Climax geared logging loco

[relaxinghobby]

After a month I'm still waiting for the first coat of paint to dry, I had a cunning plan to mix the enamel paint with boiled linseed oil

which gives a lovely smooth coat but takes a few days extra to dry and harden. But I had run out and so used some Artist oil paint extender

from Windsor and Newton instead. Artist like their oils to take ages to dry so that they can re-work them, oh dear that's what's happened to the Humbrol

paint I mixed it with to create the first coat.

 

It's nearly dry but I'm still waiting.

[relaxinghobby]

 

The Climax is now bright yellow, the colour was inspired by pictures of wooden North American boxcars, I don't know what colour the extensive wooden cabs of these lumber jack locos would have been supplied in. So I guessed.

 

Do these kind of articulated loco motives count as Garretts ?

The home made transfers did not comes out very neat, although they worked as transfers, building up layers of paint and varnish on waxed paper and then floating them into place on the model with water and a brush.

Crew need to be added and some weathering done to tone down that yellow a bit, it could never be lost inn the woods.

 

 

 

[Arthur]

No, they're not classed as Garratts, the Garratt was a particular design of articulated locomotive with conventional direct drive from cylinder to crank axle. The Climax was one of a number of designs of articulated, gear driven, locomotives largely used in the States in logging and mining operations. They were designed for use on roughly laid track with sharp bends and undulations, and being geared, could move heavy loads but only at low speeds.

The three main types were the Shay, the Heisler and the Climax.

The Climax had cylinders mounted conventionally either side of the boiler but at a steep angle. They drove a transverse crank shaft under the boiler which, through a series of gears and bevels, drove small wheeled trucks.

 

All the types are illustrated here;

 

http://www.gearedsteam.com/

[John M]

Relaxinghobby's engine is close to an type A Climax which was basically powered by a vertical steam engine mounted in the cab http://www.gearedsteam.com/climax/images/class-a.jpg

 

I like the lettering typical of Climax

 

If you are looking for something really different AG Price in New Zealand built a range of geared steam locos including Climax and Heisler clones including the Price 16 Wheeler a 4 truck version of the Climax A http://www.trainweb.org/nzsteam/price.htm

 

John

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

There were versions of these geared type engines that had wheels that looked a bit like car wheels with the tyre removed so that they could run on rails made of logs! Bottom picture here:

 

http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/climax/climax.htm

 

Now there is a challenge...

 

If you haven't been on the museum of retro technology website then do so but you will loose a huge amount of time there! Brilliant stuff.

 

Nice use of Ernie too by the way Relaxing Hobby!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[relaxinghobby]

Well it looks like I've ended up with a Dunkirk/Climax Hybrid. As a model I needed the right shape body to hide the motor and drive shaft and this is what I ended up with.

[alastairq]

Quiet excellent and effective use of Ernie chassis!

 

How about some pilots either end? [i know you wanted some dumb buffers, but pilots would tidy up the ends of the UE trucks...??] I doubt they'd have pilot steps for UK usage....but the pilot itself would add character.

[relaxinghobby]

The Climax is now dirtied up and has crew added. Here is number 5 pushing a wagon up the bank to the coal wharf.

 

 

 

None of these photos show the loco very well, I'll return later with some better ones.

[relaxinghobby]

 

 

 

The bright yellow has been toned down with matt varnish and then some dirty brown dry brushed on to dirty it up a bit.

 

This scene shows the Beattie tank is waiting at the platform while the Climax shunts the coal wharf. The short passenger train is an old Grafar 00 coach with two compartments removed. Makes an ideal local train to pass through an industrial railway like this where clearances can be to tight for longer wheel base rolling stock.

 

Must get some fences up on the back of that platform before some inch high plastic guy fall down the drop hole under the coal siding.

[relaxinghobby]

 

Since posting this picture with the Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd 8 plank wagon in it, it's a Bachmann model.

I chose it because it seemed to suit a pre-grouping / early grouping period layout.

I've since found out that S and L where a big steel producer and had there own wagon fleet to carry coal

and iron ore to their blast furnaces.

 

The question is would one be seen delivering coal to a small local coal wharf supplying local retail coal

merchants like the one depicted on my layout. Where S and L ltd involved in such 'small trade'?

I suppose they could have hired out their wagon for this purpose.

[relaxinghobby]

At last a picture of the prototype from Geared Steam Locomotive website to proove I was true to a real loco and had done my

research before cutting plastic, an A class Climax with T shape boiler. 

 

Although mine has better shelter for the crew, or in modeling terms having solid sides to the cab make the plasticard model stronger.

 

http://www.gearedsteam.com/climax/images/concave.jpg

 

This picture shows one on wide double flanged wheels for running on wooden log tracks. I've still got to improve my bogie side frames.