even need to tow a coach.

Here's another inspection engine - Jenny Lind.  Rebuild from a 2-2-2 sister engine to the CVRR Pioneer to a 2-2-4.

 

 

 

 

John K

Lima specifically pushed the idea of Shays as switchers. In fact, Lima used two shays for their in-plant switching. No logs required. The idea or marketing was there, but nothing ever came of it, to any extent. Here is one of them doing exactly that. There were plans on the drawing boards for larger Shays for Class One switching, larger than the WM, but again, that was an intent, not a reality for most. By funny, I meant ironic.

 

Ford also used Shays as plant switchers.

 

Rusty

NOW we are getting there....what "MWB" has posted is the kind of critter I want to build, and a later version of that configuration(with four drivers)  is what is in the photo at Shelburne. That version looks much practical for revenue use, while the coach over the front of the boiler style I have seen heralded as an "inspection engine", does not (IMO).  Certainly if I get around to building it, it will be used for passenger traffic.