Found this image in an old Railroad Magazine dated May, 1949. Upon first sight it looks like Rube Goldberg's version of a self-propelled railcar. Very "steampunk" to be sure. I suspect it could be a product of a fertile imagination, but knowing the whimsy of railroad design before the Civil War it could well be a rendering of a real piece of equipment...
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| The "Colorado" |
Many of railroadings pioneers seem to have let their imaginations run wild while designing equipment. The single set of tall drivers shown on the "Colorado" also appeared on British "Cramptons" and the Camden & Amboy's "John Stevens". One of several 6-2-0 locomotives designed by Isaac Dripps and built between 1849 and 1853. If I recall correctly, those drivers were nearly 8 to 9 feet in diameter. They tended to slip getting underway but could zoom along at a pretty good clip. The solid panels between the driver spokes are not ornamental; the big wheels worked like giant fans at speed, spraying debris and dust along the right of way. Closing off the wheels eliminated this curious behavior. After several year of service the engines were rebuilt as 4-4-0's...
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| Camden & Amboy "John Stevens" |
Like I said, it's not unlikely that something like the "Colorado" could have been real. Since the tin-type may be the only evidence of it's existence we'll never know.
Meanwhile back in the present...
I started "detailing" the Quotidian viaduct. I took that embossed stone paper I purchased a while back and traced the viaduct on the back...
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| Tracing The Viaduct |
Then I took a triangle, lined it up square with the paper and drew over the traced lines so the they were 90 degrees from horizontal...
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| Squaring the Tracing |
Using a #11 hobby blade and the triangle, I cut along the center line of each arch. I also made a perpendicular cut 17 scale feet from the bottom of the paper. The paper within the arch got cuts every 45 degrees...
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| Square Cuts |
The vertical cuts were on the arch centerline only. This let me fold the paper in at each arch for the lining of the masonary...
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| Finished Cuts |
I spread some glue on the viaduct side and smoothed the paper using a plastic painters tool like a squeegee...
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| Tacky Glue |
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| Smoothing Paper and Painters Tool |
Then I folded the paper inside the arches to simulate the stone lining. The curved part of the arch was also folded in. The 45 degree cuts allow the paper to conform to the curve...
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| Lining Arches |
Once I got all the paper on the sides I added more paper on the verticle sides of the arch and lined the arch itself. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of those steps. The almost finished product looks like this...
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| Stone Viaduct |
Still needs the keystone and such at the tops of the arches. I ran out of stone paper so the other section of viaduct may be done in one of the other papers. Not sure which...
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| Embossed Papers |
Right now I'm fooling around with a trestle that carries the second loop of the branch over Shenaminy Creek...
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| Shenaminy Creek Trestle |
A few more EBay purchases came in yesterday, including two Hustler mechanisms. One will replace the twins unit I "borrowed". The other will receive a Travis drive and boxcab shell. Several ore cars full of andyrobertssite or coal can get pretty heavy. It will often be necessary to double head the boxcabs on the branch.
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| A Herd of Hustlers |
Regards,
Frank Musick
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