Delta trailing trucks

[r.cprmier]

Sheldon;
I wasn't aware of that; about the only thing I ever saw those pilot trucks under was a Berkshire, as you said.  I think the Texas's had them too.   I will look in the Steam Encyc." later on.  Did that Mike have an elesco feedwater?...

RIch

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

No, they had Worthington type SA feedwater heaters, Dual compound air pumps on the pilot deck, a la B&O, A large single sand dome like Lima berk, all weather cab, enclosed injector turret, and large tenders with six wheel buckeye trucks.

You would be real close just by putting an all weather cab and single alxe delta trailer on a C&O or NKP berk, except for the valve gear, these has Walshaert, not Baker.

Drawings and photos can be found in "The Locomotive Cyclopedia - vol 1" by Hundman Publishing - 1998.

They where, I believe, the third largest/heaviest mikes ever built.

Sheldon

[Atlantic Central]

Rich, I found a picture on the web at:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s800.jpg

Sheldon

[lanny]

Hi Gene,

Yes. That's where the Dremel with the cutter disk was very helpful. There is some careful cutting that needs to be done in order to thin the 'yoke'(?) where the truck is screwed to the body.

After I took those photos, I 'thinned' & 'evened'  that area with a small file. It really doesn't take too long and, as I said, the Spec Heavy Mtn runs very nicely with that truck. Piping and other detailing will make a 'kit bashed' ICRR Mtn look great. (There is a fair amount of material that needs to be taken off the back as well).

Someone mentioned the eBay source that posted. I found out that these are indeed 'new' 'repro' parts to fit old style Penn line and Varney locomotives. For the Spec Heavy Mtn it looks to me like only the first of the two would work very well...and it would have to be ground down too.

As to 'booster engines' on the Delta truck, I believe I am right in saying that ICRR did not use boosters, so if I accquired a Delta truck with boosters, they would need to be removed.

The Manuta Deltas (such as my picture shows) are not very accurate as far as i can tell, however a bit of added detailing wil make them workable. There is another eBay seller that sells these for $5.95 plus shipping. I think he has a few in stock. Use 'Mantua Truck' to do an eBay search.

lanny nicolet

[r.cprmier]

Sheldon;
OK, Bro; now ya got me all excited!!  I like the looks of that engine!!  I think one of my BLI heavy Mikes as a starting point, change the trucks on the tender, ala Greenway's brass sprung buckeyes, and-naturally-the omnipresent Elesco feedwater heater hanging, heavy-browed, offthe smokebox, the bell clanging inexorably beneath it.  The covered turret is a no-no, though.  Gotta see the plumbing!  I am sure if there are any DT&I purists reading this, they are probably frothing at the mouth by now!!   It would be like some other nut putting faivley pans on a NH EF-3, and asking me if I liked it...

OK:  Precision Delta and C&O pilot, here I come!  And now you know...the rest of the story!!

Seriously, I never saw a Mike with a sand dome like that!  What was Lima's reasons for the size; or was it just  dictated by the size of the engine?

Rich

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

Yes it is a very good looking loco! Lima built these for DT&I starting in 1940, very modern for a Mike when most roads where buying Berks and Northerns. I'm sure some of its features like the sand dome, front truck, etc, are actually the same parts as the typical Lima Berk.

My bigger question has always been, why the all weather cabs in Ohio? Not exactly the coldest winters by any means.

Not sure if you can really capture the look with a BLI mike, one most distintive feature is the straight boiler, common on lots of "modern" steam. Lima Berks and a ll their larger wheel arangement cosins, Reading T-1's, etc.

These locos may well be the most modern Mikes ever built. They where "super powered" from a boiler capacity/engine consumption standpoint, worked at 260 psi, and had all the "features" of the Berk.

And they sure are good looking. The Mantua mike is actually a very good starting point, but it would be a typical "big job" diecast build up.

Or Bachmann could do them!!!!!!!! I would buy at least 6. maybe more. Somebody mass produces them and I will make them the backbone of my freight power.

Sheldon

[r.cprmier]

Or Bachmann could do them!!!!!!!! I would buy at least 6. maybe more. Somebody mass produces them and I will make them the backbone of my freight power.

Hear that, Johann?  I believe someone once uttered the line; "If you build it, they will come"...

Sheldon;
I have a couple of Mantua MIkes older than Methusla, and I am getting intrigued by this.  Besides, I know I can find a tender to put behind them (no no-not the Mantua ones!!), and if I am going that far, why I bet I could squeeze in a Tsunami also...

Rich

ld squeeze a Tsunami in also!

