ICRR #908 all done!

[lanny]

Hi all,

I have finally finished ICRR #908 Consolidation (based on a Spectrum 2-8-0). All that remains now is the tender. Here are some photos: first, what I started with, and then several views of the 'finished' product. I have not, as yet, decided about weathering the model. This particular Spec 2-8-0 is 'DCC ready', not the newer 'DCC Onbaord" version.


The basic Spectrum 2-8-0


Left side #908


Right Side top of boiler.


Boiler front view.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Very nice, Lanny.  Why did the IC bother to place the pumps on the pilot deck?  Surely tunnel clearance wasn't much of a factor and the pumps surely didn't have to be enormous, even for a large Consolidation.
Gene

[lanny]

Thanks, Gene.

About the pilot airpumps: I don't know the answer as to why ICRR did that. Perhaps 'Orsonroy' or Brad, or some other ICRR expert can give an answer.

I do know that early ICRR series Pacifics, Mikes, 2-10-2s and Mountains had side boiler mounted airpumps. But once the Paducah shops worked on a locomotive, it generally came out with the boxy Paducah dome and pilot mounted airpumps.

lanny nicolet

[r.cprmier]

Lanny;
Very nice, well done-and you needed my pictures?  For what?!!  You are very good at this.

Rich

[lanny]

Again, thanks for the kind words, Rich. One thing I have found is that there are some really great modelers out there, and some of that work has been shown on this forum. Photos of your excellent work and others, gives me a 'goal' to strive for. I have a lot to learn, but this aspect of model railroading is particularly satisfying to me.

I have a couple ICRR Spec Connies to do for other IC modelers and that too, is satisfying. After they are done, I am going to do a Spec Heavy Mountain patterned after the great photos Stephen Warrington shot for my of ICRR #2542 in McComb, MS.

lanny nicolet

[oldline1]

Lanny,

Congratulations on a very nice conversion! You've made a really neat model out of the stock 2-8-0. Thanks for sharing your experience and photos with us from the beginning.

As to the air pumps being located on the pilot deck I talked to some old Western Maryland Ry engine crews and they told me the WM did the same thing with their H-8 class 2-8-0's for weight distribution and tracking. Apparently this reduced the weight on the drivers making it easier on the engine and track. They were aware of this as they were paid by the weight on drivers as well as time on the road and this was a big concern for them. They also said it had something to do with the extreme weight on one side of the boiler causing stress cracks.

I thnk it made the H-8 an even better looking machine!

Thanks again!
Roger

[Orsonroy]

Very nice, Lanny.  Why did the IC bother to place the pumps on the pilot deck?  Surely tunnel clearance wasn't much of a factor and the pumps surely didn't have to be enormous, even for a large Consolidation.
Gene

Hi Gene,

When the IC rebuilt these engines in the early 1940s they moved the air pumps to the pilot deck for one reason: balance. Weight distribution is pretty important to an engine's overall performance, and especially it's repair schedule. In general, it's desirable to have as much weight hanging over the drivers as possible, but not when that weight is improperly distributed. If one side of an engine weighs more than the other (and those two pumps weight almost a ton by themselves) that side of the engine will wear more than the other, meaning that the replacement time for the tires, bearings, and even drive rods will be sooner than on the other side. And since you replace all of those things on both sides of the engine at the same time, that means the railroad will be "wasting" the bearings and drivers on the opposite side of the engine.

Frugal railroads (and the IC was VERY frugal) don't like to waste anything, so they moved the pumps to the deck. The IC was also a fantastic steam designer (they're VERY under-appreciated by the steam fan world, which tends to focus on "superpower" engines, very few of which could match the performance of their home made 2800 series 2-10-2s or 2600-series 4-8-2s, both technically "pre-superpower" engines), and probably realized some performance advantage by adding the pumps tot he pilot.

[Bojangle]

Lanny:
Beautiful workmanship.  You have certainly earned the right to be proud of your creation.  I am curious what material you used to remake the dome on top.  It looks like an original casting or forging.   
Bo

[lanny]

Hi Bo,

Thanks for the kind words. As to the domes on the top. The small dome closest to the cab is a small brass detail part from 'Greenway Products'. Added to this are Cal-Scale 'pop-valves' (only the top 1/3 of the valve is used) and Cal Scale 'glove valve' with a piece of .35 styrene rod for the base and .015 phosphor bronze wire running through the existing hole on the 'glove valve'.

This 'scratch, kit bashed' dome is directly from Ray's (Orsonroy) instructions. He gave me the info on parts needed as well as what needed to be done to put it all together.

The steam dome is the Bachmann original dome that comes on the Connie. However, the ICRR #900 class Connies, had a flat top on the steam dome, so it required filing and sanding to simulate a 'true' ICRR steam dome.

Of course the Paducah sand dome is completely scratch built, all out of styrene. Jon Grant has done something similar iwht his #908, but he used brass for the sand dome wrapper along with styrene to create his dome.

lanny nicolet

[lanny]

(bump) ... here you go, Stephen. Yours is coming! 

lanny nicolet

[Stephen Warrington]

  Very very nice Lanny,

I am looking forward to mine, and no more car kits for me RTR or I am not buying it after destroying a simple Accurail 40' stock car tonight unless I can find someone to build them for me at a reasonable price. Nerve damaged hands really really suck and so does having a bad eye that doctors are scared to touch.

Stephen

[Bojangle]

Stephen:
I hear you on the RTR.  I still have good hands, but have Macular Degeneration, which takes away central vision.  I really miss doing delicate detailing like Lanny does.  Years ago, I ran HO slot cars, and I delighted in bashing the cars,  even hand built a  chassis out of brass.  I looked at it today as I packed up the cars for my son, and wondered how I ever did it.

I got lucky with my 2-8-0. a UP 618, the actual loco is still steaming in Utah, and I think mine is pretty close to scale.   We are planning a trip, to take a ride and get up close photos.  If mine needs "scaling", I'm calling Lanny. 

Bo

[ICRR]

Congratulations on a job well done! I'll have to do to my photo file tomorrow and look up the two or three shots I got of 908 in 1956 in the Kankakee roundhouse. What a memory. Thanks for the sharing of your work.

George Waltershausen

[lanny]

George,

If you have those shots in JPEG format and would be willing to send them to me for my file, I would really appreciate it. Contact me offline if that is a possibility.

Thanks for your kind words.

lanny nicolet

[Bill Baker]

Lanny,

I have looked off and on your post since you placed it back on June 23rd and a question just came to mind.  How did you remove the original Spectrum sand dome?  Did you use Xacto knives or Dremmel tools or just what?  You do wonderful work!

Thanks, Bill