Remember that the Maine 2 Footers were rather small drivered. Perhaps not that little, but... And also that some standard gauge logging rod locos had small drivers. Perhaps Bachmann has essentially adapted an HO loco, thus the size. Boxcab E50
I think that is exactly right. That is why On30 is so fun to kitbash, lots of HO donors available for our dark, incidious plans and creations
This is basically what I would like to do. Since my version of the Colorado and Southern will be freelance, I think I will add a line for these porters. This also solves another problem in that they are all (with one exception) DC so would need to be separate from the C & S mainline which will be DCC. I could actually start this "mini" layout while awaiting word on whether we are moving again or not, thus scratching my layout itch...
I looked up the Prescott, AZ porter...it is the same basic model...24" drivers, 8-ton porter. But, a number of other things were different (such as the gauge) and her origins as a steam dummy. That confirms that Porter did build some with 24" drivers. The Maine Forneys were apprx 33" drivers. Porters and geared locomotives were designed so that many of the components could be used for various gauges and different models. Hence how a std gauge steam dummy would be so similar to a ng 0-4-0t. I don't think the drivers on the 0-4-0t came from an HO locomotive...they'd only be 44" in HO scale! The stroke (and possibly the spokes) would also be off. The irony of such tiny drivers is that they are smaller than nearly all of my On3 wheelsets!
Thanks Michael...as always your calipers and reference library come in handy I have been sketching out an extension railway for the porter line. It would interchange with my C & S line along a spur of the mainline with the porters crossing an ore bin above and the C & S receiving ore below. I doubt it will be anything terribly fancy but I have two standing rules when designing a railway: there must be the option of continuous running and there must be good switching opportunity. In order to meet these qualifications the porter extension will have to be 4 x 8' with continuous 2% grades... BUT I digress!! Does anyone know about the porter that sits near the highway around the old GW sugar plant by Ft. Morgan, Colorado? I have shots of this thing from the early 80s. I am certain it was standard gauge and likely served the sugar plant...
I previously knew nothing about it...but I looked it up... Steam Locomotive Information Steam Locomotive Information Steam Locomotive Information Standard gauge 21t locomotives.
Yep, those are they...I have only ever seen the one in the second photo. Thanks for looking those up! There also used to be a standard tank engine that the Colorado Railroad Club would take out along the Burlington line that passed through my home town, Louisville, in the late 60s and early 70s. Word was they had to stop because they set too many fires along the ROW. Sure was a thrill to see it go by though...could see it from our house. That one, I think, is at the Colorado Railroad Museum.
Michael and John, this is not necessarily a major topic for me, but I keep following it anyway. It's basically a dialog which shows you are more into it than most others here, I would venture. And I'm always amazed about the new sources I discover for topics that I may really want to get into a bit more. Michael in particular, you have such an incredible stock of sources, it seems. Thanks to both of you!
You kow, the Sharlot hall page about the porter had some interesting comment: out of about 1000 Porters and other small locomotives once in Arizona, only about 20 survive. Further, we must remember that photographs migh thave been negelected in most cases. The real question is, can we go back into the Porter order records and find locomotives ordered for 30" or 36" guage with 24" drivers. We know we have an example with 56.5" gauge! That means we might need to find a builder books similar to "the locomotives baldwin built" as that book reads similar to a buildingers brochure...
I would guess that there might be such a record...the company's order books would be the best source...followed by the builder's catalogs. (Note that there wasn't just one Porter company...he had several partners, eg Porter-Bell, before forming H.K. Porter) Hilton's Am RR NG only deals with common carriers, and accordingly, these little industrial engines are not included... Porter is known to have built (33) 3' gauge 0-4-0ts and 0-4-2ts between 1870 and 1890. Most of their locomotives were 2-4-0s and 0-6-0s. After 1890, they only produced 12 locomotives for 3' gauge common carriers. Whether they built a 30" 0-4-0t with 24" drivers or not is actually beside the point. As a rule of thumb, 30" US modeling is fanciful...there was something like 40mi in all of the USA...half or more was on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. So, I don't think that the porters ought to be held to a higher standard than the rest of the equipment. With Porter, locomotives were assembled from standard parts. They were neither custom build nor gauge specific. A 56.5" porter with 24" drivers means that a 36", 30", or 24" porter could have had 24" drivers. The locomotive does follow standard practices...even if it seems a bit odd. Michael
Not sure if any of you care but a year or so ago I was shipped the wrong Kemtron kit that I bought on ebay and it turned out to be the D&RG 0-6-0T kit instead of the C-16 I purchased. In any event it was a great looking kit should any of you want to add it to your roster if you find one available. P.S. I was able to get it exchanged!
Hey Dan, of course we care So this must have been an older kit if it came from Kemtron? I am actually looking at kitbashing an old HO Roundhouse tank I put together years ago. It comes close to the D&RG 0-6-0T.
I have never heard how these Kemtron kits run or even how they look, but even now I see a lot of parts for them for sale. Maybe I will try to find one of their tank kits if any are floating around still. I've got another HO model of a popular "tea kettle" tank. Have had it for years, I think it was made by AHM (?). It was always a good runner and I may convert it to On30 as well.
I have seen many reviews of these kits over the years and just about every one said that the motors needed improvements. Otherwise the mechanisms were smooth running. In fact later on Kemtron did replace them with can motors. Originally the C-16's had the motor in the tender! The one I bought did but I bought one of the last San Juan Car Company motors from their discontinued C-16 kits. I then found out MMI is going to release the C-16 next year so I sold the kit and new motor on ebay. I got more for the combo than I'm paying for the assembled version.
Most of the stuff from that era had motor problems, regardless of the manufacturer. Speaking of tender motor drives, I have three Rivarossi 4-4-0s from my HO days with that type drive... I was wrong about that "Tea Kettle" too, they were (are?) made by Lifelike.
So what were the advantages/disadvantages of the tank engine? It seems that I have seen many that started out as tanks but were later redone with tanks removed and a tender added.
