While I generally tend to stick with my favorite Nickel Plate Road most of the time, I’m not so serious that I can’t deviate a little from time to time.
To me, there is nothing that looks more powerful & businesslike than an engine with dual “flying pumps” and an Elesco feedwater heater on it (cylindrical, mounted above the smokebox in front of the smokestack). Is there any locomotive like that in HO scale that isn’t brass? I’ve seen some C&O engines outfitted that way, but I’m sure that they were all brass. I know that AHM did an 0-8-0 with the feedwater heater and that IHC has a Mountain that has dual flying pumps… has anyone combined them in one model?
Sorry, I don’t think I could do a credible job of adding the details myself. : (
Bachmann Spectrum and IHC both offer HO models of the C&O Heavy Mountain 4-8-2 with the flying pumps, however both locomotives have a Worthington FWH system (which is a separate casting and easily removable). Though I don’t think it would be ‘authentic’ C&O–at least for the Mountain, both Precision Scale and Cal-Scale offer an Elesco FWH system in brass that is very easy to install (I’ve done it on several of my locos). The pump and mounts can be easily installed using gap-filling CA, if you’re hesitant about soldering. The only tricky part is the piping, but the Cal-Scale instructions are very detailed, even down to the scale wire needed. With a little time and effort, you can do a nicely detailed Elesco system. It’s really not very difficult at all.
I agree with you–that particular ‘look’ is incredibly handsome on a steam loco.
Yea, I really like that look, too. Rivarossi did make an 0-8-0 switcher in plastic that had the Elesco feedwater heater on the front of it. That was the first HO steam locomotive that I ever bought. Unfortunately, I returned it 2 days later because it quit working. Needless to say, I don’t have a high regard for Rivarossi models.
Broadway Limited made an HO Western Pacific Mikado that had what you’re looking for, but the only one I’ve ever seen so far in the flesh was at the Houston Roundhouse train shop in Houston Texas. I modelled my N scale WP Mikado after it.
I have a PRR L-1 Mikado 2-8-2 made By Bowser that I was going to cut off the fire box and construct a new box to meet my needs. But due to there casting I Instead figured I sell it on E-Bay and buy another engine that wouuld suit my Idea better and easier. I only by bowser engines now since haveing so much trouble with other cheap models. This was a kit like all my engines and I fine tune the engines to my liking. I just haven’t detailed it or painted or weathered it as yet . Now It would be easy for me to buy a detail kit and add two pumps and a water heater to the front end of this engine if you wanted me to? So if you are serious, and if we could come to a meeting of minds I be willing to do this extra work and sell it to you. So E-Mail me and let me know what you might have in mind.
I bought two of the IHC 2-10-2 Santa fe type steamers with the intention of Kitbashing them to New Haven L-1s. I intend to replace the entire superstructure with the right bolier, cab and domes etc.
For your use, the engine does have the wrong feed water heater, but it could easily be removed and replaced with the Elesco Feed Water Heater and its interesting plumbing. I have already bought the Cal-Scale ones and they are really nice. I also like the pilot deck mounted pumps with the shields. This really beefs up the front appearance.
You DO know that you can have the best of both worlds, right? How’s about a NKP H-6e Mike with pilot-mounted air pumps and an Elesco? I’ve got at least one to do for my layout (639 in the good old days); I’ll fling a how-to your way once I’m done.
Unfortunately, besides brass and that AHM switcher, there’s really nothing out there unless you do it yourself.
Steam locos look so much better with the Elesco Feed water systems, would’t you think the manufacturers would wake up and offer one? They keep asking what we would like to see, I keep giving them this request, but thus far it has fallen onto deaf ears.[:(]
Grayfox–I’m with you. Especially if they’re going to put out WP, C&S and Burlington steamers, many of which came with them. or had them added as the locos were re-shopped. And if anyone starts putting out Rio Grande steamers (except for that 3800 UP clone challenger that Rio Grande got rid of as fast as they could), they’d better start looking at at LEAST 3 classes of steamers that wore those Elescos pretty proudly, either above, in front of or below the boiler front.
Good lookin’ stuff, those Elescos. Can’t understand why they’re so ignored on models.