A champion is born.

[pkeiser]

Mike Venezia engineer on Paulie's baby.Keep her on the track there big boy!

[Highiron]

Mike Venezia engineer on Paulie's baby.Keep her on the track there big boy!

ahhhh...excuse me Mr Paulie...can you say "slip Switch"...derailment?...LOL

[pkeiser]

Mike driving 1690 up steep grade in Texas

[pkeiser]

Paul Keiser on 1690 Northern and Stephen Balkum on 9100 Hudson double heading in Wimberley Texas

[pkeiser]

Before she ran on rails she was born on the morning we put air to her for the first time. By the way, notice the "thing" behind my right shoulder? Who knows what that "thing" is?

Ok...It's a Tesla coil. Built that "Thing" in 1971. Still works too.

[DJSteamer3017]

What a great looking and sounding locomotive. In fact I can remember drooling over the pictures in the old LE catalogs of the Northerns and then seeing Chet Peterson's 825 in person sealed my choice for what kind of locomotive I wanted to build for myself.

The posted videos are neat and really show what those engines are capable of. I look forward to seeing more of them as they are posted. They are really inspirational.

I do have a question about the weight, you mentioned in an earlier post that it is calculated to be about 2300#, I would assume that is engine and tender. Have you actually weighed the locomotive. The reason I ask is I weighed my GS-1 at GGLS many years ago and it weighed in at just over 1300# with about 850# on the drivers. Since then more parts have been added but I doubt the locomotive has even reached 1400# yet. The boiler is 3/8" thick shell and the firebox is 5/16" thick, the frames are 7/8" thick and were flame cut, The smokebox is about 9/16" thick and there is a lot of 1" thick plate in the cylinders and as spreaders so the engine is pretty solid. There is not a lot of room to add much more weight even if I wanted to. Anyway, just curious and hopefully a lot more of these engines will be built in the future, and thanks for all your efforts in bringing this back to life.

Donald

Speaking of Chet,

Here's a video on YouTube on how he got started in Live Steam with his infamous LE 4-8-4 Union Pacific 825. Keep on Steamin' my Friends!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIxbtmTP1Es

[pkeiser]

Over the weekend I started to assemble the next Northern frame. This is the sister to the 1690 Northern.

[pkeiser]

Setting the lifting arms on to the tumbling shaft. This is critical before you bore a #3 taper pin reamer to finalize the position. If one side is off, the block in the link will be off position from the other side and the choo choo will walk with a limp. Well sorta !

[pkeiser]

Today we painted the Northern frame. This is Gerardo. One of my supervisors here in my little army at Keal Case. I make it , he paints it .Great man to have.

[SilverSanJuan]

Lookin' really good! Keep that man busy.

Todd

[pkeiser]

Turning the smoke box door ring. Lathe is a 19" swing and the smoke box door is 12 1/2" OD. Cast iron I believe. Keep your little fingers away Paulie my father would say .

[pkeiser]

All painted , drive wheels installed, rods attached. Next install valve gear and make her work!