The Whiskey River Railway

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
a prototype for

There is a prototype for narrow gauge trucks under a standard gauge car. The East Broad Top used to lift up the ends of standard gauge interchange boxcars, roll the trucks out, and roll narrow gauge trucks under the boxcars, and deliver them to destinations on the narrow gauge. on the way back, they would put the standard gauge trucks back on.


Bill Nelson
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Interesting, the C&NW narrow guage line in southern WI used to do the same thing with some of their rolling stock. Seems like a lot of work and would almost make sense just to transfer the freight to a different car, of course depending on what the lading of the car is. I have a picture on my computer of a boxcar that was used for coal loading that's in the process of being switched from standard guage to narrow guage (or vice versa) in the early 1900's.

Tyler
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
how much work?

The fact that they routinely swapped the trucks, seems to indicate that it was less work than reloading the boxcar.

On the East Broad top they had a large crane that spanned the track, that was designed for transferring timbers from narrow to standard gauge cars. they used the crane to lift the cars, I recon it was just a matter of disconnecting the brake linkage to the truck.


Bill Nelson
 

JamesG

New Member
Don't the boxcars just sit on the trucks? I understood the only thing holding the trucks to the boxcar was gravity. So then it would be easier, and cheaper, to just swap trucks instead of reloading a boxcar.
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Don't the boxcars just sit on the trucks? I understood the only thing holding the trucks to the boxcar was gravity. So then it would be easier, and cheaper, to just swap trucks instead of reloading a boxcar.


Exactly! excepting the linkage from the cars' air brake system to the brake actuating mechanism on the trucks, It makes me wonder weather the East broad top hooked up the car brakes on the standard gauge cars , or if they did, how well adjusted the brakes were on those cars.

Bill Nelson
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
I guess, if they had a system that works and were proficient at doing the work then there's no point of fixing something that ain't broke. I guess I don't think narrow minded. ;)

I think my car has the Kadee #714's on it, will those work with either #5's or #58's? If I don't have to change them I won't but if so then it's not a issue either. Since I have those narrow gauge trucks at my disposal maybe I'll donate a WRRy narrow gauge boxcar to the club too. We'll see...

Tyler
 

S class

Member
There is a prototype for narrow gauge trucks under a standard gauge car. The East Broad Top used to lift up the ends of standard gauge interchange boxcars, roll the trucks out, and roll narrow gauge trucks under the boxcars, and deliver them to destinations on the narrow gauge. on the way back, they would put the standard gauge trucks back on.


Bill Nelson

bogie exchange is a way of life down here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogie_exchange

if I can find the footage I'd post it of a grain wagon being exchanged at Dynon in melbourne in the mid 90's interesting stuff.
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
4-4-0 in Bill's shops

At last I get to get on here again, had to use my buddie's internet since everything that isn't on a secure website won't go through on the govt computers. Nonetheless, Bill's lokie that is in the works for the WRRy closely resembles GB&W's #18. So possibly I might not use this lokie for the WRRy but as a very close stand in for some GB&W steam power.

Until who knows when,
Tyler
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
What a coinicidence, while I was hunting for something else, I found a sizeable can motor. I can't remember what it came out of or why, but it has good slow speed working under no load with jumper cables, so I just have to see if I can get the worm off of it without bending the shaft, and it will make a good prospect the the 4-4-0 project, although I may have difficulty getting it to set low enough in the tender frame to get the shaft to line up right.


Bill Nelson
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Last purchase of motive power... for now

Hello all,

About a week ago I found on eBay my diamond in the rough, a Bowser NYC K11 4-6-2. The paint is in poor condition but it has all it's siderods/valvegear and details which helps a lot. I plan to mimic the paint scheme that the real WRRy #1919 has, which the end result should look similar between a cross of John Allen's G&D #56 and the above mentioned lokie. I think I'm also going to use the long tender originally intended for the #87 (my Super American in the works). No pics are available yet of my last piece of motive power but hopefully soon I'll have some.

