The Home Machinist!

Hi all,

Just thought i'd post up a picture of the start of my new project, eventually I hope this will all be turned into something resembling a Nickel Plate Berkshire. I will be making a start on it once i've finished my QR diesel later this year.
The patterns and castings for two Berkshires were done by two of our club members about 25 years ago. One of the two loco's (a C&O version) is 99% finished, but this one never really got much futher than producing the castings, with the owner (now 84) still busy building and working on a number of other locos. So we started talking and came to an agreement and i'm the happy new owner. There are castings for pretty much everything except for the cylinder block and the wheels for the front truck.
Should be a good long term project and definetly will be a good learning experience.

regards,

Nathan

Awesome!

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Mattaniah Jahn

Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/

Nathan, very nice to see another NKP Berk or Super Power engine underway. Not to steal your thunder, but I have been hearing about the C&O version for a few years but have yet to see any pics of it. What are your plans for your cylinders and trailing truck? I'm sure Jim Kreider would love to help you out with the castings he offers.

Keep us updated when you can.

Rob

It is nice to see another Berkshire taking shape in Australia. I’ve seen photos of two 2-8-4’s in Australia; a C&O 2-8-4 #2754 built by Lloyd Dannenberg and NKP 759 which I think is owned by a fellow named John Nash if my memory serves me right. There are photos of the C&O engine on the Queensland site (http://www.tracksandtrains.com/qsmee/ga ... d_tnt2010/) and you-tube has some video of the 759. Both locomotives are very nice. I’ve met and talked to Lloyd about the 2754 but I would like to know more about the history, builder and owner, of the 759.

Jim Kreider

Hi all,

Jim, the C&O of Lloyd's you mention is actually (built from) the other of the two sets of castings i mentioned that was made the 25 or so years ago. I'm a member of the same club as Lloyd (QSMEE). The NKP version is owned by Bob Nash, he's a member of one of the clubs in South Australia, can't remember which club though.

As far as making the cylinders and the trailing truck goes, Lloyd has fabricated both these items and i'll probably do the same for mine.

regards,

Nathan.

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Nathan

The NKP 759 lives in Adelaide, South Australia and Bob is a member of SASMEE. I am the lucky boy who takes the loco out for Bob. The 759 has the Baker Valve castings from Jim Kreider. The cylinders and trailing truck are fabricated. It has a steel wet back boiler with steel tubes. It is a very nice loco to drive. I sent Jim a picture of the completed loco recently. I am sure at next years convention there will be an opportunity to double head with Lloyd. At present Bob and myself are leaving to catch a plane to Train Mountain. See you there Jim.

Regards

Glen

Glen and Jim, many thanks for posting the link to nice pics of Lloyd's 2754. While the NKP version is the ultimate, any C&O fan like myself will argue in defense of the Kanawha. Nice to find these pics to druel over in the wee hours of the morning here at Denver Int Airport before flying home!

As you may know there is one completed 2700 as well as one under consttuction (Dick Dute) in NE Ohio within an hour of each other.

Rob Gardner