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Part 13: Kitbashed steam engine for my railroad

M Graff

Entry posted by M Graff

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And now for something completely different :D

I've always been inspired by John Allen and his layout; The Gorre & Daphetid RR.

What some do not realize is that he built almost everything himself, including the locomotives.

Many of them had no direct prototype for the model, but was built to suit his fictional railroads requirements :).

I myself have had a project that has had the time to mature for a little while (about 20 years .....), but now the parts that I needed to do it miraculously had ended up in the same box at the construction table ;).

My layout was in need of a bigger switcher, I have a 0-6-0t saddle tanker and it's a bit small.

A 2-6-4t would probably be the model, as I´ve always liked the look of that particular type of locomotive.

I had half a chassis from a Mantua-locomotive, and some mixed bits and pieces ....

I had found this scrapped shell a while ago, now it became useful:

DSC02163.JPG

Here's how it looked after the first fitting, shorter tanks, another cab, a two-axle bogie, rebuilt drive etc. etc.

I had a Mashima open frame motor that runs like a clock, so I decided to use it for this project.

I made the driveshaft from old Athearn parts.

Here you can see some of the new parts on the locomotive made of white plasticard:

DSC02177.JPG

 

The shell is fixed with a single screw under the smokebox:

DSC02182.JPG

I sandwiched a nut between some pieces of plasticard. It will probably not come off sometimes soon....

 

A little painting, marking and weathering later it looks like this:

DSC02186.JPG

 

DSC02189.JPG

After an hours break-in it runs like a watch! I'm very happy with how it turned out, and that it hasn´t got a prototype? It doesn´t bother me at all! :D

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Mikkel
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Brilliant, I really like this. Looks totally convincing to me.

 

I'm also an admirer of the Gorre & Daphetid RR. It's an odd thing that as modellers we always praise creativity, yet there is also a notion that models that have no prototype are somehow not quite "worthy". Surely to create something that never existed but still looks real is about as creative as you can get?

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Will Vale

I like it too - lots of mass and presence from the front, and a charming, slightly ramshackle quality from the side. Great stuff!

 

I wonder if the prevalence of the "prototype or bust" attitude in UK outline modelling is because in a small country it's hard to reasonably 'hide' a fictional railway system? I guess in the current period it would be feasible to create fictional TOCs or leasing companies now that the ownership of the infrastructure and stock are separated. Hmm...

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GWRfan

It looks great and it is true that anyting "made up" as an British engine seems to look false but with a country the size of the USA it seems convincing.

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Campaman

Brilliant, I really like this. Looks totally convincing to me.I'm also an admirer of the Gorre & Daphetid RR. It's an odd thing that as modellers we always praise creativity, yet there is also a notion that models that have no prototype are somehow not quite "worthy". Surely to create something that never existed but still looks real is about as creative as you can get?

 

In a way just about all of our model railways are something that didn't exist in relation to the actiual trackplan and layout, as even if we are modelling a prototype we generally have to shorten or change it to fit it in.

 

Love the loco, I have a old 040 that could do with a bit of a revamp, this has given me inspiration.

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M Graff

Thanks all, I have made some "small"alterations to the loco, I have added lights and a bell :), and I have installed a decoder.

I can´t really grasp how well it runs, considering the "Frankenstein" type of build... (lots of parts from several donors).

I have thoroughly tested it on the layout now and it behaves REALLY well :)

It shunts as the other good steamers I have, and it has a really nice amount of pulling power. It is due to the fact that it is a lot of weight in it.

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