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Hi Everybody--  Happy New Year !!  As a new OGR Forum member who likes to contribute history and how-to ideas, I wanted to share three photographs that depicts the railroad empire that operated for some thirty years in the basement of my old Victorian home in Oakland, CA.  I will tell you up front that I came from a broken home-- so, my British grandparents took me in as a baby and raised me as their own son for the first 14-years of my life.  My grandfather worked for many years on the Southern Pacific RR.  There was no way that I would escape TRAINS as my hobby forever.

 

I love both O-2 rail and O-3 rail trains and that's why I am getting ready to commence construction  on a new O-gauge 160 sq foot layout in my home!  It will be top notch and I'll be sure to share a few construction photos with all of you.

 

For now, let's go back to the time period of 1946--1961 and see what I was exposed to in that house and which made me the envy of every kid in school while growing up !!   I'm sure that Rich Melvin and "Hot Water" will like these photos as they are STEAM related......

 

Photo 1.  A fast freight highballs on the mainline pulled by a 4-6-2 SP 'Pacific' .

Photo 2.  The three-track mainline shows the double-slip switch arrangement.

Photo 3.  The late Victor Shattock (my grandpa 'Dad') and double-headed SP 2-8-2's waiting for an

  SP 4-6-2 coming off the branch line.

 

Note:  Scale was 1/2-inch to the foot. (twice O-gauge)...  1/24th full size.  Track gauge: 2 1/2-inches.

  (known as Gauge-3) in England ..  Copper firetube boilers--  boiler pressure 80-100 psi .

"Everything" in photos scratch-built from raw materials by Vic Shattock .  Fuel:  denatured alcohol in a vaporizing alcohol burner designed by Vic.  Controllable like gas on kitchen stove! Lots of BTU's..

 

If any of you would like to see this RR in operation and if Rich Melvin doesn't mind me telling you,

check out STEAM RAILROADING IN THE BASEMENT on YouTube  (Parts 1 and 2)..

Thanks for your attention everybody, at this nostalgic lookback in history!

 

KRK

bsmt2422

BSMTtim

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Those are some wonderful models he made. You were lucky to grow up in that environment.... of course you probably didn't realize that until years later!

 

Here is a picture from a 1938 Model Railroader magazine showing the Diner car made by H.C. Collins shown in video #1.

 

CM 38m09MRv05n09p366

 

Enjoyed the videos, would also like to know more about their whereabouts now.

 

ARNO

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Thanks for everyone's responses.  Glad you enjoyed the videos.  Most of the locomotives got sold off to interested parties.  However, SP 4-6-2 P-4 # 2422 (featured in the films) resides in a glass case in my Dining Room.  My grandpa built it in 1929.  I also have the Hopper Car and Caboose.  The caboose was built in 1925.  Most of the other rolling stock was distributed to various family members.

Regarding the brass dining car built by Harold Collins...  It is owned by a collector in Stanford, CA.  My grandfather used to tell people it was the most beautiful model he had ever scene.  It had stoves, broiler, everything, including napkins on the tables.

You could light it up with batteries in the battery box under the car or have it on display connected to a 16-volt transformer.

By the way, the attached photo shows (L-R) Vic Shattock and ME.. (circa-1949)..

The man who took in a baby boy, raised me as his own son, and introduced me to a

wonderful hobby !!  It shows that LOVE of a child and TRAINS, can go together!!

Happy New Year !

  KRK

VicKenny92

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