1851 Lowell Locomotive Works build

[bparrish]

So I am starting another brass locomotive build project.

It is an 1851 4-4-0 steamer built by the Lowell Locomotive Works in Massachusetts.

Here is an elevation of the loco from the period.  I'll put up more later.

see ya

Bob

[Oldguy]

Well, if anyone cold build it, it would be you.  Can't wait to see it.

[postalkarl]

Hey Bob:

I'll be watching.

Karl

[Jerry]

Interesting!  Count me in on following Bob.


Jerry

[GPdemayo]

Your last brass build was amazing.....looking forward to seeing this one come out of the Parrish Locomotive Works.....

[ACL1504]

I'm in on this one as well.

Tom

[PRR Modeler]

I'm definitely following along. Will it run also?

[deemery]

I'm not sure I 'grok' the diagram.  Internal cylinders and driving rod? 


dave

[bparrish]

Thank you all for looking in.

Here is one of the very few actual photos of the locomotive.  This was taken much later as the pilot truck was redesigned and the tender upgraded to stuff we would expect in the 1860's.  This locomotive survived through 1877 and even then some parts were taken to extend the life of another pre Civil War locomotive.



Yes the cylinders  were inboard of what we expect to see in later production.  The notion of an inboard crank axle goes back to some of the earliest Baldwin locomotives in the late 1830's.  I built one many years ago with a working crank axle and valve gear.  I'll put up a photo later today.

The reason stuff was moved outward was due to maintenance.  It was discovered that all of the inside valve gear was difficult to keep oiled and tougher yet to service.   Most of the American type locomotives of the 1870's and 80's had inboard Stevenson gear with Gooch links (reversing levers) between the frame rails.  By the 1890's nearly all of this gear was outboard where we are used to seeing it today.

So here are some photos of the frame design.  I had to make several modifications as not all thinks scale down to HO and still have any strength whatsoever.









More later

[bparrish]

I mentioned earlier that even with pretty good drawings, you get into this stuff and find that not all things scale down equally.   I had this cylinder block made up and in the frame and then discovered that the pilot truck would have not tolerated less than about a six foot radius.  So I had to abandon this block, redesign the frame and start again.



I had to turn over the frame rails ahead of the lead drive wheel to get greater clearance under the cylinder block.  The block was built this time into the frame rather than a separate part.  Showing also are the mechanical pumps and cross heads.  Injectors would come much later.







Boiler and superstructure next

More later

[PRR Modeler]

Great modeling so far.

[bparrish]

Now for the boiler.   I turned down a scrap of thick wall 3/8" brass tubing to get to the scale 32 inch diameter boiler.   I added .006 brass strips for the banding.


The larger area over the fire box is a series of large brass tubes with the outer one split on the bottom to make way for the gear case.   The steam dome is a really weird mix of throttle and safety valves.  The dry pipe went high up into the dome and the stack out the top was for any exhausted steam from the safeties.   I cannot determine the nature of the square area below the dome.  It may have been nothing more than a deck for the dome but my suspicion is that it was the cap for the square fire box below.







The cab is on and I used an ancient Kemtron (later Precision Scale) casting that needed only little modification for this model.  The brass sheeting that fills the space from the boiler to the wagon top is a '006" sheet cut into a circle and then edge soldered to the outer boiler shell and to the boiler tube.  All of this soldering is done with a quick heat, liquid flux method that prevents previous parts from coming loose in the new heat.  Also, multiple temp solders allow for working from hottest solders to coldest.  The lowest I use goes off at about 180 degrees.  A common match allows me to limit heat on some small parts.  I put the match stick in a vise, get everything ready and then  light the match and hold the part over it.

[S&S RR]

Bob


Beautiful work! I will be following along on this one.

[Dennis Bourey]

Bob


I agree Beautiful work! I will be following too. Dennis

[PRR Modeler]

Beautiful.  You sir are a craftsman.