Another2 MDC hon3 questions

[Glen Haasdyk]

I'm almost finished my MDC HOn3 2-8-0 for the Caribou Lumber Company. But I've got two questions.
1) Would loggers use a coal fired engine? the MDC engine looks like it's coal fired and if it is I'll have to figure how to do a coal conversion on the MDC shay that will be my next project. Any Ideas?
2) the electical pickups off the tender, does to motor lead (red wire) attatch to the drawbar screw, or does to attach on the bottom side where there is a hole in the tender frame?

As I said I's almost finished and I figure I've done pretty good sice all I had to go on was the exploded view drawing of the engine. I instaled NWSL gears into it and yeaterday I broke it in by proping it up on a couple paint jars and running the mechanism forward and revers for half-an-hour each at half throttle.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Hi Glen
I would think that a logging company would prefer a wood burner as wood would be more plentiful. However a coal burning locomotive could be used. You could also convert it to an oil fired locomotive.
As long as the motor wire is attached to the tender it will work.
It is actually supposed to be attached on the bottom side where there is a hole but I like to mount it on the draw bar screw and run the wire directly below the draw bar.

 

[Glen Haasdyk]

Thanks Ray, how would one convert the tender to oil ? I don't see any hatches for fueling it.
I think wood burners went out in the early 20th century. Most pictures of west coast loggers that I have came oil fired.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Basicly all you would have to do to convert to oil would be to build a tank in the area where the coal was. Some photos of early Santa Fe locomotives may help.