AT&SF #2926

[Daedalus304]

Hello all! I have returned yet again with a new engine complete, this time a rather large 4-8-4 Northern!

#2926 was one of 30 of the P2900 class of steam locomotives built between 1943 and 1944, during WWII. The 2900's design was a modified version of the 3700 class of Northern, built using thicker heavier metals as necessitated by the war time metal rationing. Together with its loaded tender, one of if not the largest ever built, the locomotive came in at a whopping 974,850 lbs. Despite this heavy weight, it's 80 inch drivers and full set of roller bearings meant this locomotive could run very quickly. Anecdotal evidence from the crew says that the fastest these engines ever run was up to 110 MPH, much faster than the 90 it was designed to do. The advanced designs of the running gear though suggest that, if it had been at all allowed, the engine should have been able to sustain speeds up to or higher than 120 MPH.

Unfortunately, #2926 was taken out of active service in December of 1953, and three years later donated as a display piece to Coronado Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where it languished in the harsh elements. In 1999, however, it was bought for $1 by the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society, who have been working ever since on restoring it back to running condition!

My model of #2926 is no small engine herself! Weighing in at nearly five pounds and 94 studs long, she easily dwarves the rest of my steam roster. #2926 is powered by a pair of XL motors in the tender which, while not doing any real justice to the speed of the locomotive, provide an insane amount of power properly fitting the locomotive.

#2926 is also equipped with some PF lights, one of which illuminates the cab and the other feeds into the LEGO fiber optic cable used to assemble the headlight and smokebox door. This method helped make sure all the light from the LEGO LED made it to the end of the headlight, and the flexibility also let me route it through the boiler around a smoke generator I've installed (yet sadly haven't had opportunity to get a video of).

This side has a lot of my favorite details, including the rope for the whistle and the speedometer wheel resting against the rear driver. As you can see, #2926 also sports some functional valve gear that is both slim and functional thanks to Zephyr's great drive rods.

This locomotive has an absolutely massive tender, as you can see here it is very nearly both the height and length of the engine. This tender sports two 4-axle trucks capable of holding the 464,700 lbs. of water and fuel that #2926 brought with it. My LEGO version contains two XL motors for it's power. The night before I left to bring it to a show, however, my 4-axle truck design at the last minute proved not to be up to the strength of the motors after several weeks of running. This of course led to quite a panic as I tried to find a suitable temporary replacement. It now has a much stronger motor bogie, albeit with only 3 axles per truck. This is on my list of things to resolve in the future!

And here's a short video of it running at the Phoenix Comic Convention!

https://flic.kr/p/nD2ix1

More pictures of #2926 can be found on my flickr account here: https://www.flickr.c...57635578498856/

Hopefully soon I will be able to take a video of it running with its smoke generator working!

Thanks for looking, I hope you've enjoyed looking at this locomotive as much as I've enjoyed building it over this last year!

Edited June 16, 2014 by Daedalus304

[Redimus]

That looks really awesome.

[Aaron]

I've been wanting to build one of these for quite a while. I think you did a fantastic job, so now I don't really feel the need to build it anymore.

Anyway, I'm going to run a similar motor combination in my trains, but I'm still awaiting some back-ordered IR receivers, so I have no idea what having several XL motors is like. About how much car weight can your steam engine pull?

[Jorrith]

Wow, that's an awesome train you have there.

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Very nice

I love all the greebles along the sides of the engine

Edited June 16, 2014 by Pop Bumper Pete

[kieran]

Its massive, looks fantastic pulling all the rolling stock at the show, love it in black as well.

[Darthluke824]

Wow! That's big but excellent!

[Daedalus304]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad to hear you like it!

I've been wanting to build one of these for quite a while. I think you did a fantastic job, so now I don't really feel the need to build it anymore.

Anyway, I'm going to run a similar motor combination in my trains, but I'm still awaiting some back-ordered IR receivers, so I have no idea what having several XL motors is like. About how much car weight can your steam engine pull?

Well, regardless of how well you think I've done you should still try one yourself! It's a lot of fun, and there are many good techniques for the same thing. I would love to see another 2900 locomotive - don't let 2926 keep you away!

As far as the XL motors, honestly, it's more powerful than is currently practical. In all my test runs, I have not been able to stack enough cars behind it for it to slow down whatsoever. In fact, with too many cars the magnets between the tender and the train cars will give up; the engine doesn't even speed up at all and just keeps pace as if it hadn't noticed any weight was there in the first place! If I could find a good design for gearing the engine up for a little more speed, I most certainly would as it has power in spades!

