Yeah, that is true. However the B-Mann drivers are still a whole lot closer than the ones I used when I cobbled together my ATSF Pacific. I modified an old Arnold Rapido USRA Pacific to make it sort of look like a Santa Fe model.
Might be a good starting point but only with the newest version of the Bmann Northern. Earlier versions had exteme driver issues caused by the plastic deterioration and splitting where the stub end of the half axle assembly press fit into the gears. Drivers are close in size and appearance. Don't know how much cylinder difference there is. But I would be tempted to utilize the front of the mechanism including the pilot truck and then remove the rear drive axle and modify from there. Boiler diameter of the Northern may require the chassis/weight to be milled to fit the Pacific shell.
Interesting bit of trivia and so close to home. So sounds like it was an ATSF thing only then? Would be interesting to know more about these as I came across this photo of 3462 (Check out the middle driver... and that would be an 84" one too!): Yeah, I was wondering about the possibility of creating photo-etch overlays and then maybe using a Dremel bit to ground out a bit of the original plastic so there'd be a bit of depth behind the new spoke openings... thoughts? BTW - thanks for the welcome and thanks for the photo. So the Bachmann drivers would be good candidates for the right size on the 4-6-2? I've got an old scrap set that I could tinker with to test some ideas on.
The hudsons gone isnt it? im in edgerton, ks and am in topeka quite a bit as i work for BNSF. Do you know John Lauer?
Sent you a PM about John. The Hudson is still here and there's a good chance it'll never be leaving either... but I can't elaborate anymore than that at the current time.
Jason, yea, I have a pic of the 3462 taken from the fireman's side and it too shows the 84" LFM main driver. To my knowledge, it's the only "big Hudson" that got it....there must have been a crack in the original Baldwin driver and LFM came to the rescue...the main drivers got most of the thrust and the pounding and there are many other photos of Santa Fe 4-8-2's, 2-10-2's etc. with upgraded main drivers. I don't know whether LFM was an "ATSF thing" only; I suspect they must have made wheels for other roads as well but I'm not familiar with Midwestern roads...Fun stuff... Otto
Most definitely! Check out the wheels that 3463 has on her today: The wheel on the left is also in the #2 and #3 positions on the right side as well. Don't believe I'll be trying to replicate this with the one I'm building!
Jason, a bigger challenge on the 3463 is the 84" diameter.... It's a long legged machine that won't look right on shorter legs/smaller wheels... I know, I built one in the seventies on a shortened Bachmann mechanism and it looked like a beauty queen's ugly sister... Well, part of that was my early modeling skills... Have fun, Otto