Western 4-6-0 steam loco and passenger train (real-life) MOCs - 71044 inspired

[Murdoch17]

As seen here on EuroBricks, user @Carefree_Dude tried his hand at making the new Disney train have working pistons and getting rid of the hideous no-metal-axle wheels. I was very much impressed with the results, and took the pictures and reverse engineered them to have a similar 4-6-0 of my very own.

(If the tender looks familiar, it hasn't changed at all from the last version.) However, as you may have noticed, the pistons are different, as they gave me a ton of trouble figuring them out, so I imported a design of my own previous use that I know works.

The rear of the loco features a ladder to the tender-top, where the hatch to the water tank is found and also where the neatly stacked wood pile is located .

These passenger cars were mostly inspired by set 10014 (Passenger wagon) but repainted red instead of green and with fancy part 30613 "Brick, Arch 3 x 6 x 5 Ornamented" on the end of the cars. I might be mistaken, but Flickr user The Shubes (Isn't he on Eurobricks too?) may have been the one to inspire these coaches with his own red versions of set 10014 as seen here.

The end of my passenger train features this little four wheel caboose. It was designed after set 10015 (Caboose) with some features taken from set 7597 (Western Train Chase)

This design is now finished in real life, after a record six days from designing on 10 / 20, ordering on 10 / 21, to being built on 10 / 26. That's really fast service by my standards!

Edited October 28, 2019 by Murdoch17

[Daedalus304]

Out of curiosity, why have you gone away from having the pistons at the right shape/height and raised them up so incredibly high?

[Carefree_Dude]

I really enjoy what you came up with! I love that tender. 

[Murdoch17]

On 10/21/2019 at 3:24 PM, Daedalus304 said:

Out of curiosity, why have you gone away from having the pistons at the right shape/height and raised them up so incredibly high?

This was because I couldn't make @Carefree_Dude 's design "work" in LDD, and as it was untested in real life by me as well, I decided to go with the tried-and-true. This engine will be dropped off almost as soon as it is built in early November into a show for about two months over the Christmas holidays as part of Gateway LUG's display at the Way of Lights event (located at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois) My Wild Western stuff will be there as part of the display.

23 hours ago, Carefree_Dude said:

I really enjoy what you came up with! I love that tender. 

Thanks! That tender design is also used on my 4-4-0, as seen below.

[Murdoch17]

The model is now done in real bricks, and uploaded to the first post. In celebration, here is a vintage-looking picture and story to go with it:

In this shot, we have the one of the senior railroad officials and his daughter inspecting a locomotive in the yard at Denver, Colorado, sometime around 1880. We can tell from the writing on the back of the photograph that this was "Bring you Kid to Work Day", and this unknown official seems to be quizzing his relative on the mechanics of the steam locomotive shown, and then comparing them to the knowledge of the fireman. Judging from the look on the fireman's face (standing next to the official and child), he doesn't seem to be enjoying this task!

(Also of note is the engineer and conductor for the train the engine has presumably been hitched to. They are presumably checking watches for the journey ahead to the Denver station and beyond.)