Emerald Express passenger train with 2-6-0 "Mogul" steam locomotive - real world MOC

[Murdoch17]

In my fictional universe, the train starts at Chicago (Illinois), with stops at Springfield (Illinois), St. Louis (Missouri), Memphis (Tennessee) before terminating at New Orleans (Louisiana).

The 2-6-0 "Mogul" steam engine & it's four car train is painted in dark green, thus giving the train it's name the "Emerald Express". The train consists of 1 baggage / passenger car (also known as a "combine"), two passenger coaches, and one observation car.

These train cars were inspired heavily by instructions made by @TJJohn12 for his Retlaw Combine car and passenger coach, as seen here. The model has been remade by me to be four studs shorter, six studs wide (instead of eight), and no longer for use in a Disney theme-park setup, as it instead plies the rails of my 1920's - to 1950's setup. These cars now come with new inter-car connections and inset entryway doors. (plus the rear platform on the observation car)

This Mogul type loco was originally made from set 79111, (Constitution Train Chase), with some features of TJJohn12's MOC of the E. P. Ripley locomotive (seen here) from Disneyland and set 10194 (Emerald Night) for good measure. This model has been through many versions since it was first built in 2013, but I think it's as close to perfection as I will get with the chosen brick-based medium. It pulls the Emerald Express of dark green - colored train coaches as seen in the other pictures.

The sides of the steam engine's tender features the letters BRS, standing for Brick Railway Systems, which is my fictional railroad company.

This combination baggage and passenger car (known as a combine) relies heavily on techniques taken from Retlaw baggage car built by TJJohn12.

The two identical day coaches have inset doors I designed myself.

The observation car of the Emerald Express. The rear deck isn't the best, but it works using the parts available in dark green... a not too common color in some brick varieties!

EDIT 11/5/16:

Added newer engine pics and ldd file for engine and tender as (removed)

EDIT 12/9/16:

Put in pictures of version three of the engine, with the placement of the domes on the boiler revised and the headlight moved to atop the boiler.

EDIT 7/23/18:

Added revised pictures of the locomotive to the thread, although I have by this point taken a wheel set off the engine to make into a 4-6-2, not a 4-8-2. Alas, I need to take the pictures again, and update the thread. It should only take another year or two...

EDIT 6/25/2020: Added newly revised coaches, engine and comments on said models to first post. Real world pics coming soon(ish)!

EDIT 7/7/2020: Added new real world pictures of the completely updated four car train.

Comments, questions, and complaints are always welcome, so please give feedback!

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Murdoch17

[Legoboy22]

Nice builds. I would love to see them running on a layout

[Murdoch17]

Nice builds. I would love to see them running on a layout

5 seconds of video!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55973205@N08/28218938560/in/dateposted-public/

Just something I made with some of my trains and my dads 12v / 4.5v track and custom tunnel. 10 minutes of planning and re-shooting videos, leads to 5 seconds of hand powered trains seemingly moving under their own power... while I used my foot to move the train, I used my hands to make the camera stay still.

still photo of the video.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

sorry for the bump, but the ldd files and pictures have been updated due to revisions of the Mountain-type steam loco.

[Murdoch17]

MODS: Sorry for the bump!

Coming Soon:

I finally started finding parts for the Emerald Express' extra passenger car and 4-8-2 steam loco. The rest of the parts not seen here have been ordered from Brick-Link. However, my 2-6-0 steam loco will be scrapped in order for it's parts to be reused... dark green is a expensive color, and 1 x 2 x 3 windows are in this color are 1.50 (USD) or more apiece!

[Murdoch17]

Train finished, topic edited and title changed. Sorry about the bump!

