Of cabooses and Kings

 

This weeks post title is reminiscent of Mr. Carrol’s classic Alice In Wonderland. Instead of lowly cabbages we are naturally working with cabooses. Omscaler feels fortunate to be using GM&O cabooses. The reason being is that the cupola is centered. This is a little better than having the cupola on one end like many other roads. A centered cupola means the caboose does not need to be turned although almost all other railroads just simply ran the caboose “backwards”. A backward caboose has a little less viewing angle as far as watching the train is concerned. So we will will be using a handy caboose type which the GM&O used until they got centered “wide vision” cabooses. As far as the “King” we mentioned. We are building a “Mogul”. Similar title in my opinion. This is a locomotive with a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement. Two wheel front trucks were used for freight locomotives. Four wheel for passenger locomotives. However the railroads used these interchangeably whenever a pressing need arose. Fabricating away, omscaler

 

The work continues

 

To update our readers, the shakedown operations of the new 0-6-0 shifter was very successful. Some tweaking is still needed but it seems that it is confined to the coupler heights either on the shifter (not likely) or a railcar or two. This was expected due to railcar modifications. All in a days work here on the very small railroad. Next in line after a few car repairs are the Mogul (2-6-0) and two cabooses. The cars are in the shop due to needing a more recent structural upgrade or in one case a faulty retainer member. We shall see. Chuffing along, omscaler

 

Finally, paydirt!

 

     Last post, readers were informed that the shifter rebuild was steaming along. Omscaler is proud to announce that as of Monday, August thirty-first at approximately five fifteen P.M., the shifter was pronounced done. This was definitely a study in persistence. The cab alone has about twelve parts including internal bracing. The inclusion of seven top “appliances” took some effort as well. This is the fourth iteration of this particular locomotive. Some new features are a bell, a front number plate (no number readable), a primer toned cab roof hatch (for ventilation) and a more prototypical appearance to complete the project. The shifter is residing on the module and will soon begin shakedown operations. Wish us luck. Feeling lucky, omscaler

 

And more digging

 

At this point in the shifter rebuild, we have gotten couplers, frame, drive wheels, cross head yoke, cross head guides, cross head, drive rods, sides rods and boiler yoke done. Currently underway is the cab and not much else. We have the sides, front and back, and floor cut out and black pigment applied. We still need the roof and to put it all together. As you may have noticed, the parts have had black pigment applied. Previously, omscaler has worked with black cardstock. The type of carstock is 110#. It has a tendency to delaminate when worked too vigorously. This tendency is very aggravating. The last shifter build used the new 100# stock which is white in color. What happened was that after the cab was assembled, pigment was applied. The pigment acted like a solvent on the glue. We had to slow down and reglue some parts. This time we have applied pigment before assembly to remedy this problem. So far so good. We still need to cut the forward and rear wall radii (radiusses to some). Next will be the roof with a roof transom. Then on to the main boiler jacket and fire box. Lots to do. Moving along, omscaler

 

The “Bell of the Ball”

 

Omscaler is digging away at the 0-6-0 shifter rebuild. What we have just completed as of this writing is why I think of this as more like “micro-engineering”. As you readers may have already guessed, the locomotive bell was just fabricated. It is small. The bell proper has a maximum width of one sixteenth of an inch and the height is three sixty-fourths of an inch. And boy was it fun to make! It is not perfect but it is a major improvement. We had to search online for a reference picture which now resides in the equipment file for later use as well. This lets us move forward with the rest of the rebuild. The frame is done including coupler boxes and wheels. Cross head guide is ready to install as well as steam cylinders. We need to make domes, stack, smokebox door, cab, air pump, air reservoir. Am I leaving something out? Still digging, omscaler

 

Pondering and working

As omscaler types this, glue is drying on the 0-6-0 shifter frame upgrade. Another part, the running boards component has dried and is awaiting assembly. What was done was an internal frame brace. This first attempt was problematic and omscaler discarded it in favor of a laminated sheet brace. Now we are cooking. It is a good thing we can innovate on the fly. Do it on “The Very Small Railroad” all the time. It is a good thing because the top of the boiler has to have room for six components: The engine light, the smokestack, the first sand dome, the bell, the steam dome, the second sand dome and somewhere a whistle. The whistle should be no problem. The rest will be a challenge. But we will make it happen. It is what we do here on The Omega Scale Railway. And one more thing. The car upgrades including re-upgrades are done and the first turnout as well. The arduous car upgrades did give birth to a new and better design component. Such is life here on The OSR. Working along, omscaler

 

It did, and it didn’t

The planned car repairs worked somewhat well but not quite. Fortunately, our work aids speeded up everything. All but one boxcar are out of the shop. This is due to the next phase innovation in draft gear. This next design will hopefully strengthen “pulling” power. It may ease construction as well. A win-win for the OSR car shop. The shifter is still under rebuild and has a new “cosmetic” set of drive wheels. It is also getting a stronger frame design as well. And one more thing, the first turnout with the new design was followed by six with a better slide plate component and will now be getting one too. We have been very busy on “The Very Small Railroad”. Getting more done, omscaler