Edited June 16, 2014 by Daedalus304

[Bricktrix]

I think this looks really good. You've done very well with all the detailing etc. Nice job

[dvsntt]

That has some very nice details that make it really superb. Really nice model.

[Man with a hat]

Wow, that's impressive.

Those drivers look perfect. And all the other details as well. And that "only 3" axle bogie, if that's the one in the pictures no change is needed really. But I can understand the urge to solve it.

[v6TransAM]

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love seeing American steam

[eurotrash]

Excellent! It's a beast, but your creation looks fantastic.

[legoman666]

That is awesome. I was never able to get my 2 XL powered locomotive to slow down either. Rather than bog down the motors, it broke one of the axles.

[zephyr1934]

Wow! That is one fine looking locomotive with a LOT of great detailing. Without naming everything, I REALLY like what you did with the cylinders (especially in the head on view). And all sorts of details like the smoke lifter stack. It would also be neat to see a few shots of her in the dark with the lights on. Equally impressive are your mechanics, it seems to do just fine on standard lego curves.

As far as the XL motors, honestly, it's more powerful than is currently practical. In all my test runs, I have not been able to stack enough cars behind it for it to slow down whatsoever. In fact, with too many cars the magnets between the tender and the train cars will give up; the engine doesn't even speed up at all and just keeps pace as if it hadn't noticed any weight was there in the first place! If I could find a good design for gearing the engine up for a little more speed, I most certainly would as it has power in spades!

I think I had to get over 70 cars before a pair of XL motors pooped out on me (and at that point it was simply not enough weight on the drivers, the wheels were spinning). The one nice thing about the slow speed is that you can actually appreciate the details of the running gear (hard to do when wheels are blasting by at a few revolutions per second).

[Daedalus304]

Thanks for your comments about the detailing everyone! I really wanted to go the extra mile with the details on this engine, so it's nice to hear that I didn't overdo it to the point of them being inappreciable.

Wow, that's impressive.

Those drivers look perfect. And all the other details as well. And that "only 3" axle bogie, if that's the one in the pictures no change is needed really. But I can understand the urge to solve it.

Thanks! The tender truck's sides do a great job of hiding the fact that the wheels behind them are wrong, but it is the one detail I've got on here that I made a conscious decision to do wrong. If I could someday figure out how to lathe some BBB Medium drivers to accept traction bands, I could fix it rather speedily.But ah well, I'm going to just enjoy it as is for now.

Wow! That is one fine looking locomotive with a LOT of great detailing. Without naming everything, I REALLY like what you did with the cylinders (especially in the head on view). And all sorts of details like the smoke lifter stack. It would also be neat to see a few shots of her in the dark with the lights on. Equally impressive are your mechanics, it seems to do just fine on standard lego curves.

I think I had to get over 70 cars before a pair of XL motors pooped out on me (and at that point it was simply not enough weight on the drivers, the wheels were spinning). The one nice thing about the slow speed is that you can actually appreciate the details of the running gear (hard to do when wheels are blasting by at a few revolutions per second).

It's funny enough you should mention the cylinders, as I just made a comment on my Flickr stream about them earlier. I really feel that a locomotive's cylinders are very representative of an engine's power, and especially with 2926 as they're simply enormous. It was really difficult to strike the right balance with the design I wanted to use, and the locomotive's ability to take points and curves. There was a temptation to slim them down to 3 studs long, but it just lost so much of it's proportions and feeling of power that I decided to try my best to keep the cylinders proper sized. I am really glad to hear your kind words regarding them, as they were one of the parts I ended up putting the most thought and redesign into to get them to work properly and to give the right aesthetics and make 2926 feel like the powerhouse she is.

I will very soon try to get a couple more pictures videos showing off her features a little better, lights/running/smoke and so on. Even with such a long wheelbase the XL Drivers don't cause much drag in the turns and 2926 takes them rather well for such a large engine. I just got a very large amount of straight track, so I need to get my house unpacked enough to set some up and hope my wife doesn't mind tiptoeing!

As for that pulling strength, good lord 70 cars? I guess it's time to either find stronger cars or have the first several hard-coupled... but either way I do go, it's most definitely time to build more rolling stock! I do also really appreciate the slower running speed for much the same reason, and while I do wish she was a little faster I definitely don't want it to be too fast to see the rods in motion. Watching a steamer's running gear is one of my favorite parts, so I always am happy to have an engine that can be thoroughly enjoyed.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Daedalus304

[Zinck]

That train is just awesome! Looks really cool when driving around in the layout. Looking forward to seeing more pics and videos

[Aaron]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad to hear you like it!

