Spectrum 2-6-6-2

[Pacific Northern]

I just acquired another 2-6-6-2 Spectrum engine.

I have a question regarding the smoke box/boiler access door, the new engine has one compressormounted  on the smokebox door, the old engine has two compressors mounted on the door. It this correct or am I missing a compressor?

I found the write up on this engine on the "other" forum and there are two pictures of two different 2-6-6-2's that would seem to indicate that this is correct.Unfortunately the pictures are a bit on the dark side - contast wise.

Anyone know for certain?

These engines in my opinion are superb, they pull great considering they have no traction tires, they  have excellent slow speed running characterestics.  Just a great engine and they are not that much larger than the new 2-10-2 Spectrum.

[the Bach-man]

Dear DR,
Your loco is correct. The Wheeling and Lake Erie engines had only one air pump.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[r.cprmier]

If you want to put two on and are that so inclined mechanically, go to Bowser's website.  They have Cal-scale parts; of which one is a smokebox-mounted cross-compound pump assembly.  My personal opinion is that the brass investment castings look far and away better than plastic anyway.

Besides, it is a fun project and a way to get your feet wet into superdetailing.

Rich

[SteamGene]

I may be wrong, but I think the Nickle Plate engines had both single and double, depending on when you are modeling.   The C&O always had two.
Gene

[ta152h0]

Ya'll blow me away with all the stuuf you know about steam engines. No two engines xactly alike ?

[SteamGene]

Most engines of a particular order left the erecting hall looking fairly similar, if not identical.   But once they were shopped, many things could happen. 
If you can find a Norfolk and Western version of the Bachmann's USRA heavy Mountain and compare it to the C&O version, you can see what happens.
The N&W is like a delivered version as the plain tender lasted a very short time.  It has one airpump hung on the fireman's side and a long (innaccurate) USRA tender.  The headlight is mounted either on the smoke box or before the smoke stack.
The C&O has two cross compound airpumps mounted on the smokebox door and a Worthington feedwater heater mounted on the fireman's side.  The headlight is mounted on the pilot deck and it has a 16 thousand gallon Vanderbilt tender.
But even within the same railroad there were differences.  For instance, the N&W put a streamline shrouding on its heavy Mountains so they looked very much like their J Class 4-8-4s.  The C&O had three or four orders of 2-8-4s, each one just a bit different, though I think in most cases it was merely the number of overfire jets.  The same was true of the 2-6-6-6s.
In addition, the pipefittters in one shop might have a different idea of the best arrangement than those of a different shop, so the actual route of the piping might be different from say 1304 and 1305.  Some locos (and this was common with the C&O) might have one style of Worthington feedwater heater and another a different style, while a third might have an Elesco.  One might have an as delivered tender, while the next might have a bigger rectangular while a third might have a Vanderbilt, yet they are, say, 1301, 1302, and 1303. 
Lanny will tell you about the Paducah box shopped on IC steam as sand domes got replaced. 
And it just keeps on going.
Gene 

[lanny]

Lanny will tell you about the Paducah box shopped on IC steam as sand domes got replaced. 
And it just keeps on going.
Gene 

Well, Orsonroy could tell you a lot more about Paducah domes (those 'square boxes'  Actually some ICRR had sharp squared edges (specially the newer large steam), others smooth rounded edges on the rectangularpaducah dome. And as Gene has said, within the 'shop' life of any given ICRR, there were variations of the Paducah dome made. ICRR is famous I think, for variation within any given series. I'm not totally sure there is such a thing as a 'standard' ICRR steamer  But they're fun and a challenge to try and kitbash.

lanny

[Pacific Northern]

Thanks Mr. Bachmann and all for the quick response.

[r.cprmier]

Ya'll blow me away with all the stuuf you know about steam engines. No two engines xactly alike ?

Yup.  I rebuilt two 2-10-2s and they do look alike.  I call them the "ugly sisters"; named after the 'Scharnhorst 'and the 'Gneisenau', courtesy of the Brits.

Actually, the New Haven did a fairly good job of standardization, as did the Pennsy.

Rich

[SteamGene]

I'm waiting to see 2-10-2s with 28.3 cm main guns!   
Gene

[r.cprmier]

I'm waiting to see 2-10-2s with 28.3 cm main guns!

How about Elesco feedwater heaters?  Roughly the same size, no?

On the Gneisenau:  I believe she was known as the "Lucky Ship", as she was one of the few to have actually made it through the war.  I have a pic (common) of the Scharnhorst meeting her fate in the North Sea.   Almost as bad as a brass loco rolling off of the layout.  What is it Howard Zane said about the second worst sound you will ever hear?...

Rich 

[SteamGene]

I think that was the Prinz Eugen.  It's too bad the U.S. Navy turned into a target.  She was a beautiful ship to say the least.  (And that has nothing to do with her name! 
Gene

[r.cprmier]

Gene;

26 December, 1943.  The British heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk, in concert with the two light cruisers, HMS Sheffield, and HMS Belfast, intercepted and sank the Scharnhorst in the North Sea.  Of some 1900 hands, only 36 were rescued.

OH, I do stand corrected:  Scharnhorst was a battleship of the Gneissenau klasse; I believe the Prinz Eugen was also a battleship.

The main reason the British were successful in that incident was an interception of orders by the Brits, courtesy of Enigma.  Thank God.

Coincidentally, the USS Massachusetts (Big Mamie) was laid down the same year as Scharnhorst-and the Bismark.  Both my parents worked on Big Mamie; my mother on the targeting systems; my father on fabrication.
Mamie has the distinction of firing both the first and last 16-inch rounds in anger during WWll.

There are a lof of really good info sources on line for both the German and Allied ships of war.

Rich

[SteamGene]

Prinz Eugen was a heavy cruiser. 
Gene

[Thommo]

Prinz Eugen was a heavy cruiser. 
Gene

Yes. Partner ship from "Bismarck"'s last voyage , "Admiral Hipper", was also heavy cruiser.