2-6-4t kitbash

[M Graff]

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:

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:

 

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

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:

 

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! ´. What do you think about the project?

[Horsetan]

That's very convincing to my eyes, even though the Americans didn't seem to go in for 2-6-4Ts in any major way. You might want to consider:

 

- replacing the smokebox door handle with a more American roundel plate bearing the engine's number or railroad initials, maybe?

- getting rid of the middle "rib" of the chimney to accentuate the stovepipe stack.

[RedgateModels]

Cracking!

 

I have a 2-6-2 tender loco like this to fix sometime, but your tank engine looks great

[M Graff]

Thanks for the good ideas! A new plate or evetually a new smokebox door would be nice, I have another chimney for it now, so I will replace it as well.

[Sir Madog]

Take a little bit of Germany, a fair dose of the US, add a little Swedish flavor and there you have - a very nice looking loco!

[Mike Boucher]

I like it! Good work, and makes for a neat looking loco. B) And you could do a lot worse for inspriation than John Allen, he was years ahead of his time.

 

For even more of an American look, here are a few more suggestions:

 

- Add a headlight and bell somewhere. Center of the smokebox door would be a good place for the headlight, and the bell could be on a mount in front of the stack, hanging over the smokebox front. (for example, a Boston and Maine pacific: http://bm-railfan.smugmug.com/Trains/Boston-and-Maine-Railroad/92020_spYPG/6/9457285_Fj3WU#9457285_Fj3WU)

 

- extend the footboards from the front of the tank, over the cylinders, and have a step from the pilot beam up to the footboard.

[M Graff]

Thanks all, I have made some "small"alterations to the loco, I have now added front and rear lights and a bell , I have installed a decoder as well (a standard ESU lokpilot). The chimney is straight as well. Only some footboards to add B).

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.

[M Graff]

I have now added front and rear lights and a bell , I have installed a decoder as well (a standard ESU lokpilot). The chimney is straight as well. Only some footboards to add B).

 

Here are the pics of it as it stands today:

The addition of the lights and bell made a big difference I think. I also straightened the chimney as well.

This is how it looks like with the warm white LED on:

I will add some small details on it and maybe a brakeman on the pilot.

This was a real satisfying project, and I will try to find more scrap locos to modify in the future, any known ones out there?