Well, regardless of how well you think I've done you should still try one yourself! It's a lot of fun, and there are many good techniques for the same thing. I would love to see another 2900 locomotive - don't let 2926 keep you away!

I'm still considering it, but it probably won't be for a while. Engine 3751 was specifically the one I really wanted to build, but right now I have a monster of a project on my hands, which is also related to the ATSF. What you've built seems to be the same scale as what I'm working on. Did you build it in about 1:38 scale? I'm trying to find specifications on the ATSF 2926, but it doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. Either way, this is one of the longest LEGO train engines I've ever seen.

As far as the XL motors, honestly, it's more powerful than is currently practical. In all my test runs, I have not been able to stack enough cars behind it for it to slow down whatsoever. In fact, with too many cars the magnets between the tender and the train cars will give up; the engine doesn't even speed up at all and just keeps pace as if it hadn't noticed any weight was there in the first place! If I could find a good design for gearing the engine up for a little more speed, I most certainly would as it has power in spades!

Interesting. Have you ever tried Racer Buggy Motors? I'm thinking of combining those with the XL motors for maximum speed and power. I'll let you know if I find a way to make it work.

[Spitfire2865]

I'm still considering it, but it probably won't be for a while. Engine 3751 was specifically the one I really wanted to build, but right now I have a monster of a project on my hands, which is also related to the ATSF. What you've built seems to be the same scale as what I'm working on. Did you build it in about 1:38 scale? I'm trying to find specifications on the ATSF 2926, but it doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. Either way, this is one of the longest LEGO train engines I've ever seen.

Interesting. Have you ever tried Racer Buggy Motors? I'm thinking of combining those with the XL motors for maximum speed and power. I'll let you know if I find a way to make it work.

If you could gear it to the drivers and somehow hide it in the boiler, it might make for a fast loco. Though how youd fit it I dont know.

[greenmtvince]

The one nice thing about the slow speed is that you can actually appreciate the details of the running gear (hard to do when wheels are blasting by at a few revolutions per second).

Yes, you're all about having folks appreciate the details of the running gear, aren't you?

[grum64]

This is one awesome build, with great attention to detail. Be nice to see more pictures.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Very nice work Daedalus304!

I like the big shape of this steam engine, an I like the piston rods!

Superb work!

[zephyr1934]

Yes, you're all about having folks appreciate the details of the running gear, aren't you?

Thppt! (grin) All biases aside, even with pure lego built running gear I think it is more interesting to watch it move at a speed slow enough that you can see what is going on. That is one of the nice things of PF over 9v, you can go slow and steady. It really shows off the engineering involved.

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Beautiful steamer Daedalus304

[Daedalus304]

Thanks much, everyone! :)

I'm still considering it, but it probably won't be for a while. Engine 3751 was specifically the one I really wanted to build, but right now I have a monster of a project on my hands, which is also related to the ATSF. What you've built seems to be the same scale as what I'm working on. Did you build it in about 1:38 scale? I'm trying to find specifications on the ATSF 2926, but it doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. Either way, this is one of the longest LEGO train engines I've ever seen.

Interesting. Have you ever tried Racer Buggy Motors? I'm thinking of combining those with the XL motors for maximum speed and power. I'll let you know if I find a way to make it work.

Most of my locos I build about to 1/48, but because the drivers on 2926 are a whopping 80 inches across there is no wheel that really fits that... so 2926 is done closer to 1/52. This page has a lot of useful information on a wide variety of Northerns, and the site in general is great: http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/?page=atsf

As for the buggy motor idea... I don't think I could hide it in an engine, but a large tender probably! The speed though.... good lord... Also, I think I'd probably have to modify the battery box for the right power output. It certainly would be fun to see someone try!

Thppt! (grin) All biases aside, even with pure lego built running gear I think it is more interesting to watch it move at a speed slow enough that you can see what is going on. That is one of the nice things of PF over 9v, you can go slow and steady. It really shows off the engineering involved.

I agree - as much fun as it is watching my steam engines roar across the track at high speed I'll usually prefer to let them move slow enough to appreciate the motion.

Children at shows and conventions, however, do not seem to share this point of view!!