[Murdoch17]

I just uploaded version two of the engine, with different domes on the boiler and stripes have been added. As you  can probably guess, the feed water heater has been removed and the tender lettering has been placed in it's proper location to spell out Brick Railway Systems. Here is an fancier picture of the engine and a little story to go with it:

Late December in Chicago - 1938

Engine 6437 is sitting in the freshly fallen snow on the ready track at O'Leary Yard in Chicago. She is quite visible though the slight fog in her dark green paint scheme. The engineer reads his orders once more and pulls the whistle cord. She is moving very slowly, as if waking from a deep sleep as the headlight comes on. The loco is heading off to the Dearborn station and the Emerald Express passenger train waiting therein. Soon she and her train will be heading to the warmer weather of New Orleans and the gulf coast of Louisiana.

[Murdoch17]

Added pictures of version three of the loco. Any thoughts?

[fred67]

Nice; seems like it should work on LEGO track if you're alternating blind drivers in there... the passenger cars look like MOT, but modified.  So I see pictures on LEGO straight track, but will it actually run on curves?

Note that TLG released a set called "Emerald Express."  Pales in comparison to yours (it's just a mini).

 

[Murdoch17]

1 hour ago, fred67 said:

Nice; seems like it should work on LEGO track if you're alternating blind drivers in there... the passenger cars look like MOT, but modified.  So I see pictures on LEGO straight track, but will it actually run on curves?

Note that TLG released a set called "Emerald Express."  Pales in comparison to yours (it's just a mini).

 

Yes, I alternated blind drivers with flanged ones. However, as this picture shows, I forgot to test the loco with the tender attached, and now have to shorten the roof of the cab by one stud. (it bumps into the tender on the curves, especially switches!) And yes, the cars are MOT inspired (set 10015).

[M_slug357]

11 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Yes, I alternated blind drivers with flanged ones. However, as this picture shows, I forgot to test the loco with the tender attached, and now have to shorten the roof of the cab by one stud. (it bumps into the tender on the curves, especially switches!) And yes, the cars are MOT inspired (set 10015).

What works for you better: having the first pair of drivers blind or flanged?

Also, FBBF versus alternating?

[Murdoch17]

5 hours ago, M_slug357 said:

What works for you better: having the first pair of drivers blind or flanged?

Also, FBBF versus alternating?

If you have a singe Emerald Night-style single axle pony truck at the front, and a four wheel EN-style bogie in the back (like my train), then it's BFBF. I learned the blind wheels work best next to a pony truck, while the bogie works better next to a flanged wheel.

However, their are ways to do this differently, such as a a pony truck next to a flanged wheel, but then you have to do what Anthony Sava did on his Berkshire and draw-bar the pony truck underneath from the second driver (a flanged wheel, as seen above) From my experience, blind wheels do NOT work next to pony trucks if hooked directly to the blind wheel EN-style.

Every style I've just said has it's drawbacks, such as fragility (I'm looking at you draw-bar!). Just don't ask about the 2-10-4 Texas I made a while back.... I couldn't get that to work for the life of me, and i don't know why!

[M_slug357]

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm trying out a few different designs for my 4-8-2 EN mod. I want it to be fast yet strong enough to pull the coaches I made...

[Murdoch17]

MODS, sorry for the continual old post bumping, i'm just cleaning up my backlog.

Added revised pictures of the locomotive to the thread, although I have by this point taken a wheel set off the engine to make into a 4-6-2, not a 4-8-2. Alas, I need to take the pictures again, and update the thread. It should only take another year or two...

[Roadmonkeytj]

I rather like this train ... It sounds alot like the Central Illinois city of New Orleans route lol 

 

[Murdoch17]

Sorry for the bump, but the first post has been updated with all around new stuff including new passenger cars and a backdated (Or is it updated?) steam engine.

A big shout-out is due to @TJJohn12, who, without his instructions for his combine and pictures of his E.P. Ripley engine, I wouldn't have been able to make the baggage doors on my combine, and make my steamer to the way it is now. (I really love the headlight design!) Thanks again!

Edited June 25, 2020 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

I just added the brand-new real world pictures of the completely updated four car train plus it's revised locomotive as seen in the first post.

Once again, a big shout-out to @TJJohn12 for his help with this project, as without his instructions I would have never been able to figure out his baggage car.

As usual, comments are welcome!