Running Bear's Coffee Shoppe LIX

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Seeing that picture of Chet's, I decided to ask about something I've always wondered about. That is, the actual suspension method for the leading and trailing trucks on a real steamer. On our models they're really just there for the looks, but on the real thing they are carrying a load as well (I assume they're not there just for looks too). The fact that they must also swing side to side to negotiate curves, where are the springs placed and what mechanism is used to do that job?
 
4-12-2??? No wonder y'all are talkin way wider than 24" curves!

From the git-go scenery was going to be 'on the cheap' I had a very little experience with some diorama type projects in school so I was familiar with the "being able to make something from nothing" "art" aspect of this hobby. I already had the idea that the track, locos and cars would eat up any actual 'money' I had to throw at it and there would be none or very little to spend on 'fancy' pre-made scenery. The pride aspect enters into it there, even WHEN it "looks like butt" (and it will!) "I did this" is a darn good feeling and I knew it was available (many times over) on a layout. (Just getting this far feels good! I've DONE something! LOL!) When I get around to building some of these kits and models, "scratching" is not going to be far off, I fully expect my first attempts to be laughable at best but this too is 'planned'! LOL! Getting into HOT water takes a different approach than getting into COLD water! THIS is hot water! Ya gotta EASE into it!
 
Evening All,

Spent around 5 hours on the layout today! I started out by modifying what I did yesterday. Yesterday I put a 2.5 inch curved piece of track from the mainline T/O joining up to the first yard T/O. Because the yard is already in I am limited how much I can move the 2 new T/O's around unless I want to redo a good bit of the yard or remove part of the main.

Anyway, after I posted last night I started thinking about it and decided my steamers would never make it through that area as is. Sooo... I removed everything I did yesterday and instead of a 2.5 inch track it now has 6.5 inch curved track. This made it so the steamers (4-6-2, 2-8-2, 2-8-0) run through that area without binding.

After that I made sure everything was level (area goes across where 2 framed areas meet and there is a slight difference). I ran my baggage car around no problem. That was around 2 PM so I decided to start testing the above locos. The 4-6-2 and the 2-8-0 had no issues. That's when the frustrations started. The 2-8-2 had problems with 2 T/O's. One new and surprisingly the T/O on the main. I solved the new T/O fairly quickly but I spent about 90 minutes trouble shooting The main T/O. At the end of it all I got the 2-8-2 to go forward and reverse through the 2 T/O's at 50 smph without issue 2 separate times. I decided to stop at that point and will test some more tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

WJLI26- That's a big bird.

NG- I should of planned much more than I did when I initially started my layout. I did many stupid things because I just did not know better. It has caused me countless hours of work to fix the issues and hundreds of dollars (no exaggeration). You are doing the right thing taking your time. Here are my "tank" cars.

20160125_164438_zpswudaca3n.jpg


Karl- That is a lot of snow. Sorry I missed it...NOT.:D

Garry- Nice looking Prairie. I have never giving them much of a look before because the Pennsy did not use them. Is that a Bachmann model?

Chet- That was a very thoughtful posting this morning. Great video. Tell me if I am correct, the 4-12-2 is basically a Challenger on a rigid frame? This last Saturday a club member brought in a brand new BLI 4-12-2. The thing was a monster. I think it is so big that it is unrealistic for most modelers, like the Pennsy S2.

I hope everyone has a good night. I will post a picture of the yard tomorrow if everything works out OK.
 


Toot- I may be wrong (I frequently am) but I think the front and rear wheels are there to help "steer" the drive wheels on T/O's and when operating in reverse.
 
PRR Modeler said:
Toot- I may be wrong (I frequently am) but I think the front and rear wheels are there to help "steer" the drive wheels on T/O's and when operating in reverse.
Click to expand...

They must do some supporting of the loco's weight as well, the "Pacific" 4-6-2 came into being because of a need to support the extra length of it's firebox over the then more common 4-6-0. I would assume that any support mechanism is placed directly over the wheels. Maybe something as simple as spring loaded plates perhaps.
 
