The Home Machinist!

I vaguely seem to remember this locomotive from someplace.

My guess is they're probably meant to look like wooden beam trucks, something like you might find on a self-contained narrow-gauge. They might fit well on a mining railroad, or local branch line from the back-woods. Certainly they are of late 19th Century, into an early 20th. The advantage of Odd Du...

Using a pattern from decades back is a neat way to keep somebody else's "genius" alive in the hobby today. Good luck with these, Pete!

Thank you for sharing this sad passing. Henry's meets were wonderful experiences, full of trains and varieties of motive power. The sit-down banquets were tremendous. Perhaps Henry is today, with all the steam power that passed before him. I think he'd like that.

Find Dave Sclavi's Youtube series on making foundry patterns. You'll learn a ton by watching Dave at work.

Might be a good time to arrange a meet of Reading A5a Camelbacks. That would be a heck of a photo!

I don't think so. What's in decline is training younger people in the skills to do machine work, carpentry, the satisfaction of working with your hands. Generally, once you've sat behind a locomotive and managed a train by yourself, you're hooked. I've seen it time and again. Even "live Diesel" is a...

"A long way from Grovers Mills"? Not if you're drinking German beer.

Ditto the other's comments. Do you have an idea of the wheel arrangement for the CNJ Camelback?

I gave some Harbor Freight screwdrivers and wrenches to my grandson (age 7yrs) for Christmas, along with a busted CD player for "disassembly". He had a ball, and saved screws and springs for himself. When I was teaching science, if we had kids finish up early, I give them tools and some junk machine...

May everyone's locomotives run smoothly, and your track be clean and level.

These look really nice, Pete, and they're applicable to a long list of potential Diesel locomotives from ALCO and GE, and perhaps a few FM and Baldwins.

I'll be anxious to see brass liners on the journals and wheels under them.