Your favorite Odd-Ball Trains

I hear George Jetson was the engineer on this one:

And let's take a perfectly good Shay and dieselize it:

Rusty

Here is a .pdf file about Reading 65...it was unusual.

And you all know how I feel about the "Stiesel Shay"  ....absolutely love it!   Somebody needs to tool up a model...right now !

Found a photo on Facebook right after you commented about it.  

That and I know of a guy on facebook who made a shay diesel in HO( I think.)

And then..................

That blue thing looks like something out of India.  The wheels look like it was made, as some logging engines were here, to run on wooden pole roads.  Since they have only commercially built, in three rail, oversize three truck Heislers, I would grab a model of that one above, in three rail, as much closer to the version desired.

Let's set sail on Ingalls Ship Building's GM&O 1900:

Rusty

Inspection Locomotives

The San Luis Southern, in south central Colorado had (has)...they were down to just a wye and short lead off of old D&RGW std. gauge outside Alamosa....an odd ball, homebuilt "locomotive" that looks like a very tall caboose, with a cupola, for engineer, on top, and man doors in each end on the sides.  It looks vaguely like the diesel shay above....no..you would have to look twice at the "Shay"... the SLS critter would take one double take.  On my to-do list is an inspection engine, and a steam coach as pictured in the RR station at the Shelburne, Vt.  museum.

colorado hirailer posted:

That blue thing looks like something out of India.  The wheels look like it was made, as some logging engines were here, to run on wooden pole roads.  Since they have only commercially built, in three rail, oversize three truck Heislers, I would grab a model of that one above, in three rail, as much closer to the version desired.

Yes, it's from India. It's a hybrid monorail, I guess. The majority of the weight is on the single rail visible under the pilot beam. The road wheel is an outrigger that ran on whatever was handy, like wooden beams or even the road surface next to the rail line. Loads too heavy for a roadway could be carried without a lot of extra space.

I forgot I had a second file, here are a few more cool odditys...

An interesting steam motor coach, a predecessor to the McKeen Motor Car.  A failure, but still an experiment to see if a steam engine could power such a vehicle.  Steam Motor Cars with a reasonable success rate didn't come around until about the 1920's.  Sadly steam started going out only 20 years later, destroying the chance of many of the cars being built. 

A rare photo of the Adams Express, created in 1899 to 1900, it was designed to be perfectly aerodynamic.  As I remember, one trial showed speeds of 80MPH.

The more common photo of the Adams Express. 

An interesting steam motor car, Although interesting to look at, I would like to see one of these built in O scale.  

Possibly a knock off of the McKeen Cars?  This trailer car was home built in Alaska (If I remember right.)

Another Steam Coach attempt. 

ATSF Switcher engine.

The "GG1/2"

Another view.

Not really an oddity, but interesting non the less, who can name her first?

How about the "Darth Vader" Amtrak Cascades Talgo set?

Madison Kirkman posted:

 

Not really an oddity, but interesting non the less, who can name her first?

Carrot Top?  

Chas posted:

Madison Kirkman posted:

 

Not really an oddity, but interesting non the less, who can name her first?

Carrot Top?  

 

Not exactly, hint, she's driving something she's not famous for.  

Amelia Erhart?

WM's "jitney" at BOWEST yard near Connellsville,PA.
WW Jenkins collection

CarGuyZM10 posted:

Amelia Erhart?

I knew that,  I just didn't want to steal your thunder.  

The Delaware and Hudson had ALCO build them the L.F. Loree, named after the D&H president, in 1933. It was a four cylinder non-articulated Mallet 4-8-0 with higher pressure cylinders under the cab and low pressure ones up front, plus tender booster truck.  All drive rods, from front and rear cylinders went to the second set of drivers.  It was a very efficient steamer,  but not enough to compete with diesels.  Those two steam coaches pictured above, somewhat similar to some inspection engines, and to the photo at Shelburne, are what I want to build/kitbash.  I have not even heard of a model of one in HO.  (nor of the L.F. Loree)

That "McKeen" coach looks too professional to be a homebuild, and McKeen made trailer coaches and even a bus body in that porthole configuration, as Kirkman can probably attest. (it's railbus tow power sure looks homebuilt...wonder if that is standard or narrow gauge, and on what Alaska RR?)

