Reply to "Let us see your Homemade Lionel (or Other) Style Cars or Engines you have Made or Modified"

  Cab-Forward Engine

Years ago I purchased a Lionel 2025 2-6-4 steam locomotive that came with a homemade enclosed cab and white wall painted wheels.  I left both intact.  The Lionel 2025 and 2035 are my favorite engines to run on my layout.

My closed cab Lionel 2025 with white walls

Recently I was reviewing a March 1999 Classic Toy Trains magazine and read a product review of a 3^rd Rail Brass O gauge Southern Pacific Cab-forward 4-8-8-2 steam locomotive.  I was not familiar with cab-forward engines.  The article pointed out cab-forward steam locomotives were made to solve a life and death problem Southern Pacific had due to asphyxiation of crew when operating in long tunnels and snows sheds in the Sierra Mountains in the early 1900s.  Baldwin developed the cab-forward style locomotive and over 195 engines were made from 1920 and used into the 1950s.

Real Cab-Forward steam locomotive

Since I already, more or less, had a enclosed cabin steam locomotive, the Lionel 2025 mentioned above, all I would have to do to make a cab forward locomotive is find oil tender (an oil tender must be used as there is no way to get coal from a coal tender to the fire box with the cab in the front of the train).  Next was to make a hookup connector from the front of my 2025 steamer to the front of the oil tender at the tender slot coupling.  I know a Lionel 2025 2-6-4 is not a 4-8-8-2 which would have no chance of running on my O27 track !

I found a metal case from a junk DVD player as a source of sheet metal for the connector.  This metal sheet is thicker than tin can, strong enough for the connector and can be cut easily with a pair of tin snips.

Sketch of connector

Bottom view

Top view with tabs going on top of front wheel axle

View of connector in action, it turns well and navigates my Marx 1590 switches

Lionel 2025 as Cap-Forward engine pulling oil tender

Close up of an oil tender I found I already had

Connector is strong enough to pull other cars after the oil tender

The connector was quick and easy to make and works well.  It is a little weird to see a steam locomotive tooling around the layout backwards !  Someday I may add a headlight and markers lights to the front of cab-foward  loco.  (see headlight on first picture of real cab-farward Loco)

Charlie