This lokie is one of two of my assigned passenger pieces of power that will handle strictly passenger traffic. Not sure yet if my MDC 4-4-0 will be the one that gets purdy'd up or the one Bill's working on, but it'll be one of my 4-4-0's that gets the beauty treatment. I think I'll borrow John Allen's idea and paint the 4-4-0 in pretty colors and do something similar with the decaling on the tender, all artistic and such. We'll see though as I may just give it the 1919 treatment.

Also Bill if you stumble upon this, I don't want to nag or be demanding but I'll try and word it nicely: would it be a issue if you held off working on #20 and worked on my Milwaukee Rd #261? When I come home I want to do a photoshoot of both of the Hiawatha's at the club and have them both run.

Thanks,
Tyler
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Hi Tyler,

Looking forward to seeing you and those neat Hiawathas here in Clarksville.

Looks like it was guys from the 160th who choppered in to get Osama. Pretty heroic stuff you all are doing. Please be safe!!!

Doc Tom
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Also Bill if you stumble upon this, I don't want to nag or be demanding but I'll try and word it nicely: would it be a issue if you held off working on #20 and worked on my Milwaukee Rd #261? When I come home I want to do a photoshoot of both of the Hiawatha's at the club and have them both run.

Thanks,
Tyler


I haven't really started on the 4-4-0, so that won't be much of a problem. I'll try to study the big monster , when I get ready to open the locomotive shops. I have the Hon3 0-6-0T working. and ready to go upstairs I may want to try the technique that cleared up the insulated wheel short on my Ken Kidder Hon3 0-4-2 my first HON3 locomotive, which has had many issues fixed but has a shorted driver. Then the deck should be clear.


Bill
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Bill and Tom,

I am pretty happy that we got the ******* finally. As you may know Seal Team VI got him, and although I don't know if 160th SOAR had any hand in the matter one of the guys I go to church with (a Navy fellow) knew a few of the guys on that team. Osama supposedly made a quick stop here (probably to verify that it was him) at BAF before he went to sleep with the fishes.

Currently I'm in the process of finding a decoder that should have all the bells and whistles (literally) that should either be spot on or a close match for the #261. As popular as it is I'm surprised that MTH, Athearn, or Broadway Limited hasn't produced this model let alone sell a decoder with similar functions. I'm guessing a SP GS4 decoder should do the trick, as it was similar in size and had the Mars light which I'd like to function as well.

On another note, my wife surprised me with three awesome books. The first one is on the beginning of railroads in Wisconsin, called Steam and Cinders: The Advent of Railroads in Wisconsin, the second is The North Woods Hiawatha, which explains the former Milwaukee sub that ran near where my wife's from (her town was serviced by the Soo Line and the station downtown still stands), and the third one is Wisconsin Shortlines and Logging Railroads. Now I knew Wisconsin used Shays and Heislers back when logging was handled by rail but not to the extent covered in the book, even the Milwaukee Road had a Shay that they used on the rail line covered in the North Woods Hiawatha book... maybe a sign I need to buy a Shay and haul some logs.

Tyler
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Tyler,


It is great that your wife has an eye for RR books you like. Mine has never made that effort, but maybe she would have if I was on the other side of the world.



I'm in desperate need, as usual of clearing off some space on my work bench. The Hon3 0-6-0T seems to be ready to go up to the RR room. I'm getting close to the bottom of the barrel with Just three Hon3 locomotives in line to work on, a outside framed 2-6-2T Puffing Billy, that has a weak motor, but has had several other issues squared away. The motor removed from the C-16 is identical to it's motor, so I could either use the motor out of the C-16, or see if :eek:codoc can set me up with one like he put's in the c-16 kit without the worm. another is a 0-4-4 Forney, which is in-0p right now, I need to take it apart and feed some power straight to the motor, and see if the motor is dead, or if there is an open in the path of power. I also hove a tiny 0-4-2 that has a short in a insulated driver. If I could open up some space, I could study 261 as well as one of the little ones. If I do so I'll post pictures.


