Possibly building a Heavy Mikado

[MarcelloRupelli]

So I have the plans from Railroad Supply. Pre Railroad Warehouse, these are mostly actually blueline copies. First, as a student of drafting and longtime CAD user, I have to say the prints are amazing! Does anyone know who J.R Octting is? Or if he's still around. If so I'd like to shake his hand. He drafted the prints originally in '82. They're a work of art. Every line, every corner, everything is perfect, all done in ink. You can occasionally see some faint pencil construction lines. I've literally large-format scanned some and plan to frame them for on my walls.

Anyway, I've got a fair bit of training and experience in machine tools and access to lots of equipment. Enough that if I had to leave a frame or casting set up on a mill a while it wouldn't be a big deal. So, I'd like to start building this thing, but probably not right away. In the meantime, I'm re-drawing every bit and piece in 3D in Rhino. For my own use, of course. I have no plans to make parts to sell or to sell the drawings. I figure if I can build the thing in 3D, it'll help me figure out how it works and where it might cause me some trouble. Plus, it's a great excercise in 3D, I'm always trying to build my skills there. I'll post a couple renderings at the end of this post.

Here's a quick question. The castings are currently available, but it's not cheap to buy them all at once. Plus, some of the parts included in the package I'd build myself, like the frame rails. Would it make sense to buy it a few pieces at a time or is there a real risk of the source going away?

Here's some renderings. Everything's there, down to the piston rings:
Frame, axles, spring rigging:


Its current state. I'm finishing the trailing truck journal boxes, and there's a lot of harware I need to catch up on:


Close up of the last rendering at full size:

[LivingLegend]

Jim Oetting worked for the "origional" RRSC in Burbank, CA for years. Jim is still around and, I think still a member out at LALS (which I still consider to be my home club.) Jim did just about eveything for RRSC.... From being a draftsman, to working in the shop to shooting waxes for castings.

The origional, prototype model of the RRSC "Mike" was built before all of the patterns were made. A lot of parts ment to castings on the production loco were fabricated. Parts such as the trailing truck frame, smokebox front and door, rods, spring as well as brake rigging and the like.

The builder of the RRSC prototype Mike's name escapes me at the moment, but I believe he lived somewhere in Oregon. Anyone out there know?

LL

[LivingLegend]

Brian:

Forgot to ask.....

What are rendering your Rhino drawings with? Flamingo?

LL

[NKP2-8-4]

If you are worried about the company "going away" you should give them a call and ask how business is. There is no harm in that, and it will also give you a chance to get a feel for the people who work there. The other thing you have to ask yourself is how long you are planning on taking when building this engine. If you have a 50 year time table (that was an exaguration) the odds your project will outlast the supplier.

As for this specific locomotive the big thing I think I would change is the side rods. I personally like steel over brass for side rods, especially if you are building a larger locomotive. I've seen people with brass rods and they seem to work fine, but I really "work" my locomotives with long heavy trains up big grades, and I feel safer with steel. I also like steel for truck wheels. They just hold up better than castings.

One thing you should know is that when you finish your frame you should then machine the pedestal binders and attach them to the frame. It keeps the journal pockets from becoming warped.

[Rwilliams]

In regards to the RRSC Heavy Mikado. The locomotive was drawn up with all the details and presented to Chet for production cost estimates. The cost for production as first drawn was prohibitive and it was un-detailed to make a rather generic but nice looking engine. Much of the detail was left up to the builder as this reduced the sticker shock to the average builder. Many of the drawings include notes as to what was omitted or not included and left to builder options.

I currently own one of the very early production USRA Heavy Mikado's built by the guy in Grant's Pass, Oregon. I heard he is still alive but in poor health.

The story about my engine is it was lettered for Missouri Pacific and used as a demo engine at several tracks around the country before being placed for sale in the Victory Blvd. location. One of the RRSC catalogs had a couple of pictures of the engine in the Mikado section of the catalog in the 1988-89 era. Someone bought the engine and ran it once at LALS. This run at LALS was quite memorable as apparently the big Mikado tangled with a much smaller engine that was far worse for the meeting so the story goes. The new owner was afraid of the powerful engine and returned it to RRSC. It was repaired and sold to a retired Southern Pacific trainman who ran it very little before ill health set in.

I purchased the engine a few years ago and am giving it a rebuild into a Southern Pacific MK-9 heavy mikado #3323. Much of the makeover work is done or almost done. Many of the details removed from the original drawings have been included.

Can anyone tell me more about the early history of the engine I now own and the infamous wreck at LALS?

Robert

[Dick_Melcher]

Hi Folks,

In reading this thread there is mention of the guy in Grants Pass Oregon who is in poor health. I regret to mention this but Gerry Bowden passed away last Monday 1/15/07. I believe there is another post further down this blog describing that.

Dick Melcher

[LivingLegend]

Robert:

Is it possible you could have the very first RRSC "Mikado" built? The one I previously mentioned?

Photo's of the prototype RRSC "Mike" were used in the first RRSC catalogs that feature the Mikado line. Those catalogs would have been during, approxamently, the 1984-85 time period. Check the trailing truck, cradle, brake hangers, etc., as I mentioned. If they are fabricated instead of cast it's the first engine that you've got. Also, check the smokebox front and door, and the door hinges. They were machined from aluminum plate and were not castings.

Been so long ago I'm not sure of my memory of it, but I think that engine may have been lettered for the MoPac. The engine was also used as a "demonstrator" for quite a while before being sold.

I remember the first person that bought the first (prototype) "Mike," but not his name. As I remember it, the guy had zero experience and it was his first engine.... Couldn't tell him anything as he wouldn't listen. Some sort of an incident involving him does ring a bell, but it's been so long ago that I've forgotten details.

Seems to me the engine's second owner was John Simmon.

The builder of the first Mike also built the museum quality RRSC CP-173 that was posed on it's display trestle on the cover of an early 1980's RRSC catalog. Don't remember if the builder was Gerry Bowden or not.

LL

[Dick_Morris]

Would it make sense to buy it a few pieces at a time or is there a real risk of the source going away?

Over the 35 years or so I've been involved in the hobby, procrastionation has lost me a number of opportunities as suppliers have died or gone out of business. (The Mosley generator was probably the one I kick myself the most for missing.) I'd decide which parts would be really impractical to fabricate and try and buy those early. Drive wheels and cylinder block are a couple that come to mind.

[LivingLegend]

....I think I would change is the side rods. I personally like steel over brass for side rods, especially if you are building a larger locomotive.

NKP2-8-4:

Don't know what material Railroad Warehouse uses for their Mikado rods, but the "origional" RRSC (Burbank) cast their side/main and valve motion rods in aluminum. I'm fairly certain they used the 356 alloy.

There's nothing wrong with using aluminum for the side and main rods. Paricularly if you machine them out of 7075.

LL

[NKP2-8-4]

Railroad Warehouse's web site says that their rods are CNC profiled out of sheet brass when you purchase the whole casting package. My reason for liking steel is that I have seen people roll engines with brass rods and they bent very badly. My pacific was in an accident one time where it was laid down on pavement at a grade crossing and the steel rods where scratched but still in one piece.

I don't see a problem with good quality machined aluminum, but I just don't like the idea of side rod castings that could possibly be porous. There is a lot of force at work there.

[LivingLegend]

Joe:

For myself? Personally, I like only machined steel for rods.

LL

[NKP2-8-4]

Joe:

For myself? Personally, I like only machined steel for rods.

LL

AMEN!