Much later steam coaches than the "New England" pictured above, but similar, except for the Unit-Stanley (built by the Stanley steam car maker, and so it had a steam engine and boiler similar to the cars, and no external cylinders or drive rods), were built by ALCO and Baldwin, and a few others, some, uh, unusual lookiing.

colorado hirailer posted:

That "McKeen" coach looks too professional to be a homebuild, and McKeen made trailer coaches and even a bus body in that porthole configuration, as Kirkman can probably attest. (it's railbus tow power sure looks homebuilt...wonder if that is standard or narrow gauge, and on what Alaska RR?)

Much later steam coaches than the "New England" pictured above, but similar, except for the Unit-Stanley (built by the Stanley steam car maker, and so it had a steam engine and boiler similar to the cars, and no external cylinders or drive rods), were built by ALCO and Baldwin, and a few others, some, uh, unusual lookiing.

I don't know, looking at the axles, it looks like it was built on the same frame work as the truck in front of it, a double axle truck, and then a single large wheel axle in the back.  I would have to find it again, but it was one of the major railroads in Alaska at the time, if I remember right.  

And about the steam coaches, the Unit Steam Engine Company (?) was what I was talking about, I don't remember the Stanley part however.  Also, just a side note, M-103 of the ATSF, a McKeen Car was outfitted with a Unit Steam Engine truck after being sold to the San Antonia and Aransas Pass in 1922.  

Oops..sorry...I did not realize that was your posting, as I scanned back through.  Certainly, anything was possible when it comes to hammering together rolling stock in short line or remote shops (think Galloping Goose), or that weird loco the San Luis Southern ginned up (wish I could post that photo).  But in that vein, finding a body and swapping out the trucks for (hoped for) better tracking would be within most RIP track capability, vs. finding porthole windows for a body built in Alaska from the ground up.  The Unit-Stanleys, like, apparently all of the steam coaches, were not successful, so it is interesting that they repowered a McKeen with one of the engines, although repowering and modifying McKeens with diesel (and maybe "distillate", whatever that is)  engines seems to have been standard operating procedure.  This is what I like about shortline railroading of the past, all of the interesting "critters" they devised.

colorado hirailer posted:

 

(and maybe "distillate", whatever that is) 

Basically homemade alcohol, i.e. corn liquor. Back in the day a lot of farmers used this in their tractors instead of buying gasoline. If you have seen old advertising signs or ads describing farm tractors as "triple fuel", or similar wording, it means they can run on gasoline, kerosene, or alcohol.

Chas posted:

How about the "Darth Vader" Amtrak Cascades Talgo set?

TurboTrain: "EMD Never told you about your father."

Talgo Train: "They told me enough! They said you scrapped him!"

TurboTrain: "No. I AM YOUR FATHER"

Talgo Train: "That's impossible!"

TurboTrain: "Search your computers. You'll know it to be true!"

For oddball stuff (that isn't really oddball) I like a lot of the fireless, compressed air and smaller "critter" type locomotives that were used for mining and around hazardous industrial areas. Don't know why, they're just cool to me.

As a kid, I rode quite a bit with my grandfather on one of those steel lugged farm tractors, that ran on kerosene and gasoline...  (that would horrify the safety weenies, as would our riding in the bed of the pickup...no child seats or seat belts back there)  I was there when a flatbed truck brought in a shiny new orange Case on rubber tires, and hauled away the lugged one, which brand name I cannot pull up.  (seems it was lettered for kerosene and gasoline but said nothing about distillate, and may have been the brand that became "Farmall) It was one noisy tractor.

A stack of old "Model Train" bound magazines I am looking at has a big "picture" (not a photo, may be a drawing or etching) of Baldwin's #5000, P&R's (Reading's) #507, a 4-2-2 built in 1880 with powered levers to press all the weight on the many (two) drivers starting up, and then transfer part of it to the trailing truck.  P&R ordered it because they were breaking side rods and wanted to eliminate side rods.  Baldwin built only the one.

