The High-Stepping Old Goat, A 2-8-6 3' Logger

[ShrikeArghast]

This is the first locomotive I've designed that is purely a MOC - though I took inspiration from a number of sources, it isn't based on any one steam engine. The background for this unit would be something along the lines of:

In 1939 Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México is considering upgrading power for Mexico City-based narrow gauge commuter lines. After perusing the market, the railroad decides that a saddle-tank locomotive would suit their needs best, and the government reaches out to Lima for contract negotiations, with the latter promptly producing a prototype loosely based on their 1920s-era Boston & Albany commuter engines. However, with only the single unit in hand, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México promptly backs out, wagering that with the ramping up of the war in Europe, their limited financial resources would be better devoted to upgrading their fleet of aging freight steamers.

The prototype being no longer of any use, Lima promptly auctions it off at a bargain price to a Pacific Northwestern logging firm, whose crews quickly come to despise the cantankerous beast over its large driving wheels. The region, famous for its lofty mountains (and accompanying cranky goats), soon provides an appropriate moniker for the under-performing (yet still classy) steamer, when a drunken engineer ties the skull of one of the beasts to the front frame.

From then on, the Old Goat continued to elicit many a thunderous explicative from her crews, but at least they had a name with which to associate their wrath.

Proto photos (inspirational):

Model:

The model actually features functioning running gear, which is a first for me, although I'm not sure how well it would perform, given the long wheelbase of the drivers.

Edited May 25, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[garethjellis]

This is excellent. Love the skull on the front. !

[ShrikeArghast]

This is excellent. Love the skull on the front. !

Thanks. I've been wanting to throw a skull onto one of my engines for a while, but hadn't found the right one.

[ShrikeArghast]

Decided to mod the model just slightly (or, more accurately, this could be considered an alternative) with a unique valve gear. I know the one in the original would work - not quite as confident about this, but it should function in theory:

Edited May 25, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[ShrikeArghast]

Further improvements. Not only does this look good, I am actually starting to think it would work:

[Railfan9]

Wow looks interesting.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Railfan9

[ShrikeArghast]

I decided that I had finally achieved with this loco an engine worthy of a freight train. All of the following, with the exception of the passenger car (which is recolored) are new builds as of tonight:

Boxcar:

Tank car:

Timber-framed skeleton car:

Passenger car:

Caboose (very fond of this one):

Full train set:

Obviously, the boxcar doors are non-functional, but I had to make a call on whether I preferred action over aesthetics, and I selected the latter without much stress. Boxcars are SO boring in Lego, generally speaking, so any kind of texture that could be gained by making the framing as bold as possible was really important. The tank car is also a little small, but I seemed to have a choice between small, way too big, or going insane with SNOTting, and I didn't think the last option was worth my time. Also, the cupola on the caboose is a bit too tall, but that's as short as it can be while still retaining windows.

Edited May 25, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[Rotundus]

It is a good looking model of an unique prototype... Well done! If your going to have a problem at all with the round stuff it won't be with the drivers. Your spacing looks good and the blind drivers look to be in the right place. But unless you are using a "sliding axle", the center wheel set under the firebox/tender is what might bind in the corners. Nice work all around, though.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Rotundus

[ShrikeArghast]

Just a small update: decided to design an onion stack as a swap-out option for the loco, since so many logging railroads converted their engines to burn wood. If/when I ever build this, I'll order parts for both, as I kind of prefer the simple elegance of the straight stack.