Dave Gumz' 4-6-0 4-3/4" Narrow Gauge

[paralleler]

A few weeks ago I became the care-taker for the Dave Gumz' 4-6-0 4-3/4" narrow gauge locomotive. I seemed to have everything but the construction drawings. I wrote a mutual friend at the Golden Gate Live Steamers to see if he might know where I might find an archived set and, as he put it, "hit the mother lode!" He was able to supply several photographs of the build along with years of MODELTEC magazine. I was told the build information was, "in there." Dig..., dig..., dig... AHA! Looks like it starts around the March 1991 issue. Unlike the 0-4-0T I paid to be completed by a "professional," this locomotive was built by a craftsman. The locomotive looks and runs BEAUTIFULLY! Also many thanks to another member of GGLS who gave the locomotive a nice tune-up prior to handing it off to me.

As time permits, I'll upload more information. A saying I got from a presenter at the Nation Museum Of The United States Air Force: "History makes you smart, heritage makes you proud." Hopefully I'll be worthy of Dave's locomotive.

[jcbrock]

Dave left quite a legacy at the St Croix RR in Hudson, WI. Twice a year he'd come to the spring and fall meets, driving it in 2 days from Livermore, CA with an overnight in Rawlins, WY, and then the next morning he'd be fired up and running well before 7 am. A few more shots of the 10-wheeler in action:

[Rich_Carlstedt]

Thanks John
I use to love to go to the St Croix meets just to talk with Dave. He was such a super nice guy who love to talk about steam and (his) trains. The detail was superb including the interior of his cars.
A Great Builder !

Rich

[paralleler]

25 issues of MODELTEC describe the building of the 4-6-0 4-3/4" gauge 1-1/2" scale narrow gauge locomotive & tender. They ran from May 1985 to June 1987. The gentleman who was selling the castings and drawings associated with these articles was Warren Weston in Lee's Summit, Missouri.

The March 1991 issue of MODELTEC describes a 1" scale B&O Ten Wheeler; it talks of drawings & castings by Henry Coventry.

Dig..., dig..., dig...

[Bill Shields]

THAT'S COOL...good to see 4-3/4" gauge locos still getting around

[paralleler]

Last night I spoke with the gentleman who made the drawings and castings for Dave's locomotive. His wife had answered the phone and I asked for her husband; she sounded rather skeptical. I asked if her husband had been involved with steam locomotives and her voice brightened up -- but he had had a stroke. I asked about kids who might know about his work and again she sounded skeptical. "How did you get this number?," she asked. From a 1986 magazine advertisement. But we moved? Computer search: same name, same city, different address -- I thought I'd try the phone number.

I spoke with Warren for a bit. He remembered a few things, he had forgotten a few things. We had a nice chat.

I spoke with his wife again and told her one of the locomotives built by her husband's drawings had brought smiles to a lot of kids a couple of weeks ago. After confirming their address, I told her I'd be sending a photo of the Gumz' Ten Wheeler and she could share the photo and story with her husband. I included a GGLS DVD, a photocopy of MODELTEC's "Part 24: Tender Details," and a short letter restating the kids smiles story. I also asked a few questions like how many locomotives might have been built, how many drawing sets went out (dozens, hundreds, etc.), and, of course, if any drawing sets were still available. Within two hours all this was in the Post Office mail slot. Sometimes you gotta' strike while the iron's hot.

I also set a reminder in my computer to send him a birthday/Christmas card. His wife told me Warren was a Mechanical Engineer by profession and did the Ten Wheeler as a serious hobby. Sadly it sounded like everything associated with the Ten Wheeler was sold at auction prior to down-sizing.

"History makes you smart, heritage makes you proud."

[paralleler]

Two updates: I received a photo via eMail of Warren Weston's 4-6-0 from a gentleman named James O'Shay. It's attached.

Second, I received a very nice reply from Warren, the author and designer of the 4-6-0:

Thank you for the package of drawings and the great picture you sent of the locomotive we talked about on the phone. Answering the three questions:

1. I do not have any drawings available any more.
2. How many castings went out? One set for each of us (Warren & Gail Gish)
(Possibly the stroke kicking in because Dave Gumz built one and drawings and
castings were advertised for years in ModelTec magazine.)
3. How many locomotives completed? Two were built by Gail Gish & myself
(Again, I am sure there are more).

The work on my engine was several years in the making: 12 years for me and 10 years for Gail. I enjoyed the locomotive building and work we did. After the locomotive was completed we were very happy to run various places in the U.S. and Canada. By 2011 the engine had been sold because of retiring and moving to a retirement village.

Gail and family are still near buy and are still using his engine.

Keep building, Warren K. Weston

[jschoenly]

Great engine and info! I'll be working on completing one of these engines only it will be adapted to become the later EBT ten wheeler Cromwell. Good stuff!

[Rob Gardner]

So do we know who has the drawings for this engine currently? I know a young man in the Denver area who thinks he has a boiler and smokbox that might have been built for a T-12 but got nothing else from the seller.

Does anyone know of any sets of castings floating around? Have Warren and Gail ever reported how many sets of castings were produced in total over time?

Thanks in advance,

Rob Gardner