Bill Nelson
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
so if you want to do the shay thing, the most cost effective route is to try to scare up an unbuilt kit from MDC. these have some issues, but there are some workarounds and aftermarket parts that cam make them exceptional locomotives. the other best option is a PFM/ Uninted shay. these will need a can motor , and extra pickups for DCC, but I have replaced motors in 3 of these successfully so it is doable. they run too fast on Dc, but the low current at the motor in DCC might slow them down considerable. That is a scource of frustration with me, as my shays that are set up for prototypical speed at 12 volts DC, are too slow when run on DCC.

Shays are always good, and the slow speed makes the too small distances traveled on our layouts seem longer.
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Bill and Tom,

I am pretty happy that we got the ******* finally. As you may know Seal Team VI got him, and although I don't know if 160th SOAR had any hand in the matter one of the guys I go to church with (a Navy fellow) knew a few of the guys on that team. Osama supposedly made a quick stop here (probably to verify that it was him) at BAF before he went to sleep with the fishes.

Currently I'm in the process of finding a decoder that should have all the bells and whistles (literally) that should either be spot on or a close match for the #261. As popular as it is I'm surprised that MTH, Athearn, or Broadway Limited hasn't produced this model let alone sell a decoder with similar functions. I'm guessing a SP GS4 decoder should do the trick, as it was similar in size and had the Mars light which I'd like to function as well.

On another note, my wife surprised me with three awesome books. The first one is on the beginning of railroads in Wisconsin, called Steam and Cinders: The Advent of Railroads in Wisconsin, the second is The North Woods Hiawatha, which explains the former Milwaukee sub that ran near where my wife's from (her town was serviced by the Soo Line and the station downtown still stands), and the third one is Wisconsin Shortlines and Logging Railroads. Now I knew Wisconsin used Shays and Heislers back when logging was handled by rail but not to the extent covered in the book, even the Milwaukee Road had a Shay that they used on the rail line covered in the North Woods Hiawatha book... maybe a sign I need to buy a Shay and haul some logs.

Tyler

Your wife is great. Those sound like neat books. Shays are very nice locomotives. Bill is right the most reliable and affordable in HO are the MDC lokies. Of course there are these beauties in the Big Scale:

Doc Tom
 

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gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Well after a interesting journey my 4-6-2 got home finally. It finally arrived in Clarksville, but my wife was curious to see why I've hooped and hollared about this lokie and getting it for a steal. Well she opened it up and noticed that part of the cab broke off, took pics to show me the damage, but all in all it looks repairable. I just can't replace the cab on the Bowser K11, the boiler and cab are cast as one piece, so I'll probably just cut off the whole damaged cab overhang and replace it with a plastic piece. Too bad I can't upload any pics to show you right now, but the damage isn't good.

Anyways as for now I'll be concentrating on painting my rolling stock and working on the benchwork and trackwork. Plans include a few modules (especially the Badger Imperial quarry) with full handlaid track, including switches and the possible scale house I might put in either in the pit or up top.

Tyler
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
The damage represents opportunity, as the resulting locomotive will say Whiskey river, rather than Bowser.

I have just ordered some replacement magnets for ancient Pitman open frame motors from Micro Mark They are rare earth magnets and are suposed to me many times stonger than the alanco magnents in the old open frame motors. swaping them out is supposed to be easy.

This might give me me the needed jolt to work on two consolidations in the shops right now. One is a NWSL model of Sierra #8 ; which is interesting as it has ridiculously small drivers. It's looks have been altered by replacing the steel cab with a wooden cab (brass castings) from a Ma & Pa design. It has also had it's smokestack changed, but may get it's straight stack back since I'm converting my mainline locomotive from wood to coal. Mechanically, besides the motor magnets I have some wimpy springs to replace the springs for the sprung drivers. most sprung drivers are so stiff they might as well be ridgid. the wimpy springs (also from NWSL) are weak enough to compress some under the weight of the locomotive. some electrical pick up improvements will be needed as well


The other locomotive is a PFM/United Ma & Pa 2-8-0 , which has classic good looks, and United built good mechanisms. all it should need is the obligatorey electric pick up improvements.


I will experiment with Bullfrog snot on those two locomotives and one of my 2-4-4-2's to see if it helps the on the grade @ Tom's bend,


Bill Nelson
 
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