articulated madness !!!
- Thread starter blackz28
- Start date
blackz28
Well-Known Member
come on you know you want to buy it ,Those look real good.
What would be the minimum radius they would need on turns?
Even tho I'm not doing that era, my LHS has a 2-8-8-2 , in the used area, was thinking about purchasing it. (ho scale)
is it proto or riverossi ??
blackz28
Well-Known Member
talked to some guys running a local club, sounds like there are not too many around here doing steam,
funny thing is most of the layouts i have operated on it diesels, & really for the same reason the real counterpart was phased out , flexability
really you can swith or run mainline with a gp-9 /gp-20 /gp-38 /gp-40 & also sd's but trying to swith with an articulated beast well even in model forum is tough
2-8-2 or 2-8-0 & such are fine & when steam is present thats what you mostly find , but big beast well they look & sound cool but practicallity well..
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, I have some articulated loco's somewhere. Unfortunately I have no idea where except the Z5 which is in the safe, and the Z6 which is "in the mail". Moving last summer really scrambled my inventory, so I couldn't drag them out for a pulling contest if I wanted to.i was at home & bored so i dragged out some of my big steam & ran it on a strip of track, since sat my son & i are going to run some of it at the club
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Z-5
A Z-5 is the Yellowstone class locomotive, a 2-8-8-4. I have a brass model of this locomotive I acquired about 20 years ago. I'm not into brass due to the price, but when I was a kid, I got to ride in the cab of one of these beasts before they were scrapped. I borrowed this picture because it was taken on Bozeman Pass, between Livingston and Bozeman, MT. The last duties of these locomotives was helper service over the pass, where this photo was taken.
It is the only locomotive that I have that is DCC equipped. I do a lot of traveling and whenever I have the opportunity to visit a loyout or club, this locomotive comes along.I custom Painted it years ago and equippedit with PFM sound many years ago. In more recent years I have eliminated the PFM sound and thats when it was DCC equipped. I really can't justify running it on my layout but do take it out of the box from time to time just to keep things lubed up. My minimum radius is 32 inches and it does fine on code 70 rail. I hate paying the prices for brass, but with memories of riding on one of these giants, it was one of those "I gotta have one" moments.
A Z-5 is the Yellowstone class locomotive, a 2-8-8-4. I have a brass model of this locomotive I acquired about 20 years ago. I'm not into brass due to the price, but when I was a kid, I got to ride in the cab of one of these beasts before they were scrapped. I borrowed this picture because it was taken on Bozeman Pass, between Livingston and Bozeman, MT. The last duties of these locomotives was helper service over the pass, where this photo was taken.
It is the only locomotive that I have that is DCC equipped. I do a lot of traveling and whenever I have the opportunity to visit a loyout or club, this locomotive comes along.I custom Painted it years ago and equippedit with PFM sound many years ago. In more recent years I have eliminated the PFM sound and thats when it was DCC equipped. I really can't justify running it on my layout but do take it out of the box from time to time just to keep things lubed up. My minimum radius is 32 inches and it does fine on code 70 rail. I hate paying the prices for brass, but with memories of riding on one of these giants, it was one of those "I gotta have one" moments.
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trailrider
Well-Known Member
On prototype articulateds, whether Mallet (compound...usually the rear cylinders run at higher pressure, then the steam is sent to the larger, lower pressure front set before being exhausted out the stack) or simple (both sets of cylinders running at the same pressure), the rear engine is fixed to the boiler. Only the front engine pivots, and the pivot is between the front of the rear frame and the back of the front frame. There were several much older types where there might be another arrangement, but those are smaller and much rarer.
The advantage of the articulated was to be able to negotiate sharper curves than large fixed-wheelbase locomotives, yet be able to generate considerable tractive effort and weight distribution.
The only articulated I have on my layout are two that I kitbashed from Mantua 2-6-2's and various spare parts. I was unable to rig a transmission to the front engines, so they just go along for the ride. By using traction tires on the powered rear engine, they will pull a fair amount, but aren't the best at staying on the track.
