Choice of prototype

This forum is dedicated to the Live Steam Hobbyist Community.

Moderators: cbrew, Harold_V

EVGEN
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:40 am
Location: Minsk, Belarus

Choice of prototype

Post by EVGEN »

Hello!

I would like to construct a locomotive in scale 10 1⁄4 inl. Since this will be the first such model in my country, it should be an outstanding locomotive. I choose from :

1. Early Challenger (4-6-6-4) - а large and relatively simple locomotive
2. Lner A4 class (4-6-2) - Small and fast, three-cylinder. Legend.
3. Y-3a class (2-8-8-2) - Big, heavy, slow, powerful. A complex steam engine.

Which locomotive should I choose?

Best regards,
Eugen
WJH
Posts: 1417
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by WJH »

10.25" gauge? Stick to a known standard, and pick one that is in your heart, otherwise you will lose interest long before you ever get anywhere. Even then, the odds of you getting anywhere are almost nil. People don't realise how much work it takes, let alone a giant engine on a grand scale gauge railroad. Good luck

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

EVGEN
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:40 am
Location: Minsk, Belarus

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by EVGEN »

10.25" gauge?


Standard scale. Is not it so?

I am free to choose any scale. In my country there are no garden railways. A large scale is the highest detail.

People don't realise how much work it takes, let alone a giant engine on a grand scale gauge railroad.
Manufacturing? It is necessary to consider my location;) We have everything arranged a little differently;)
EVGEN
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:40 am
Location: Minsk, Belarus

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by EVGEN »

It's better to tell which locomotive to choose. If you build, then build an outstanding machine!
dbyam
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:33 pm
Location: Barry County MI

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by dbyam »

10.25" equals about 160 MM, perhaps this is the smallest gauge he has available in his area. In that case I would suggest he scale up 1.5" gauge prints, or down enough to fit the 160 mm gauge if you choose, using a small British Contractors Engine as a prototype. That could make a locomotive light enough to be transported without obtaining a 5 ton truck. Most of them we made for use on 12" gauge anyway.
EVGEN
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:40 am
Location: Minsk, Belarus

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by EVGEN »

10.25" equals about 160 MM
260 мм.
The width of the track is not a problem. The locomotive will be developed from scratch using the original prototype drawings.
WJH
Posts: 1417
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by WJH »

So you have the resources and money to basically reproduce any steam locomotive you desire? Every engine was designed to fulfill a specific need. Pick one that makes sense. You wouldn't use a Pacific for logging, or a 4-8-8-4 for a branchline commuter...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

Cary Stewart
Posts: 542
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:54 pm

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by Cary Stewart »

Are there still steam locomotives in Belarus? Perhaps it would be best to look at your own countries engines and pick a small one to model first. This is true of most countries. The models are of familiar locos. Late locos from the USA tend to be fairly large compared to Britain and most eastern European countries. Good luck in your quest.
Cary
User avatar
Harlock
Posts: 3833
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:19 am
Contact:

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by Harlock »

Plenty of 10.25" gauge in the UK, so it could be sold on there eventually. And if there's no other live steam in Belarus, well, compatibility is not a problem! Pick the one you like the most and go for it. :)
Live Steam Photography and more - gallery.mikemassee.com
Product Development and E-Commerce, Allen Models of Nevada
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10464
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by Bill Shields »

consider what it will weigh and how you will move it during and after construction

a 7.25" gauge challenger is a HUGE piece of equipment (having seen one)...
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
super7b
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:19 pm
Location: Beckingham, Lincolnshire, England

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by super7b »

If you want to build a model of anything, your heart must make the decision that way you will overcome any obstacle during the build.
My choice, given my location, would be an A4.
Look at youtube:

https://youtu.be/K3Ku_Zwy39Y

It's not difficult it's just a matter of size, go for it. Lots of this gauge around the UK.
RET
Posts: 960
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: Choice of prototype

Post by RET »

Hi Evgen,

First, asking your questions this way is better, because you get responses from everyone, not just me.

As I said to you before, my preference would be an American articulated because especially in a large size, such a locomotive would be VERY impressive. My own preference would be for a Big Boy or a Challenger because I think they look "cleaner" with less stuff hanging all over the locomotive, but that's just my opinion. While UP locomotives were built for speed (designed for a top speed of 90 miles/hr.) and Norfolk & Westerns were built for power (top speed of 50 to 60 mph), as large size models in the gauge you are contemplating, either one would have more speed than you would ever be able to use. At speed, a compound loco is harder on the track because of the "nosing" effect of the front engine with its large cylinders.

From what I remember from your messages, you would be building this not as an individual but as part of a team with access to a lot of commercial machinery. Even so, it is still a very ambitious project with a likely build time of several years by the time you produce the drawings, manufacture the parts and then put it all together.

There are a lot of decisions you have to make:

1. Is the boiler going to be copper, steel or the stainless system that is used in Australia? There are plusses and minuses to each of these.

2. What fuel are you going to use?

3. Are you going to use ball and roller bearings throughout?

4. What do you do about all the commercial parts that locomotive builders bought instead of making themselves, eg. power reverse units, lubricators, injectors etc.

5. As someone else said, how are you going to transport this "beast?" Even for Big Boy in 3 1/2" gauge, the engine & tender weigh 300lb and are 8 feet long. If you do the math, for 10 1/4" gauge the same thing is going to be 3 times as long and weigh 27 times more.

There's more, but this will do for a start.

Richard Trounce.
Post Reply