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JBucy

Chessie Steam Special WIP

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I have been wanting to build this locomotive for almost 8 years. It is a Reading T-1 Northern 4-8-4. It ran excursions for the Chessie System in 1977 and 1978.

I first started designing it in MLCAD in late 2007. Since then I have redesigned it several times and even started building it in brick in 2011. However, I got stuck, became discouraged and didn't get too far.

I have never built a large steam engine before so the thought of it was quite overwhelming because I knew it wouldn't be easy. On top of that, because all of the other great LEGO steam locomotives out there, I set my expectations very high for what I wanted it to look like.

I am still far from being done after about two months work, but I am far enough along that I am finally ready to share. I have started working on the tender also, but it is a very rough draft right now.

I don't claim very many techniques used as my own. I took inspiration from many other MOC's. Mostly Tony Sava for his #4449 Northern. A lot of the pilot truck and cylinder construction is based on his model. After serveral failed attempts trying to figure it out on my own, it was time for help.

Here is picture of the real thing

For fun I started a blog where I am going to document my LEGO builds. Right now there is a little history of the first 8 years I spent on this engine: John's Blog

16936213562_c88a4b5d39_z.jpg

Thanks,

John

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This is looking great. I like the dark blue rather than black. Looks good. I assume that there is lots of detailing to be added yet?

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Thanks guys!

This is looking great. I like the dark blue rather than black. Looks good. I assume that there is lots of detailing to be added yet?

Yes, lots of detailing to do. I really haven't started doing that yet. I've been working on the big stuff and making sure it can go around curves...

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Oh wow, that looks really great. Are you eventually going to replace the yellow plates with with tiles to eliminate the studs on the running boards? Excellent work!

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I've had similar delays with a few of my designs, so I can certainly relate. Great job so far, she a looker. I can't wait to see her complete.

--Tony

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This is an awesome representation of the Chessie Steam Special. I rememeber seeing this train once back in the late 70's as it passed through town and it was an amazing locomotive.

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Looking good so far. How does it run?

It makes it through standard R40 curves. The main part I am worried/concerned about is that I am going to put all of the PF in the tender so the engine will pushed around the track. I had some major problems with that initially because of how the trailing truck was attached. I think I have it working okay now, I can hand push it from the tender and it seems okay. I should do some more thorough testing...

Eight years is a long time to be working on any model... way to stick with it. Otherwise I'd say post more, bigger pics!

Yeah, plus it is not like I worked on it all of the time. I had years in between some of the rebuilds. Life certainly got in the way a lot!!

Oh wow, that looks really great. Are you eventually going to replace the yellow plates with with tiles to eliminate the studs on the running boards? Excellent work!

Thanks! Absolutely, my goal is for it be as studless as possible. I just ran out of yellow tiles. It went back and forth many times about how to do the running boards to get the color correct and to be able to connect them to the boiler. My biggest problem is that on the prototype the color is only on the side, the top, the walkway, is just black. I was really trying to replicate that look, but I just couldn't do it in the space that I had. I haven't completely decided yet, but I am thinking about putting a black sticker on the top of the tile. We will see.

I've had similar delays with a few of my designs, so I can certainly relate. Great job so far, she a looker. I can't wait to see her complete.

--Tony

Thank you. One good thing about it taking so long is that there are a lot more dark blue parts available now! It is still adds a little bit of a challenge, but not nearly as much as it originally did.

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One of the trickiest things about lego steam engines is uneven track. If the build is rigid, at some point you might get a set of wheels lifted off the track, only to come down off the track. If you are ever going to run it on uneven track you should build in some sort of suspension. This one is my most extreme,

p33.jpg_thumb.jpg

It works well being pushed by the tender. It does not like 9v curves going counter clockwise because the drivers tend to climb the little lip where the joints come together (going clockwise the lip is on the inside curve and so the drivers miss it). I test my prototypes by putting a pencil or a couple of 2x plates under a rail joint. If I feel really bold, I do it on a curve segment. You can push it with a diesel if you do not yet have the tender together. Just be sure to do it on the floor (grin).

Meanwhile, yes, I know what you mean about the running boards. Many steam engines had the side painted white or silver but the tops black. I agree with you and think a sticker or electrical tape would do wonders.

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One of the trickiest things about lego steam engines is uneven track. If the build is rigid, at some point you might get a set of wheels lifted off the track, only to come down off the track. If you are ever going to run it on uneven track you should build in some sort of suspension. This one is my most extreme,

p33.jpg_thumb.jpg

It works well being pushed by the tender. It does not like 9v curves going counter clockwise because the drivers tend to climb the little lip where the joints come together (going clockwise the lip is on the inside curve and so the drivers miss it). I test my prototypes by putting a pencil or a couple of 2x plates under a rail joint. If I feel really bold, I do it on a curve segment. You can push it with a diesel if you do not yet have the tender together. Just be sure to do it on the floor (grin).

Meanwhile, yes, I know what you mean about the running boards. Many steam engines had the side painted white or silver but the tops black. I agree with you and think a sticker or electrical tape would do wonders.

I think that there is enough play in the running gear that it will handle uneven track okay, but I won't know for sure until I can test it. I did set up a R40 1/2 loop to try and it does make it around it okay while be pushed from the tender.

The initial way that I connected the trailing truck was by using 2 technic beams connected together with just one technic pin between them so that the trailing truck would not be pulled off the track going around the curve. That worked until I started on the tender and realized that I needed to connect it to the trailing bogey due to the overhang of the body. Then on top of that I realized that the tender has to to push the engine. Try to push on the bogey that is loosely connected like that and it does not work. I had to redesign it so that it was just connected with one beam.

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