Hi Ken..Lester Bowman here from Modesto, Ca. A number of years ago I spoke to you about another Locomotive Built by Victor. This one is a 3 1/2" Gauge 4-6-4. It came from a big Corner house ( ? hard to remember ) in Oakland. It was given as payment for painting this house.
It is in an incomplete state. The chassis appears operable and complete. Cab is there. Boiler is a steel boiler with Belpaire (?) firebox with smoke box and stack fitted. attached to it. Boiler is work in progress. It has tubes fitted along with rows of stays but the stays are threaded both inside and out but not nutted or soldered. I would imagine in those early days they were probably brass nutted and sweat soldered to prevent leakage. Seems the builder reached this stage then something happened. There is no lagging,fittings ect fitted. It looks to be a very nicely built boiler with a massive welded foundation ring.
The tender is complete...that beautiful SP pacific tender with 3 wheeled bogies. I've just got it home from my Mothers Estate and it has been shuffled around a bit. Cow catcher is bent up and most of the tender hand rails and small details are bent or distorted. Beautiful thing really..just needs TLC.
If you would be so kind I will gladly upload pictures of it so you can confirm it is indeed the work of your Grandfather Victor. Thank you 
Lester Bowman.
