Place and Time

[ebtnut]

Well, I got the photos working today, so I guess it was some ISP glitch.  One note on the USS Wheeling.  That's about the same type of gunboat that was represented by the San Pablo, the centerpiece of the novel "The Sand Pebbles" that was made into a movie starring Steve McQueen. 

[J3a-614]

Glad the photos worked out.

I also have to thank Colorado Mac, J. S. Ward, and another (not named as he sent an off-line message, so I'm assuming he prefers privacy) for their kind words as they recalled another time in a very old city on the Ohio.

I have turned up some more material (including a fair number of trolley photos, and even a video clip of the surviving Wheeling Public Service car in operation at a museum in New England), and that stuff combined with what's already here has me thinking about moving this material to a special Wheeling or West Virginia thread when I get the time (I should be a librarian!), but in the meantime I wonder if anybody does model anything outside the Colorado Rockies or the Appalachians!  

I kind of do encourage responses.  I understand the management here does read things, and just maybe it can help get something you want into production--like a colorful red and black Rock Island GP-7!

Oh, I've been doing a bit of research on the new 2-6-6-2, and one of the things that surprised me was that the original locomotive class, a single prototype in Class H, with a production order in Class H-1 (all this circa 1911 or thereabouts) turned out to be a pioneering engine design that would, with certain detail changes, be used by a number of roads, including Norfolk & Western, Baltimore & Ohio (inherited in a merger with the Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh in 1930), Denver & Rio Grande Western and Southern Pacific, and possibly others.  One of these engines even got a replacement tender that is in Bachmann's parts stores; I'll let you guess which one it is for now.  At least one of these other roads, and a second one that got engines from the first are, in my opinion (but remember, I'm not the boss here), candidates that could be something to consider for production with relatively minimal tooling costs.  This is in addition to a couple of more C&O classes that could be made with even less modification--and Rye Guy will like this, one of those ran on the model Gorre & Daphetid.  This particular C&O series is significant in that two examples survive today, and these two engines are the next to last and the very last individual steam locomotives to be built by Baldwin for a North American railroad.

Even if Bachmann decided not to make these engines, they may still be doable with some extensive redetailing (including moving air compressors to the left side and coming up with a different smokebox front for most of them).  If I get the time, I'll try to start a thead on the subject.

Anticipate!

(Now, if I could only figure out how to make money at this. . .)

[J3a-614]

Been a bit busy, but did find this site with some contemporary photos.  I'll let you decide whether you like the new or the old better:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=794844

Enjoy.