@S. Islander posted:Varney's B&O 4-6-0 kit was modeled after the locomotive assigned to President Daniel Willard's official inspection train as it looked in the late 1920's. It was B&O 2024, Class B-18ca, which during a conversion was given a B-19 Class boiler. It was one of three B-18's so equipped. The other two were Numbers 2000 and 2003. Three B-19 Class locomotives were reclassed as B-18ca as well, numbers 2039, 2040 and 2065.
In that assignment, it also wore the same deep green livery with red and gold striping as the new P-7 Class "President" 4-6-2's B&O was putting into service between New York (Jersey City) and Washington DC.
By 1932, as the Depression deepened, President Willard ordered the 2024 to be returned to pool service as having a dedicated locomotive for official use was deemed an excess expense. He also took a cut in his presidential salary.
The 2024 was dropped from the B&O roster in 1942 and likely scrapped for the war effort.
The Varney kit for this model was made to be easily assembled and sold for a moderate cost. It did not have the level of precise detailing modelers demand these days. But it was rugged, ran well and lasted long with basic maintenance.
General Models continued the kit after Varney sold it. All Nation took over this General Models kit, which set a pattern for following All Nation steam locomotive kits from 4-4-0's to 2-6-6-4's in sharing common parts and some basic tooling. The steam kit line went to Babbitt, which produced the kits with improvements including frames modified for sprung drivers, new transmissions and modern motors. Babbitt sold the steam locomotive kit line, but it has not been produced since then.
Here is B&O 2024 in its green with red and gold stripe livery as the locomotive for President Willard's official train.
Thanks for all that info; very interesting stuff. Looks like a slight difference in the valve gear "hangers".
In both the picture I posted and the one above, you can see the rather odd-looking "looped" piping, just to the front of the cab, on the top of the boiler. I've often wondered what that's all about... 
Mark in Oregon