Home-made critters in an atmosphere of penny-pinching produces some neat stuff: http://www.geocities.ws/loggin...1/BVT/brittons1.html

Also, I believe the railcar pulling the McKeen trailer was on the Skagit River RR, a dam construction railway in Washington state run by Seattle Light & Power. As a construction road, it had plenty oddities, with steam, diesel, gasoline and electric included. 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pini...8a58b56ef2f7bb67.jpg

Here's a rail-mounted version of a Foden steam road truck:

Here is a recent find, a Mexican locomotive, no information on it though. 

And if you look hard enough, you'll notice the round pane of glass on the back of this observation.  If anyone recognizes it, please let me know, I didn't have any info on it when I found the image.   

The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Gooses

Madison:

Your Mexican locomotive is a 102 ton "Fairlie" built by Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, England in 1911. Scotsman Robert Fairlie designed these double ended locomotives. The principle behind them was to a maximize adhesion and tractive effort by placing all possible weight on two sets of truck or "bogie" mounted drivers in a manner similar to the way in which diesel locomotives evolved. A key element in Mr. Fairlie's desire to increase weight over the drivers was to dispense with the tender and carry all fuel aboard the locomotive making it a tank engine in essence. While single ended Fairlie locomotives exist, the designer, although not the originator of the concept of a double ended steam locomotive, also desired to eliminate the need for turning facilities so most of his locomotives are of double ended construction.

A number of Fairlies are still in existence, several of which can be seen in operation on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in Wales. I posted a few pictures of these below.

Bob

CNJ 3676 posted:

Madison:

Your Mexican locomotive is a 102 ton "Fairlie" built by Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, England in 1911. Scotsman Robert Fairlie designed these double ended locomotives. The principle behind them was to a maximize adhesion and tractive effort by placing all possible weight on two sets of truck or "bogie" mounted drivers in a manner similar to the way in which diesel locomotives evolved. A key element in Mr. Fairlie's desire to increase weight over the drivers was to dispense with the tender and carry all fuel aboard the locomotive making it a tank engine in essence. While single ended Fairlie locomotives exist, the designer, although not the originator of the concept of a double ended steam locomotive, also desired to eliminate the need for turning facilities so most of his locomotives are of double ended construction.

A number of Fairlies are still in existence, several of which can be seen in operation on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in Wales. I posted a few pictures of these below.

Bob

 

   

 

Now you've got me interested, what do the single ended Fairlies look like?  

What about the old monorail made by Baldwin in 1879?

CNJ 3676 posted:

Mason Machine Works of Taunton, MA became the American licensee of the Fairlie Patent design. Mason built what came to be known as the "Mason Bogie". It retained the principle characteristic of the British built locomotive: the pivoting power truck or bogie, hence the locomotive's name. The Mason Bogie, however, was built as a single ended locomotive as it was thought, in accordance with American practice, the double boiler configuration limited the fuel supply and necessitated a somewhat cramped cab. In addition, with plentiful space available for the construction of turning facilities in many locations, the benefit afforded by the bid-directional nature of a locomotive with two boilers was not as great. Posted below is an image of a Mason Bogie which was sold to the New York and Manhattan Beach Railroad. It featured the fuel bunker supported by a trailing truck behind a more spacious cab. More than 140 Mason Bogies were built by the company between 1871 and 1890. Perhaps the most famous of these were the locomotives which operated on the Denver, South Park and Pacific.

Other Fairlie "Single" locomotives were constructed but I thought I'd use a North American example for my explanation. I hope this helps. 

Bob

 

Ohh, ok, I've seen these before, didn't know they were the same design idea, kinda.  I'd love to see those modeled, but they wouldn't be perfect without all of the gold striping.  Has anyone here scratch built one of these Mason Bogies? 

BRASSTRAINS.COM had an L.M. Blum On3 DSP&P Mason Bogie in stock recently:

http://brasstrains.com/Classic...-28-Some-Foam-Damage

Also, EDM Models of York, England offers a kit to build one of the Ffestiniog Railway's Double Fairlie locomotives in O scale narrow gauge:

http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/EDM_Models/N1/me1.html

Bob