Although they are "simple" articulated, unlike the few GN/C.B.&Q. T-1's and T-2's, which were compound, they are neat-looking critters that I'll occasionally run pulling coal or iron ore drag freights. They can NOT outpull my kitbashed Mantua 2-10-2's and 2-10-4's. In all of these, I replaced the motors with Canon coreless ones, so low-speed performance is pretty good. As with the era I model, 1st generation diesels are taking over a lot of the workload.
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
On prototype articulateds, whether Mallet (compound...usually the rear cylinders run at higher pressure, then the steam is sent to the larger, lower pressure front set before being exhausted out the stack) or simple (both sets of cylinders running at the same pressure), the rear engine is fixed to the boiler. Only the front engine pivots, and the pivot is between the front of the rear frame and the back of the front frame. There were several much older types where there might be another arrangement, but those are smaller and much rarer.
The advantage of the articulated was to be able to negotiate sharper curves than large fixed-wheelbase locomotives, yet be able to generate considerable tractive effort and weight distribution.
The only articulated I have on my layout are two that I kitbashed from Mantua 2-6-2's and various spare parts. I was unable to rig a transmission to the front engines, so they just go along for the ride. By using traction tires on the powered rear engine, they will pull a fair amount, but aren't the best at staying on the track.
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From what I see, a lot of the articulated locomotives on the market do not have the rigid rear engine, but instead it is allowed to pivot. I have a Riverossi Challenger that I kit bashed into an NP challenger is this way. I imagine that manufacturers do this to allow modelers to run these locomotives on tighter radius turns.
When I run my Yellowstone, I have no problems with the prototype correct rigid real engine, but my minimum mainline radius is 32 inches, and it can negotiate a #6 double crossover without any problems. I have run it on quite a few club and private layouts too without any troubles but they too had larger radius turns.
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
The Z-5 had the largest firebox of any locomotive. This was to burn low grade Rosebud coal. It was so big that Alco hosted a dinner party for 12 RR dignitaries inside of it. At the time it was the worlds largest locomotive and Alco wanted to show off. I believe only the DM&IR M4s were larger.
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Can you imagine how big it appeared to me when I was a 10 year old kid. Awestruck doesn't even start to come close.
Midnught Special
Member
You know I know you're right
not sure if it was proto or not, it caught my eye, (my financial planner saw the price lol)
talked to some guys running a local club, sounds like there are not too many around here doing steam, so I'll find some time to sneak it in the house
if your local store where its at has a layaway plan thing you could use that....pay it off a little at a time so the CFO of your family doesn't see it.....just saying....not like i am telling you to hide it....
hehe
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
A few years ago someone posted that they had done that. Someone didn't believe them so they posted pictures. I can't find that thread now. They actually had 26 of them. Don't know which they had a duplicate of.
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Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Earlier I said the Z6 was in the mail. Well it isn't anymore. It arrived today. My newest motive power. Too bad it is sitting on the only piece of track I have available, so not much chance of running it. The NP had 21 of these, delivered in 1936 and 1937. Along with the follow up from the 1930 Four Aces Northern 4-8-4 class, the Super Steam Era had arrived.
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blackz28
Well-Known Member
all i can say is BEAUTIFUL LOCEarlier I said the Z6 was in the mail. Well it isn't anymore. It arrived today. My newest motive power. Too bad it is sitting on the only piece of track I have available, so not much chance of running it. The NP had 21 of these, delivered in 1936 and 1937. Along with the follow up from the 1930 Four Aces Northern 4-8-4 class, the Super Steam Era had arrived.
, how much my i ask
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Beautiful. I love the NP but right now my budget does not include any brass. Managed to get that out of my system quite a while back. I did get one NP steamer I didn't mention, but it's not articulated, tne NP 2626, the Timken locomotive. Take it out about once a year and run it agter a check up and cleaning, and then back in the box it goes. That is one great looking locomotive. When I was a kid I did get the opportuntiy to ride on a couple of 5100 class challengers. My uncle has one rather distressing picture of one that was accidentally run into the turntable pit in Helena, MT.
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Gac66610
Member
if your local store where its at has a layaway plan thing you could use that....pay it off a little at a time so the CFO of your family doesn't see it.....just saying....not like i am telling you to hide it....
I'll just tell my CFO ... Midnught made the suggestion, and I couldn't resist ....
Of course I would be too excited .... and show her
