E-paw's EOY challenge.

[P5se Camelback]

Uh ... Gary ...

Does this look like a locomotive that hung around some yard, schlepping 40' boxcars?



This sweetheart, nicknamed the "Boardwalk Flyer," hauled the railroads finest varnish at unheard of speeds, speeds so fast they were considered at the time to be breaking God's Laws of Nature, truly blasphemous speeds according to "God-fearing people!"

This is P1 Class #1027, built in 1896 and is the speed record holder, which it set in 1897, with 84 1/4" drivers and weighing in at 153,800 pounds. Check out the Vauclain compound cylinders! (Those trailing wheels are 54" in diameter!)

[e-paw]

The Reading and CNJ P class Atlantic's were near identical copies. It makes sense because The Reading held a controlling interest in the CNJ for most of It's existence. At one time, they haled The all 1st class Blue Comet. Even after The CNJ put there monster Pacific's on the point of that train They were still used In the off season or assigned to a second section of the train when a 4-6-2 was not available, But enough talk of High wheel speed demons. This build is all about Big power in a small slow package.<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cnj431s.jpg">http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cnj431s.jpg</a><!-- m --> Just like that...

[Gary S]

Now that you mention it, I think we did have a discussion about the diameter of the wheels on steam locomotives. Big equals speed, small equals power. Still, the camelbacks simply look like they should be doing yard duty. The position of the cab in the middle is for running in either direction....

Perhaps it is just that anything different than a "normal" steam locomotive makes me think of a yard goat, like the tank engines and 0-4-0s and such.

[rrinker]

The cab location on a camelback had nothign to do with visibility and everything to do with clearances over that HUGE firebox. If the cab were perched up there like on a 'normal' loco, it owuld exceed all clearances in palce at the time they were built. As cars got larger and clearances were increased, there were back-cab Wooten firebox locos built - look how the cab is just sitting up there on this P7sa 4-4-2:


--Randy

[P5se Camelback]

... Big power in a small slow package. http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cnj431s.jpg Just like that...

Now that is one stout Wooten fireboxed steam locomotive! It just looks like a real puller!

[Schraddel]

I have a question to the camelbacks.
Often i have seen on photos sitting the engineer on the armrest half out of the cab. Why that was done? Heat in the cab?

Greetings Lutz

[e-paw]

In the summer time It was a hot sweltering place in there for the engineer. It was common to see him sitting out side on the arm rest during stops. Also when doing reverse moves the engineer took the same seat for a better view towards thew rear of the train.

[P5se Camelback]

Lutz ...

I don't have first hand knowledge, nor have I ever seen it discussed in any of the many books about the Reading, the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh and New England, or other Camelback roads, I would have to make an educated guess.

And that guess would be that number one, it was very cramped inside that cab, sitting there as the meat in a boiler lagging/ cab wall sandwich, and very warm as well. Sitting on the cab window armrest, although probably not the safest seat, allowed the engineer to be in the airflow ppassing the cab, as well as affording a slightly better vantage point to view what might be ahead on the tracks. Remember, He did not have the luxury of a foireman sitting across the cab from him to watch the left side of the tracks or to call out signal aspects for those signals that were difficult to see from the engineers seat on the right-hand-side of the locomotive.

So ... there you have an answer ... it may or may not be correct, but as a long time camelback fan, it is what I have surmized as the the reason you see so many camelback engineers sitting on the sill armrest.

And as a terminally slow typist, who proof-reads everything twice to catch the myriad of typos, ol' E-Paw has snuck one in ahead of me!

[Schraddel]

Thank you very much.

Lutz

[e-paw]

The painting is now complete on the K-1. This was done with a series of washes and dry-brushing with various colors from Poly-scale and other manufacturers. I also painted the front marker lights white, to indicate that the engine is running as an extra. I will make the lenses the same way that I did the ones on the LNE cabooses from the last spring challenge . The Clum mix that I added earlier has also hardened up and can be considered complete. At this time I am very happy with the progress of this model, she is coming along nicely.Here are a few shots to show the level of progress to this point.

I'll start off with a few 3/4 "Roster" shots.





And a few center cab closeups.

[e-paw]

Here are a few rearward facing shots to show the Clum mix and weathering.

[mountaingoatgreg]

Looking really good!!!

What are you going to do for a headlight?

[Sumpter250]

Uh ... Does this look like a locomotive that hung around some yard, schlepping 40' boxcars?

Ummmm, yeah, if that "some yard" is a hump yard!

Very nicely done loco model! The wooten firebox, needed for burning anthracite coal, made for some interesting steam locomotives.
One, so ugly, that it is beautiful, is the D&H class E-6a 2-8-0. Someday, I just might have to build one of those.

[e-paw]

Well Goat,I have to install a head lamp as one of the next projects.

[Gary S]

e-paw, the weathering created a perfect shade of black. That turned out just right in my book. Also, the details in the cab make for a very interesting model. The first "roster shot" photo is my favorite.

A couple pics down from that, is the wire rubbing on the driver part of the electrical pick-up?