Help Identifying a NYC & HRR no. 999 Locomotive

[MarkStas]

Hi All,

My brother-in-law has a model locomotive inherited from an ancestor that he is trying to identify, and I was hoping that someone on this message board might recognize it and be able to provide information on who built it, where and when it was built, etc.

The locomotive in question (photos attached) is a 3.5" gauge, 1:16 scale (3/4" to the foot) model of the NYC&HRR Model 999, which set some speed records around the late 1890s. There are no maker's marks, serial numbers etc anywhere on the locomotive, so my brother-in-law believes it was made by hand by a relative of his, probably around 1910. Some parts are made out of sheet metal. It is a full working model. He pressurized the main steam chest with air and it sent pressure to the drive steam boxes on each side. It has sliding valves that transfer the pressure to the front and then to the rear of the drive piston which turns the wheels. There is a functioning rack underneath the engine that times the valves to open and close properly. He thinks he just has to make some adjustments and then it will drive itself. It has been intricately made. Any information about the locomotive would be greatly appreciated!

[Bill Shields]

Are you asking for information about the full size loco or the specific model? Much is know about 999 (now sits in Field Museum in Chicago)

As to whether or not the model will 'drive itself' depends greatly your definition of 'drive'.

running on air is a good start, but being able to run on steam is another level of complexity and should be approached carefully.

Suggest that you find someone (local to the model) who knows about live steam models to come and look at the model and provide guidance.

In what part of the world are you (and the model) located?

knowing this information is the first step in soliciting meaningful support (other than wild guesses from pictures).

[Glenn Brooks]

There are only a handful of people who would have made a 4-4-0 of this vintage in the early 1900’s.

You may have an original Albert S. Campbell locomotive, either sold as a kit and built up by the original owner, or purchased as a working loco- built by Mr. Campbell himself. Campbell built and sold around 100 of these NYC 999 locos in kit form and completed engines from around 1895 to mid 1920’s. If this is one of these, you are talking about something that is rare and irreplaceable. Virtually unobtainium.

Now, Your loco has one different part than original Campbell loco’s: the headlamp on yours is fabricated in copper of a different design than Campbell produced. Here is the standard Campbell headlamp in cast iron, albeit larger
scale.

One thing that is the same, is the small vertical blast pipe leading from the frame up to the bottom of the smokebox. Clearly this is the same as Campbell’s design.

The headlamp may not mean much as whoever built the loco clearly had the necessary skills to build any modification they wished to add on your loco.

I know of one other loco in the mid west, having a similar ownership and family history you mention. if you would like to PM or call me , we could compare notes to further verify identify.

Cheers,
Glenn

[NP317]

Glenn:
The "blast pipe" you noted appears to be the front truck adjuster for vertical motion.
It is not under the stack, and is over the center of the lead truck.

Regardless: That's a remarkable model of #99.
RussN

[Glenn Brooks]

Russ,

Thanks. That makes sense. Campbell’s loco photo has the same thing, in the smallest scales anyway.

Glenn

[MarkStas]

All,

Thanks very much to everyone who replied to my request, lots of great information and pointers for obtaining even more.

To answer Bill's question, my brother in law's family is in the Hartford, Conn. area. His father received the locomotive from an uncle in the 1920s, but no one in the family knows where it came from or who built it. Our main goal right now is to learn about the history and "provenance" of our Live Steam locomotive model. Later on we might want to investigate the real NYC & HR no. 999's interesting story. Also of interest to us is making our locomotive operational at some point.

I've been looking at family trees to see who might have made the locomotive. One ancestor was employed by the Austin Organ Co., a maker of large pipe organs, and parts of the locomotive look like they could have been made from organ pipes. Donald Austin, the company's founder, was a train enthusiast. Before Hartford, the family lived in and around Albany, NY, near the West Albany Works where the original no. 999 train was designed.

Glenn, thanks for your offer to provide help--I enjoyed reading your story about identifying your own no. 999 locomotive and I hope we have the same luck! We will be in touch.

Thanks,
Mark

[Bill Shields]

if made from the same material as organ pipes...it is something that would be very difficult to keep shiny...the tin / lead content of such being what it is...however the workmanship to make such could certainly be found in that group of craftsmen...

[MarkStas]

All,

I am happy to let you know that we were able to identify the maker of my brother-in-law's no 999 locomotive model. His brother vaguely remembered that it was built by a family member who was a dentist. After some searches on Ancestry.com, we found that the model's creator was Dr. Frank Warner Brandow of Pittsfield, MA. The model was built from the plans for the original locomotive, not from the blueprints of Albert S. Campbell kit mentioned by Glenn. It was displayed at Tiffany & Co. in New York and in the Berkshire Museum before returning to his family when he died in 1921. Dr. Brandow constructed models of ships, automobiles and airplanes, was president of the Berkshire Car Club, and holds patents related to photographic processes.

Here is a description of the model from the September 19, 1903 edition of Scientific American:

"The model of the locomotive "999" weighs about 65 pounds. It is a perfect working model. It differs from the full-size engine only in being fitted with a brake that works by steam instead of air pressure. Steam for the brake is supplied from a tank just above the forward truck, the tank generally used for air pressure in the Westinghouse brake system. The engine is built of brass, bronze, silver, copper, nickel plate, cast iron, aluminum and gold plate. There is no woodwork in its construction. The tank is built of burnished copper riveted in the usual way. The headlight is supplied with a two-candle-power electric light, connected with a battery kept under the coal in the tender. The holes drilled in the boiler at the side and the bottom are used for draft for the alcohol burners used to make steam, it being impossible to generate steam in so small a boiler with flues on account of lack of draft. The crown sheet runs the entire length of the boiler, giving large heating surface for steam. The boiler runs on a pressure of from 40 to 60 pounds. Dr. Brandow was a year and a half in making this model. There are several thousand pieces, counting all the small parts. The hand brake in the tender and all the piping, for steam, water and air, with the small valves in their construction, are perfect copies of the large machine. A metallic engineer stands at the throttle. All the parts are beautifully polished and buffed."

Thanks,
Mark

[Fender]

Sounds like some great detective work! Coincidentally, I have found information in Scientific American that filled in gaps when researching my own family history.

[Glenn Brooks]

Excellent job defining the Provence of your loco. Well done!

Glenn

[NP317]

And Thank You for sharing your findings.
Fascinating.
RussN

[PRR5406]

I love "modern" Americans. Just sayin'