Can anyone identify this locomotive.


Smudge617

Smudge617

Well-Known Member
I've been given the opportunity to purchase this Locomotive on the cheap, ($15) it's a non-runner, which is fine as I like a challenge, and I need something for those soon to be arriving long winter nights in the UK.

But the seller has little to no information about it, all he knows is it's a 4-6-4, a non-runner, metal (presumably white metal or probably brass) screw missing from the tender top, which I've been led to believe is a Vanderbilt tender, also missing the tender coupling, (I've also noticed it's missing the bell) any information you may have would be very helpful.

1691019624665.png


1691019740160.png
 
The light and bell are exactly the same as my Varney. The Vanderbuilt tender also looks like one of the wood ones I have seen. The side rod assemblies are exactly Varney configuration. There are lots of old Varneys on Ebay and I have seen the tender for sale, but not a 4-6-4. They made a 4-6-2 and lots of those available for parts if you keep a search going.

The Varney is a cast metal shell that is heavy. The later ones are all marked not sure about the early ones.

These are good runners and excellent pullers.

Dave LASM
 
logandsawman said:
The light and bell are exactly the same as my Varney. The Vanderbuilt tender also looks like one of the wood ones I have seen. The side rod assemblies are exactly Varney configuration. There are lots of old Varneys on Ebay and I have seen the tender for sale, but not a 4-6-4. They made a 4-6-2 and lots of those available for parts if you keep a search going.

The Varney is a cast metal shell that is heavy. The later ones are all marked not sure about the early ones.

These are good runners and excellent pullers.

Dave LASM
Click to expand...
Thanks Dave, I really like this one, the guy says he can't find any manufacturers marks, I'm sure there will be one somewhere, so assuming the guy sell's it to me and I can get it running I may find it.

Is it possible that it was a 4-6-2 and for some reason the rear pony truck was changed?

Varney is not well known in the UK, (I can't find any of them here so far) any parts I need I'll have to get from the US (as usual :) ) but that's the nature of me liking North American Locomotives.
 
Smudge probably a Varney and they did make a 4-6-4 it was a brass & die cast model the tender was probably bought separate
I think the motor was a DC-71 or something close Bowser used those also
picture
varney87.jpg
 
I have no idea what it is (the only things I know less about than diesels are steams :)) but I'd be curious if you got it running and if so, how!
Keep us posted
 
Closest i could find 1937 4-6-4 Hudson 700E using a reverse image search on it. Plenty of other candidates but they were all 4-6-2

​

 
MikeGTW said:
Chris that's still not a bad price those 4-6-4 Varney are pretty rare here's diagram https://hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionvarney/varney464pg2.jpg some of those came with a motor designed and built by Bob Lindsay
It was a 7 pole motor with ball bearings It was a Varney V-3 There was also a V-1 and V-2
Click to expand...
I found that the DC-60 and DC-71 were both used on the Varney 4-6-0 (Casey Jones). The top one in this photo is the 1960 version and the bottom one the 1955 version.

IMG_3378.JPG



The driver wheels on the newer version were made of a weak alloy which disintegrated over time. However, the older version had solid brass alloy drivers which were substantially better. Swapping out the older version was a little more complicated because I had to pull the drive gear off the newer drivers and press it onto the older solid ones. Quartering was done by eye and I was luckily successful.

I was able to swap out many elements of the older version and use the newer motor and drive gear.

Dave LASM
 
logandsawman said:
I found that the DC-60 and DC-71 were both used on the Varney 4-6-0 (Casey Jones). The top one in this photo is the 1960 version and the bottom one the 1955 version.

View attachment 172720


The driver wheels on the newer version were made of a weak alloy which disintegrated over time. However, the older version had solid brass alloy drivers which were substantially better. Swapping out the older version was a little more complicated because I had to pull the drive gear off the newer drivers and press it onto the older solid ones. Quartering was done by eye and I was luckily successful.

I was able to swap out many elements of the older version and use the newer motor and drive gear.

Dave LASM
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I decided not to buy the one for sale, I'm beginning to regret that decision now. :rolleyes:
 
Smudge617 said:
Unfortunately I decided not to buy the one for sale, I'm beginning to regret that decision now. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I watch for Varney loco's on ebay continously by creating a search including "HO scale steam locomotives". Each morning I get a page of the new listings, usually about 12 per day. Because the search engine is not perfect, I often just page through the listings and find some that the search did not locate.

I limit my buying to the 4-6-0. There also are popular 4-6-2 and 2-8-0 models that were sold and many of those can be had, either running or in the form of parts. All these were made prior to 1962 (I think) when Varney sold out to Bowser. The last couple years of Varney must have been a little goofy because of some of the issues I have seen with the K version of the 4-6-0.

Dave LASM
 
logandsawman said:
I watch for Varney loco's on ebay continously by creating a search including "HO scale steam locomotives". Each morning I get a page of the new listings, usually about 12 per day. Because the search engine is not perfect, I often just page through the listings and find some that the search did not locate.

I limit my buying to the 4-6-0. There also are popular 4-6-2 and 2-8-0 models that were sold and many of those can be had, either running or in the form of parts. All these were made prior to 1962 (I think) when Varney sold out to Bowser. The last couple years of Varney must have been a little goofy because of some of the issues I have seen with the K version of the 4-6-0.

Dave LASM
Click to expand...
I've done the same with eBay search, but to find a Varney locomotive in the UK is very rare, (that was only the second one I've seen here.)
The largest I could reasonably have would be a 4-6-2, I'd love a Big Boy, but it would only stay in it's box and become a shelf queen, they're way to big for my small layout.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top