[MOC] Boston & Maine T1-b Berkshire 2-8-4

ProvenceTristram · January 17, 2019

These were not Van Sweringen berkshires of Pere Marquette and Nickel Plate fame. The original Lima design for 2-8-4s were greatly enhanced from their Mikado roots, but they remained relatively "slow" (slowish? Not grindingly slow, but slower) freight-only locomotives with 63" drivers. It took several years for the ideal berkshire design to coalesce in the midwest, but until that time, locomotives like these paved the way as the first true 'super power' delivered to railroads. The Boston and Maine engines were essentially copies of the original Boston and Albany berks, though with larger tenders and unusual coffin feedwater heaters. People either love how these monsters look or hate them - there doesn't seem to be much middle ground.

Proto:

I haven't built an engine in almost a month, but my return to railroading features some pretty radical changes (at least on my end). For big power like this, I have now shifted to using a 5w (plus plates) boiler, as opposed to the older 'padded' 4w design. The engine is powered by two of the large can motors - a first for me - with one in the firebox, and the second in the tender. I'm pretty happy with the finished product - my favorite part being the steam dome. I rebuilt that thing a good 6 times before I finally stumbled onto a method to achieve the unusual shape. It's not perfect, but it's about as close as Lego can get right now. I am also pretty pleased with the top of the boiler - I was able to achieve the widening and narrowing to at least satisfactory standards, though at the sacrifice of the squarish object on the rear slope (there was nothing I could do - I could either have the box, or have the slope).

Model: