Interchangeable Wheelsets or Drive Rods?

[TheTravinator]

Hello, all! After much lurking, I've finally decided to sign up, since I'm getting into On30 now.

Anyway, my planned layout is based loosely on the fictional Tomahawk & Western Railroad, from the 1950 comedy/Western "A Ticket to Tomahawk." The primary motive power is to be T&W Baldwin 4-6-0 #1, the Emma Sweeney.



You can probably already see my problem here: The On30 4-6-0 doesn't come with Stephenson valve gear. Is it possible to swap out the drive wheels on the 4-6-0 model for those on the 2-6-0, or do I need to figure out some other way to change out the drive and side rods?

Thanks very much!

[robinstrains]

Hi there, i know the movie you are writing about. Swapping one set of drivers or side rods from a 4-6-0 to 2-6-0  or for that matter any combination is not possible most times . For example, let's take 2, 0-6-0s they look the same the drivers are the same but what about the centre to centre of each axel ? Are they the same? That means the side rods will not fit.that's because the crank pins are in different locations on a wheel / wheels.
Let's say you managed to get the drivers and side rods to match up, then what about the valve rods and all the other stuff that go with it?
Each model is unique in its construction, tolerance's on model trains are very tight, one just can't shoehorn in another part and expect it to run well unless you are master model builder.
What you could do to have the Stevenson valve gear is to find a model that already has what you want, then add the boiler and cab to fit from another model that you may already have. That's the challenge we encounter sometimes in our hobby. All in all keep it fun and relaxing.
You could also make up a story why your particular loco does not have one widget or anothe. I have encountered many rivet counters out there,but at the end of the day the bottom line is to have fun.
Enjoy!!
Robin.

[TheTravinator]

Got it. Thanks! I'll see what I can find.

[ryeguyisme]

why not take a 4-6-0 and take the extra valve gear off of it??