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

I carried the book to the work shop and compaired the drawing to a Mantua mike I have laying around. A new sand dome and steam dome and the boiler is spot on. Precision scale still makes the all weather cab that fits those mikes. Its not exactly like the DT&I one, but its close. A better tender, some detail parts, there you are.

And Alliance makes a nice can motor conversion for those locos.

Hurry up Johann, tell Mr. Riley before we get started on these conversions.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Shoot,
Johann, tell Mr. Riley you have an order for 50 Delta trailing trucks between about three members. 
Here's mine:
2 USRA light Pacifics
1 USRA heavy Mountain
2 USRA light Mountains (maybe 4)
6 USRA light Mikes
1 USRA heavy Mike
1 USRA light Santa Fe
1 USRA heavy Santa Fe
1 generic heavy Santa Fe
1 USRA light Mallet

That's 18 Delta trailing trucks from one person.  Up front.
Gene
Maybe a few more.

[Atlantic Central]

And,

I would take at least 10 now that I count, for my:

5 USRA heavy Mountains
2 USRA light Mikes
3 USRA 2-6-6-2's

Looks like a lot of money to made Mr. Riley

Sheldon

[lanny]

And,

Add me in for a dozen of them!

lanny nicolet

[r.cprmier]

I think you guys might be missing the point here.  I understand your desire for parts-in particular, that Delta truck; however, in order for you to have them, they first must reach your LHR, or whomever you deal with.  Mr. Riley, an importer, is not a manufacturer; Kader is THE manufacturer.  A nominal production run of anything rarely includes an inordinate amount of spare parts as ancillary items for sale; usually just enough of everything is made to cover thier operation, with some extra for the goof factor-not nearly enough to be called a parts for sale proposition. certainly the aspect of marketing such in that case, woudn't be a priority-not for Kader, not for anyone else, either.
For those parts to appear,  a production schedule would have to be put into effect for them, et al.  It wold be poor practice to have a work force jumping willy nilly from one small lot run to another, when you already have a profit in sight in a larger production operation of a whole finished product.

This , I think, is why guys like George Sellios and Bob VanGelder operate like they do-produce 500 kits; once they are gone, they are gone.  They have made a good profit, with no loose ends, other than warranty issues, if any.

Here is where, I believe, people like Precision, Greenway, Bowser, et al have their place, because they DO do small lot production runs-you will pay the price for that; but, in my eyes, it is worth it, considering the quality of the product-not knocking Kader or anyone else here-and the fact that is is made available in the first place!

So, to initiate the production of those parts by kader, (they) will have to set up a production schedule for it.  That may or may not happen, depending on their set-up and priorities.  A simple thing, no?  No!
WHile I am not making up excuses for Kader, Riley, or anyone else, I am pointing out how this all comes together.  Believe me when I say, cash is king, and profit is cash.  This happens in any business, large or small-like mine.

Rich

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

I understand and agree, to a point. Actually however this is not the case with much of the industry. Many of bachmann's biggest competitors have no problem suppling parts for their products.

Examples:

Athearn - Except for the geared drivers for a loco they did not actually make, I have never had any problem getting Athearn parts. That includes getting parts for the brand new, China made, new tooling, 50' ice reefers. When I recently needed parts for these new 50' reefers, I sent an E-mail and recieved the parts in a week. Athearn is bigger than Bachmann, at least from the standpoint of the size of their US line, but yet they manage to run a complete parts department.

Proto2000 - I have bought long lists of replacement parts for kitbashing from them for numerious products in their line. Same story, called them up, gave them part numbers and payment info, presto! parts show up in the mail. Only the last few production runs before the Walthers take over seem to be short on parts, and Larry at the Walthers parts department says they are working to correct this. Basicly the interum owners of Life Like stiffed them to save a dollar or two. This product line is also made in China.

Both of these companies simply order a fixed precentage of parts with every run. And, in fact the part in question is used on several locos and now the locos in question are being supplied with both trailing trucks.

Kader needs to realize it is not selling toys to children but rather is selling operating models to adults and provide service beyond simple wholesale replacement of product. Then this parts inventory would do double duty and earn its keep. Just like it does at Athearn, Walthers, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc. As I have said before, a working parts department would be the crowning touch to what has moved from a cheap toy trains to one of the industries best products.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Rich,
I have to agree with Sheldon.  Case in point, I have two Bachmann USRA 0-6-0s from their more recent run, which means they don't have opoerating front couplers.  So I called Life Like and asked about a pilot.  Now both Bachmann USRA 0-6-0s have a pilot, hence an operating front coupler, courtesy of Life Like.
If nothing else, they can salvage parts from returns. 
Why have a part number in the diagram if there are no parts to match the number? 
Gene