Pennsy T1 Build

[Chris333]

Turning out very nice. I wish the Erie had them...

[peteski]

A proto steam loco pulls its tender, so it would make sense that a prototypical model should do the same, which is one reason I prefer the motor in the engine.
In a case where it is more efficient for the motor to be in the tender, I would at least expect that a drive-shaft be used to allow the drivers to be the source of the traction, as is the proper way.
Even if a strictly tender-driven loco can out-pull one with the motor in the boiler, or a tender-motor with a drive-shaft to the drivers, I'd take one of the latter.
Plus a majority of engines with motors in the boiler (or even a tender-motor with a drive-shaft), are not properly balanced, but rather they have weight crammed in wherever it will fit.
As an example, one of B-mann's spectrum-line steam engines, from the factory, is a loco with excellent pulling power, but it is out of balance. I know of one person who has removed 1 gram of weight (IIRC it was from the smokebox end, but of what model of loco I cannot recall) which balanced out the loco. The process actually increased its pulling capabilities due to the fact that all the drivers were making full, and equal, contact with the rails.

We, in N scale, do a lot of things that aren't done in prototype locos. This is done for various reasons (usually because of technological or space limitation).  Now I understand that your aversion is strictly a personal preference, not some scientific reason.  To be honest, when I first ran into those tender-driven Fleischmann models, I was a bit concerned myself. But once I realized that those work just as well as the conventionally powered models, I was ok with them.  One really nice feature of tender driven models is that you can see the daylight between the loco frame and the boiler (that is actually advertised as a feature by Fleischmann).  Anyways, thanks for explaining your views.

[DKS]

I don't know if SMS software likes the secure HTTP protocol (https).

That's it, precisely. To post a YouTube video, use the same procedure as posting an image. But just before you click Post, check to be sure the URL begins with http:// and not https://. Removing the 's' will fix the problem.

[chicken45]

So. If one were to motor one of these with 2 boiler motors and a tender motor...how does that work for DCC? Three Decoders MU'd?

[delamaize]

OMFG!!! JASON!! AWESOME!!!

[mmagliaro]

Jason,
It's looking great!   How much clearance do you have between the pilot truck frames and the underside of the cylinders.
That's a troublesome spot because of the scale we're in, and because they are so close on the prototype.

The video looks terrific.  Yep.  It's a-gonna work!

[superturbine]

Thanks Guys

Max- here is a pic of the pilot truck




Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[mmagliaro]

Hey, that looks like it will work Jason.  There's a lot of flash to clean up on that pilot sideframe, and on the inside
of the back of the pilot, which will open up more clearance in there, as well.  How did you attach the sideframes
to the truck so they sit outside the pilot wheels?  A couple of wires drilled through the pilot truck frame into the
sideframes on each side, I'm guessing?
This is tough area on an N Scale steam loco.  There isn't much clearance and N needs more slop than
the prototype had in order to make it around curves and to tolerate dips and rises in the track.

[superturbine]

Yeah it works pretty good.  I simple snipped off the small side frame brake assembly and attached the side frames to the left over post.

What you see really isn't much flashing, there is some,  it's the left over bits of removed details to test fit the mech i.e. Air pumps..... I will add the details back in soon and fully clean out the mech.  In fact I am not sure this will be the boiler I use, might replace it with another casting.  I got lucky on the pilot, it worked the first try, the trailing truck took a little work tho, clearance is tight at the firebox and the stock mount was removed to get the correct bearing box plate - first 2 drivers off of the GS 4 mech.

[pjm20]

So, could that leading truck be used for anything else Pennsy?

[superturbine]

Check this out.

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The temporary tender weights 3.6 ounces.  I will still much prefer the Nstars tender, this one is just to show that the average modeler can do it.

Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[Chris333]

Smack me and I'll smack you back.   

[mmagliaro]

Whoa!  The tender drive is done already???
Cool!

Ya know, there's another plus for tender drives.  Steam locos have something going against them as compared
to their diesel brethren when it comes to low-speed running.  A GP with 40" wheels has a built-in low
ratio because of those small-diameter "drivers".    A T1 with 80" drivers will move twice as fast
with the same rpm rate of the wheels.  So to make it creep as slow as a diesel, you have to gear it down
by 2x.  But if you use a tender drive, you have 33"    "drivers".

[superturbine]

No its not done.  This was a tender drive I built/cobbled together last night.   Its not the final product nor do I want it to be, I just wanted to give it a shot .  I basically wanted to show that while a tender drive has its own difficulties it can be done .

[SkipGear]

Sorry to continue the tender drive comments but this is why I don't like tender drive....

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Start watching about 1:15. One of the traits of the T1 was that they were slippery and spun the drivers quite easy.

Steam locomotives often struggled for traction and when it is being pushed, you can't simulate that.

This is my only reason I don't do tender drive. I like long trains, my 2-10-2 regularly pulls 80 cars, but that is about what the real loco could do. More than that, or too much grade and it slips, just like the real loco.