I’m trying to make a “reasonable copy” of the Cannonball express as seen on the TV sitcom Petticoat Junction. I have an Athearn (MDC) 4-4-0 but it has a stovepipe stack and a short pilot. Where can I get a diamond stack and long pilot? Also is that stovepipe stack easy to remove?
All my MDCs, 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s, have the stack glued onto a boiler stub, about 1/8" tall. Shouldn’t be too tough to cut it loose at that point.
Precision Scale makes a lot of OT pilots. I have one for a 2-8-0 and if it goes in as easy as it look to, will be buying several more.
The engine you want (Sierra RR 4-6-0 #3) has already been made by Mantua/Tyco and Arbour Models. Although out of production, they often show up on eBay.
Why would you want to use a 4-4-0? The actual engine used in the series was Sierra RR #3, a 4-6-0. In fact, the “Cannonball’s” cars can be seen in this photo: http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/SRR03BC.JPG
The caboose wasn’t part of the consist and, IIRC, the “Cannonball” consist was made up of the two “shorty” coaches from the Angel’s Camp branch (i.e. the first two cars in the photo).
Broadside of #3: http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/SRR03A.JPG
Mantua made an oversize replica of #3 and Arbour made a scale sized kit of the #3. You can frequently find the Mantua on EBay and from time to time, the Arbour model comes up for bid.
The closest engine in current production would be the “low” boiler 4-6-0 from Bachmann Spectrum.
Andre
The Mantua/Tyco version of the engine (built for some odd reason to 1:76 scale) has interchangable stacks and if memory serves, tender loads. They are very common items at swap meets although often the “spare” parts have long since been lost. The diamond stack on the Petticoat Jct engine was rather unusual.
Sierra #3 was used for the exterior operating shots but when they would film the characters actually climbing onto or off of the train, they used a plastic mockup that had been made for an earlier film and could be kept on the sound stage. It was slightly different in appearance which probably bothered me more as a teenage railfan than it did most viewers. I seem to recall that other Hollywood sound stage engines were used too but cannot find verification. I have a distinct memory of a low drivered engine that was possibly not a 4-6-0.
Dave Nelson
I searched with Google for Petticoat junction steam engine and here is a result.
http://www.mortystv.com/feat1.shtml
http://petticoat.topcities.com/pj_contents.htm
Rich