A Mechanical Menagerie

Glen White Coal & Lumber Class B Shay

In 1931 Glen White Coal & Lumber Company purchased a used Shay geared locomotive from the Sligo & Eastern Railway. Although the real #7 was a class C three truck weighing 70 tons, this Atlas model represents a class B two truck Shay in the 50-60 ton range.  The Atlas model was a welcome stand-in for the class C models available. If you can find one, they are hand crafted brass and cost more than my used car (literally).

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PRR Class K4s Pacific

If you are modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in the mid-twentieth century you got to have at least one class K4s "Pacific" (4-6-2). This model is a Del Prado die cast model of the Pennsy's "signature" locomotive. It doesn't run, but it does look nice "idling" in an engine terminal.

Potential PRR Class M1 Mountain

The next locomotive is a Bachmann Northern (4-8-4) a type the Pennsy never owned. The original idea was to use two of these models and attempt to create an N scale class T1 "Duplex" (4-4-4-4). The project started with the Bachmann's first generation of these units which are vastly different form the model shown here. I revised the idea and will use this as a basis for a class M1 "Mountain" (4-8-2) replacing the trailing truck with a PRR style single axle unit.

PRR Class L2s Mikado

On any other railroad this would've been a USRA designed 2-8-2 "light" Mikado. On the Pennsylvania it was a class L2s. American Locomotive built 5 of these for the GR&I (class GL1s) in 1919. The Pennsy acquired them and left them in their USRA configuration as evidenced by the lack of the trademark Belpaire firebox.

PRR Class L1s Mikado

The Pennsy version of the "heavy" Mikado type was the L1s class 2-8-2. The PRR owned 574 of these beasts (344 were built in the Juniata Shops at Altoona Works). They shared boiler and other components with the K4s. Like the K4s they served from 1914 to the end of steam in 1957. In the 1940's several were sold to other roads (AT&SF, L&NE, C&I, Interstate and DT&I). This model is a Kato mechanism combined with a GHQ L1s kit.

Potential PRR Class L1s Mikado

The Allegheny Eastern actually has two L1s class Mikado's. Southern Pacific 3303 is a Kato model of a USRA "heavy" 2-8-2. I have a GHQ L1s kit to convert this locomotive. The kit contains pewter parts to replace the Kato boiler, cab, tender and a few other parts. Hopefully the end result is a good looking, nice running model of an L1s.

PRR Class K4s

If there is one N scale locomotive that most modelers can recognize at a glance this is it. Mini-Trix has produced their version of the Pennsylvania class K4s almost as long as "N" has been a scale. The originals were cast metal, but this a newer plastic version. The shell is not as detailed or as faithful as the GHQ kit castings mentioned above or even the static Del Prado model. The wheel flanges are too deep for code 55 track so I had to grind them down. The mechanism in general is outdated so most modelers re-power or replace it totally. Prime candidate for donor is Kato's model of a Japanese class C-55 4-6-2.  If I had the money, I would use the GHQ kit on the Kato mechanism. For now this "de-motored" unit is used as a "dummy" helper on The Hill.