am thinking of using two mantua 2-8-2 drives under the rivarossi y6b shell,any comments of helpful info or forgettit,thanks,chuck
Hi Chuck;
They are too long, and the wheels to large in diameter. If you have access to a lathe, the tires on the Mantua 61½" drivers are thick enough to cut down to 58" and still look pretty good. And if you have access to a milling machine, it would not be difficult to fabricate your own chassis. You’ll also want two gear boxes from a recent (mid '80’s)Mantua “power drive” line, or the the two that are in the Mantua 2-6-6-2 kit (same gear box).
For my Y5 project, I am using a P2K Y3 (version with the bridge pipe, some didn’t have it) chassis, and modifying a Y6b boiler, and using some fo the Y3 details.
With P2K Y3 going for under $200-, I think that is the way to go.
Additional possibilities:
(1) Bowser now offers 56" drivers, may be adaptable to the Rivarrossi chassis.
(2) The Bachmann Spectrum low drivered 4-6-0 has 56" drivers (not 52" as advertised), as does thier 2-6-6-2.
(3) Some of the Oriental Powerhouse 2-8-8-2 have been going for under $300 on ebay.
(4) Greenway products offers 56" drivers, but at $18 an axle…and you still need to mount a gear (well two gears for an articulated).
The two Mantua chassis would make a good starting point for the proposed and never built N&W Y7, which was going to be a 63" drivered simple, with starting tractive effort in the 160,000lbs range and over 7000 hp at 25-30 mph. The old Monogram/ConCor static model of the Big Boy is a good starting point for the boiler. The firebox is about the right size, as is the overall diameter, it would sit lower, have a single stack like an A - probably a bit larger, SA feedwater heater, and flying air pumps like a C&O engine.