The leading and trailing trucks on a steam engine are there to help carry the load of the engine, as well as help guide the engine through curves. Most earlier passenger engines had a 4 wheel leading truck to help keep the engine from "hunting" at higher speeds. A good example is if you can find a video of an N&W class A (2-6-6-4) running at speed. You can see the front engine hunting back and forth on the rails.
 
PRR Modeler said:
Evening All,

Spent around 5 hours on the layout today! I started out by modifying what I did yesterday. Yesterday I put a 2.5 inch curved piece of track from the mainline T/O joining up to the first yard T/O. Because the yard is already in I am limited how much I can move the 2 new T/O's around unless I want to redo a good bit of the yard or remove part of the main.

Anyway, after I posted last night I started thinking about it and decided my steamers would never make it through that area as is. Sooo... I removed everything I did yesterday and instead of a 2.5 inch track it now has 6.5 inch curved track. This made it so the steamers (4-6-2, 2-8-2, 2-8-0) run through that area without binding.

After that I made sure everything was level (area goes across where 2 framed areas meet and there is a slight difference). I ran my baggage car around no problem. That was around 2 PM so I decided to start testing the above locos. The 4-6-2 and the 2-8-0 had no issues. That's when the frustrations started. The 2-8-2 had problems with 2 T/O's. One new and surprisingly the T/O on the main. I solved the new T/O fairly quickly but I spent about 90 minutes trouble shooting The main T/O. At the end of it all I got the 2-8-2 to go forward and reverse through the 2 T/O's at 50 smph without issue 2 separate times. I decided to stop at that point and will test some more tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

WJLI26- That's a big bird.

NG- I should of planned much more than I did when I initially started my layout. I did many stupid things because I just did not know better. It has caused me countless hours of work to fix the issues and hundreds of dollars (no exaggeration). You are doing the right thing taking your time. Here are my "tank" cars.

20160125_164438_zpswudaca3n.jpg


Karl- That is a lot of snow. Sorry I missed it...NOT.:D

Garry- Nice looking Prairie. I have never giving them much of a look before because the Pennsy did not use them. Is that a Bachmann model?

Chet- That was a very thoughtful posting this morning. Great video. Tell me if I am correct, the 4-12-2 is basically a Challenger on a rigid frame? This last Saturday a club member brought in a brand new BLI 4-12-2. The thing was a monster. I think it is so big that it is unrealistic for most modelers, like the Pennsy S2.

I hope everyone has a good night. I will post a picture of the yard tomorrow if everything works out OK.
Click to expand...

Aren't those a HOOT! I could not resist getting a platoon of three(all that was allowed, I WANTED 10 and had the money at the time! grrrr!) "The Germans" LOL!(respect!) make some really SWEET examples of rail-guns that are on my serious wish list of things I would like to 'collect'.

As I look at this 'tank' in my hand, I begin to understand the frustration expressed by those who are known as 'Proto's'!

(I thank you guys because it's your "fault" we have such sweet stuff to choose from in the way of locos and rollers!)

It's been a hobby since I was a teen and was my JOB for a while so I'm pretty confident I can identify most if not all armored vehicles produced by most major armies from the first world war to the Abrams and the modern Soviet "T" series and other European tanks!

(Ya can't KILL it if ya don't know what it looks like!"...TROOP!)

I ain't never seen nothing like this! The tracks? Yea. kinda. The turret? Yea, kinda. That machinegun down low on the front of the hull there? mm not so much! Not all on the same tank! THATS for sure! Maybe it's a discontinued Chinese design, I don't know.

At first glance it could pass for a Sheridan or a Patton or an M-60 but on closer inspection it looks like a 'tank'! LOL!

I'm doubting I'll see my good old M-901 variant of the classic 113 APC in HO scale anytime soon! I have a model of it but it's too big for the layout. A little top heavy but very fun to drive! Plus I could SEE, those poor grunts in the back had no idea what was goin on! LOL! They all liked riding with me cause I turned smooooth and did not bounce em around too much! I saw 'jerky' driving as sloppy! I could make that sucker DANCE and shake those boys like dice in a cup if the T.C. said "MISSILE RIGHT" or some such but there is a time and place for all things.
 
