The Home Machinist!

Chet took the prototype on the road in about 1973. It's appearance at Hank Blossom's track in Wimberly, Texas along with some of the heavy weight passenger cars is what made me decide to built the CP-173 instead of the LE American.

Here are a couple of snapshots I took at LALS in 1962 that may be of interest. I used to ride my bike over there and watch the action. I was too shy to talk to anyone but I remember that this engine was drawing quite a bit of interest.

Here are a few pictures i took. I took a few of our shop and some of the original waxes we still use at RSC. I also took pictures of our storage building that we store there. Note the journal box and the journal box lid. That is part of the 3 inch scale stuff. Also the signals are inch and half. I do have plans to pull the patterns and make some castings but i need to finish the mikado patterns and molds first 65 % there. If i hadn't started to help my dad pay for the boards to be made, im sure it would not be where we are today.


Steve

I forgot the pictures...

And the signal pictures.

The Winton Drive wheel for the 3" Mogul and pilot wheel i found. Also i think i found a Diesel or passenger car truck frame.

Gerry Bowden was a contract builder. He worked for RRSC but lived in Oregon I believe. Cary

Hello All,
Some background info regarding RRSCs history. I have all of their catalogs + Winton Brown's last one.
The last Winton Engineering Cat. was No. 3. It was published sometime after 1965 as it has the panorama photo of the 1965 LALS BLS meet May 1965. It also has an obituary for Hawley Bolus who I think died in 1968 or 1969. It has the Bolus Blomberg engine trucks and the Hi-Level 2 and 3 axle trucks in cast aluminum. Very detailed.

RRSC Cat. Fourth Ed. Probably issued some time in 1970. This one combines Winton and some original Chet Peterson products. No mention of CP 173.

RRSC Cat. 5th Ed. Probably published about early 1973. Shows the unfinished but running CP 173 prototype on the cover. As an aside the first two CP 173s has bronze cylinders and saddle. The plan was to make as many of the small parts as possible in lost wax stainless steel. By 1974 stainless became so expensive that idea died. I have a Rev.1 dated September 1973 that describes the planned B&O 0-4-0 switchers to be offered soon.

RRSC Cat. 6th Ed. February 1975 features the B&O switchers. This is the only catalog in which Vern Weeden appears. There is a sketch of the planned Heavy Mike 2-8-2 in 1.6" scale. Eric Thompson did the original design and had it been manufactured to the same level as Jim Kreider's Berk. It would have been its equal. Not Chet's business plan as he wanted to make a profit on it and couldn't it built to Eric's prints. However, it is a very nice engine. One flaw that occurred was the pattern maker was given finished drive wheel drawings and he didn't allow for the double shrink. An aluminum pattern was cast from the wooden pattern then mounted on match plates. Then when he iron was cast it was undersize. Not to worry the plans changed to accomidate the error.

RRSC Cat. 7th Ed. Features the 2-6-0 derived from the 0-4-0.

RRSC Cat. 8th Ed. Has Ellsworth Dunderland's CP 173. He was a very fine builder and his engine shows some odd but very well done details. The cylinder wrappers were engine turned for one.

RRSC Cat. 9th Ed. published spring 1984 Features the 2-8-2 on the cover and has all sections available. This is the last catalog under Chet Peterson.

RRSC Cat. 10th Ed. published summer 1987. This is the last cat. for the Burbank location. Chet retired in February 1987. John Harker became president. I don't think I ever met him. Soon after the company was broken up. The Griffith Park and Southern assets went to Gene Gustavson and his son who I beiieve still has the two railroads.

I know that the hobby side of the company was sold to Tom (Sommers I think) He lasted more than a year and then had a heart attack in the shop and died. This part then went to a fellow in Riverside. He was/is well known but I just can't remember his name. Jim Oetting worked for him until he sold off what was left. Your dad got most of it. The 2-8-2 went into litigation. You will know a lot more about that than I do.
If you will PM me I have a number of names that I will pass on to you. Probably not of much interest to this group.

If you will PM be I have a list of personnel that I will give you. I don't think this board would be interested in these people.

PS The Winton engines went through at least two owners and then became the base for Scale Locomotives Inc. with John Muller as owner.

Beast, Cary Stewart

With great interests I follow the report about "Railroad Supply History".
In 1993 I met John K. Darby at Le Bouveret in Switzerland.
He invited me and my wife to come over to visit him, what we did in 1994.
At that time, John was the owner of (Darby's) Railroad Supply.
I still remember his well equipped workshop in his garage in Rancho Cucamonga with all those shelf's full of machined parts ans lost wax castings and some locos in progress (I took a lot of photos, but they are still not digitized ).
John was a very friendly fellow and he took us to a lot of interesting places and people in the area.
He also arranged a ride with a Gene Allen Mogul at the Riverside Live Steamers club track for me.
Unfortunately I then lost contact with John.
I will be pleased, to hear some informations about John K. Darby.

Cheers!
Tom

John Darby is alive and well living the good life north of Spokane Washington.

Thank you for the response re John Darby. Cucamonga is not Riverside but is more or less in the right direction. I guess Jim Oetting's commute wasn't as bad as I thought. He lived in Van Nuys or was it North Hollywood. Hmmmmm. Jim's father and I worked in the same engineering dept. at Litton Data Systems for several years until he retired.
Cary

Cary...

The last place I remember Jim Oetting would have been living at around the time of the Darby RRSC era was in Van Nuys.... A short distance north of Valley College.

LL