Building a Kozo

[marshall5]

Hi Weibel, 'hope you don't mind me being blunt. From what you have told us about yourself I fear that you maybe asking for the impossible but maybe I can offer some advice. Firstly forget Dart - as Ben and Richard say, its not an easy build and the castings from Reeves are way overpriced. I have one ( I only weigh 150 lbs) and even with my buddy on the other end I wouldn't want to carry it far. My wife has a Corolla and I wouldn't want to try to get Dart in the trunk or back seat. Your original post asked about the cost of a Kozo Heisler or Shay - have you considered his A3? It has the advantage of size as well as requiring few/if any castings, and, like all Kozo's designs his books 'talk you through it'. Yes, it would still be a struggle to get it in a Corolla sedan - have you thought of a small station wagon? I have a Focus in which I've carried my Dart and Kozo Climax together with the back seats down. All my engines live on roll around stands which are the same height as the tailgate and with a short joining piece I can roll the locos in/out of the car unaided.
As regards a 'Mamodesque' design I think the nearest you'd get is the "Newbie Project" serialized in Live Steam mag in 2004 or the 'Clishay'. I'm sure there are other simple 'freelance' designs out there. If your local club is 7 1/2" gauge only then that's what I would settle on.
Hope this helps,
Ray.

[Fender]

My advice would be to look into getting a small trailer to pull behind whatever vehicle you use. A 300-lb loco would fit into a pretty small trailer, and the trailer could easily be towed behind a smallish automobile. Most clubs are set up with an unloading ramp or lift, so rolling the engine in and out of the trailer would be relatively effortless, as would tying it down securely to the trailer with ratcheting straps. Getting a loco in and out of a trunk or back seat, not so much. Also, unless it is very securely tied down, carrying a loco inside of the passenger compartment of a vehicle is unsafe, IMHO.

[Bill Shields]

either the trailer or rip the guts out of a camper to make room for the loco and all that you need to bring with it.

[kvom]

A pickup truck bed works for many locos. My A3 plus tender just fits in 6'.

[James Powell]

A steam locomotive for $150? Please post a photo. I am curious as to what you can actually make for $150. What gauge are you talking about?

David

3 1/2" gauge, not scale at all.

Thing3 by Peach James, on Flickr

Thing2 by Peach James, on Flickr

Thing1 by Peach James, on Flickr


That's the $150 version.

The more expensive version is the 4 3/4" version, with a Stuart Launch twin block at it's heart (taking it above the $150 mark...), and again, lots of scrounged bits & pieces. I still think it would be under $1000 for what dad spent on it, but there was lots of bits which fell off the back of a lorry, or out of the University of Toronto workshop where he worked. It placed at OMLET... Dead LAST. But, it did manage 2 years at OMLET (*).

(*) Ontario Model Locomotive (in)Efficiency Trials, held at Hamilton, Ont

James

[Bill Shields]

While I truly like my 3/4" Tom Thumb (run the wheels off it) which is similar to Thing 2, it is a bit of a stretch to expect to build for under $150 unless you have 99% of the components available lying around in your basement.

the copper alone in the boiler is worth well in excess of $150, even if you u roll and seam the outer shell and firebox.

I will grant you that it is one of the least expensive (and easiest) locos you can build, and it will pull 2-3 people around a reasonable track.

[Glenn Brooks]

Some of the small scale stuff is truly amazing - there is an active Garden Railroad club in the Pugut Sound Region that models scenery - geography really - complete with mountain passes, forests, old mining towns, railroad yards , magnificent miniature trestle - everything. Although one can't really ride on Garden scale, the build outs are amazing. And you can put your railroad whoever you have room in the backyard - or inside for winter fun.

All sorts of approaches to the Hobby.

[Bill Shields]

At the lower limit -> 2-1/2" gauge is actually usable to pull a person. One of the fellows at our club has a 2-6-0 in that gauge and does quite a good job running around the multi-gauge track.

Sadly..many of the Gauge 1 tracks are not setup to consider riding, even though some of the larger locos would be capable of pulling a person.

[Harold_V]

Sadly..many of the Gauge 1 tracks are not setup to consider riding, even though some of the larger locos would be capable of pulling a person.

Hmmm.
Can't help but wonder if the track would be up to the task. It's relatively light, and may be distorted by the weight of human cargo. Any opinions in that regard, Bill?

Harold

[Bill Shields]

I have seen setups with 4-3/4" track straddling gauge 1.

person sits on 4-3/4" riding car with gauge 1 loco doing the work.

switches are very interesting.....

[Harold_V]

I get it!
Thanks, Bill.

H

[Eric M.]

A buddy of mine has a dual gauge sectional track with 45mm and 4 3/4". We tested it with an otherwise stock, 1:20.3 scale, Accucraft 3 cylinder Shay that had been loaded up with lead weights for traction. The 4 3/4" riding car had needle bearing trucks. It was pretty anti-climactic actually. The Shay pretty much walked away with me riding behind. Not any wheel slip at all. It was a pretty impressive demonstration of power from a small "G scale" steamer.

Regards,
Eric