I feel like doing something different, so I’m thinking of trying to scratchbuild an electric locomotive. My idea is that my extremely fictional “Central Illinois Logging” railroad isn’t making enough on its logging service alone (it is Illinois, after all!), so it’s going to build its own electric locomotive and “borrow” some passenger cars (I’m thinking Pullman Palace cars from Roundhouse) from some other railroad to make a passenger train.[:D] Anyway, here’s a rough concept of the locomotive:
I made this up out of designs from other boxcab electrics, and the trucks are the type used on Big Boy and other large Alco tenders. The central 5-axle truck will be the drive unit.
So what do you all think? I’m still in the idea phase, so I’m open to any suggestions you might have. (by the way, I don’t have any overhead wire system. I’m leaving that up to my imagination)
Locomotives very close to that design have already been built in the real world throughout Europe, and models are available through European suppliers. A Swiss railways locomotive, in particular, may be ‘close enough.’
Look, in particular, at the Gotthardbahn AE-66 and RE-66 locomotives, and those in the Gotthardbahn Railway Museum in Erstfeld.
Sounds good. But why electric? And will it be over head wires, a third rail? And why would a logging line have an electric? Then again, why answer my questions, it is freelance…[swg]
So some developer built an upscale suburb in the Illinois forest, and the residents subscribed the $$$ to get a high speed (for the time) rail link to Chicago, or St Louis, or wherever.
My question is, why the five rigid axles? The spacing is mighty close for traction motors. Or are you going bi-polar, like the MILW?
Since my electrics are run on the `it’s gotta be prototypical’ part of my empire I haven’t come up with any freelance juice jacks. I reserve my inventiveness for steam locos that never were, but might have been. That includes a 2-6-6-2T, a wheel arrangement never seen in Japan.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - prototype JNR, freelance TTT)
Yeah, we’ll go with that.[:D] I have a Big Boy tender right next to me, and the axle spacing is 5 feet. That’s 5" more than the EP-2’s minimum axle spacing of 4’7", so my fictional engine having bi-polar motors should work out alright.
I wanted the rigid axles in the middle because it seems a little more interesting (and it makes powering a bit easier). It’s also how most common toy train electrics (Lionel, Ives, American Flyer) were built, and I like how those look.
A logging line in Illinois is highly unlikely as most of the forests were cleared before and immediately after the Civil War.
However, there was a time when electric railroads had captured the imagination, and their construction was enthusiastically supported. (Even if they were opposed by the “steam railroads.”) The Insull lines* made it possible to travel from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to South Bend, Indiana on electric railroads. The Illinois Terminal was all over central Illinois, and there a number of interurbans. (And let’s not forget the “L” and the trolley lines in Chicago. In addition, a number of smaller cities had trolley lines.)
In an effort to improve transportation in Lake County, someone proposed a Waukegan to Elgin and Rockford interurban. Only a segment** from Wauconda to Palatine was (poorly) built, never electrified, and was abandoned around 1929.
The Insull lines were owned by Samuel Insull, the founder of Commonwealth Edison, which provides electricity in Illinois. These lines were:
The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee - abandoned in 1963.
The Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend - Still in existence, but only the commuter operations are still electrified.
The Chicago, Aurora & Elgin - Abandoned in 1957.
** This line ultimately became known as the Palatine, Lake Zurich & Wauconda.
Your design reminds me of a juice jack Bob Hegge built many years ago (see MR, September, 1979), although I think his had four trucks, rather than the long rigid assembly in the middle. I suppose the body could be cobbled out of a couple of Roundhouse Ingersoll-Rand shells.
I for one vote GO! The drawing looks nice.I remember talking about the real railroads of yester year making their own locomotives. At one point I had a high-bodied version of an EMD ‘Geep’ that looked like, well like an EMD version of an H16. I also had fancied up an EMD high-hood switcher that would have been based on the long-hood section and cab from a GP7. Have also had ideas for steamers, however unpractical, including a 2-4-4, a standard non-PRR T-1 steamer 4-4-4-4, and now that I think it a 2-4-2T would look nice.
I think I also failed to mention it but I do like your design. Giving me ideas of boxcab electrics.
A lot of electric interurbans built their own locos, but they were typically two or four truck box cabs, instead of large rigid frame locos typical of the heavy electric lines. Here’s one built by the Piedmont & Northern. I believe it is the unit that inspired Bob Hegge’s model, mentioned previously.
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This simpler flat motor was built by the Sacramento Northern.
Something similar to one of these would be a lot easier to build than a rigid frame heavy electric. They would also be much better at negotiating the the tight curves expected on a logging railroad. Either could realistically operate under trolley wire rather than the catenary typical of heavy electrics.
The interurbans also sometimes used box motors to haul passenger cars. Some of these were home built. Any scratch built electric should be an interesting project.
I hope you go forward with the project. I really enjoy seeing someone’s scratch built electrics.
Somebody said that electric was a fad. I knew this about Ontario and other parts of Canada, where shortlines were electric instead of steam or diesel, but I didn’t know it was like that in the States too. That one on a flat cars gives me an idea for my own railway…
Sir Madog, I like the look of those spoked wheels. They seem to have a more “classy” look to them.
SRN, that flat-bed boxcab is certainly interesting. I’m looking for a less industrial look for mine, but maybe my little railroad will need something more like that someday.[:D] And maybe when I have a whole basement, I’ll put in some actual overhead wires for these electrics.
Maybe you could think of a wood fired electric power plant to provide the electricity for the electric locomotives. That would provide a big on-line customer for the logging RR as well.
When the interurbans were at their peak 100 or so years ago, you could board a trolly or interurban in southern Maine, ride to the end of the line, connect to another interurban, etc etc. and ride as far as Chicago. It would be a lot quicker and probably cheaper to ride on passenger trains, but for interurban fans what’s the fun in that??? [:D]
This one has the cab doors on the sides instead of the front, and the frame’s been shortened a little. The front and rear trucks have an inside frame and spoked wheels, and could probably stand to be a little longer. I also put an extra window in the middle.
I like the idea of visible spoked wheels, but they may not go well with large outer frame of the middle truck. Hmm…
Hello Darth this looks like it should be a fun project. Here are a couple pics of my NYC S-1 it has spoked wheels all around but you can only see the ones on the ends. With all the stuff on the sides you cant see them very well.
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