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Ok guys its been a few since I have said anything. Figure I'd throw two pics at ya today.
664b3a60725f17339f5f9d7e17945d39.jpg

Took a decent shot at my yard before it gets cleared out for ballast.
5aefed4f0a46e1cd40f4227462e32af6.jpg

And I've started work on on of my grade crossings. Using foam templates and covering it with plaster cloth. Seems to be working pretty well.

Justin
 
Aha, "Hunting"! LOL! I observed the phenomenon with the Big Steamers and dubbed it "Flanging" or "Riding up"! I was close!

I'm supposedly on deck for a "forms class" using dental plaster as a concrete substitute, I'm interested in it for use as a starter wedge to get me that crucial first half inch up off the flat land, then any material will do for continued road with or without grade, getting up that first half inch at the right grade is the 'toughy' for me. Not knowing exactly where the grades would start I did not go with an open grid style of table, that makes all the difference. It was a consideration from the start but 'all flat' is quicker and easier to change the way I'm doing it. The frame is built into the wall, not the top, so sections could be removed in the future without compromising stability.
 


new guy said:
Aha, "Hunting"! LOL! I observed the phenomenon with the Big Steamers and dubbed it "Flanging" or "Riding up"! I was close!

I'm supposedly on deck for a "forms class" using dental plaster as a concrete substitute, I'm interested in it for use as a starter wedge to get me that crucial first half inch up off the flat land, then any material will do for continued road with or without grade, getting up that first half inch at the right grade is the 'toughy' for me. Not knowing exactly where the grades would start I did not go with an open grid style of table, that makes all the difference. It was a consideration from the start but 'all flat' is quicker and easier to change the way I'm doing it. The frame is built into the wall, not the top, so sections could be removed in the future without compromising stability.
Click to expand...
in this video, at about the 1 minute mark, you can easily see the front engine hunting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdjsuGwY3k0

If any of you happens to own the entire video, you'll see me for about five seconds when debarking for the runby at Fargo.
Bob Claytor had suffered a heart attack the previous week, and couldn't make the trip. Possibly because "the boss" wasn't there, I was treated to an extremely rare cab ride as we turned on the wye for the return trip to Jacksonville.
 
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You know I try to keep up with y'all and the steam era. I'm lost when it comes to steam. If I were to do a steam era layout I'd be spending more time researching than I would building.

Justin
 
chessie_system3 said:
You know I try to keep up with y'all and the steam era. I'm lost when it comes to steam. If I were to do a steam era layout I'd be spending more time researching than I would building.

Justin
Click to expand...

Hope you won't mind company riding in that boat! Ditto.
 
One of these days, we'll have to chat about the difference between simple and compound engines.
 
Well fellers its bout time for bed. Got one more for y'all and its lights out.
4a0faeb221f22065d5172936a9a93a82.jpg

Now this is how I remember ballasting track. It's slow going but its getting there. Roughly half of the mainline is complete. Oh and I have a name for my layout. Coalwood! If I can get track laid for expansion then it'll turn into the Coalwood branch.

Justin
 
Good evening ....

Phil, Joe, and Curt ... Thanks for commenting about my Prairie locomotive.

Curt ... My CB&Q 2-6-2 is a brass import model.

Justin ... You are making a lot of progress.
 
Good morning. It's partly cloudy and 38. High expected to approach 60, with rain late this afternoon and evening. Should be fun, combining melting snow and rain, along with storm drains clogged with ice and snow.

coffee_pot.jpg
 


chessie_system3 said:
You know I try to keep up with y'all and the steam era. I'm lost when it comes to steam. If I were to do a steam era layout I'd be spending more time researching than I would building.

Justin
Click to expand...

LOL! I don't need to KNOW what I'm doing as long as I know what I'M doing! Why's and wherefores BAH! I just like to watch the drivers work! For a child like me it's all about color and motion! My simple mind only requires simple pleasures.

"Make train go", is good enough!
 
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