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Originally Posted by keyrouteken:

So I decided to write a multi-chapter BOOK that will tell the entire story..  It is a BIG project. 

I have to doubt it'll be a lot of work, but I for one will be sure to buy a copy when you're done. I'd never heard of this before recently but it's an amazing story, one which needs to be told!

Yes, this is a book you need to write!

 

My uncle wrote a family history based on his genealogy investigation, after he had retired from Boeing as an aerospace engineer.  No one outside the family and a few friends would be much interested perhaps.  That lead to him writing books geared towards teenagers, but very fun reading for adults.  Excellent books for family values and teaching kids in a fun way.  He has his third almost ready to publish.  I say this, because he is passing on his values to whoever reads the books.  You in effect an historian just like he is.

I had mentioned earlier Rollin J. Lobaugh...  Well known O-scale manufacturer!

In 1932, Carl Purinton founded the Brotherhood of Live Steamers (now IBLS) at his home in Massachusetts.  About the same time, Rollin Lobaugh was rolling out 1/2-inch scale BRASS rail and related items.

 

So take a look at the letter I found in my Archives..  It might interest you !

 

KRK

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EACH locomotive took an average of 1500-3000 hours of SPARE time to construct from the ground up. You have to know a bit of EVERYTHING to do what Vic Shattock did.
Foundry work, tin smithing, sheet metal work, soldering, machine tool operation, tool and die making, brazing, silver soldering, welding.. You name it!!

He told me when I was very young, that he "READ" everything he could on those different subjects. He was a long time correspondent with Britain's "LBSC" and the "Model Engineer" folks published by Percival Marshall, Ltd..

TIME AVAILABLE (grin): What time?? Ha,Ha...
He raised SIX children of his own.. Was active in his Masonic Lodge.. Was Co-Chairman of the Live Steam Standards Committee for the NMRA in the 1940's ...
Worked on the Southern Pacific Railroad for 36-years.  Division grievance Chairman...
Was Secretary-Treasurer for Lodge 407 of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees RR union..
Was Asst Chairman as well as Chairman for the "Pacific Federation" for unionized railroad employees on the West Coast. Was SP Western Division "Water Service Foreman" with office in the Tin Shop in West Oakland.

Used to be the "PUMPER" at the pumphouse at Oakland Pier, years earlier..
And then this: Took in an 18-month old BABY at the age of 59 years, cause the kid needed a home. So he raised ME as his 7th child.     How could I escape TRAINS ?   (grin)

 

Photo 1.    SP 2422 sits on the SP 110-foot turntable... 55-inches in length.

   Engine built in 1929.

 

Photo 2.    SP 2422 TODAY !!!    Vic sold the engine in 1952...  It was owned by various collectors over many years!!  Our family lost track of it!

Then, a miracle !  I tracked it down like Sherlock Holmes and found an International collector who had the engine on display in his Restaurant !!

In August-1992, after paying $ 2000.00 to the guy, our family got the engine back after 40-Years !   Is that the will of God or what ??

 

Today, it sits on display on top of my wife's china hutch !

 

Cheers to all.

 

KRK

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Originally Posted by keyrouteken:

Hi Rick--  That's how my grandfather always dressed, even in the basement.  Probably his British upbringing!

 

KRK

There are a few vedios on youtube.Blows my mind that some could built that.How did he control them?He built all that from scratch and the detail is just wow.Just think what he could have done with a bigger basement.

Originally Posted by Moonman:

Ken,

I really appreciate the personal stories. The insight into one man's approach to the hobby in it's early days is not something one can find easily.

 

One commonality that struck me early on is that he liked to see his trains make people smile. So, do I.

 

I am still impressed with the fact that Lobaugh came to visit him.

 

Do you know how the panoramic backdrop came to be? Quite impressive to have those large photos or prints in his day.

To answer your question about the "Panoramic background photos" that decorated the basement walls and covered up the unsightly studs...

 

The Southern Pacific gave my grandfather about 50-60 large photos that were on Masonite sheets.  They were normally used on the INSIDE of passenger cars at either end of the car's interior.  When you know the right folks, things happen !!

 

KRK

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ken, I don't know how I didn't see this 3 years ago. I really enjoyed reading it because I love the SP and its relationship to the Bay Area. I was born and raised in San Francisco. I  was enamored with seeing SP steam still active as a young boy. I now live on the Peninsula. Every day when I pass the Caltrain (former SP) tracks I think twice a day the Daylight passed here. At night, in San Bruno I hear the UP freight trains passing by and think when my current house was built in 1949, the original residents used to hear the Daylight and SP commuter trains. Thanks for posting the article. Your grandfather was a Bay Area legend. You were lucky to be witness to his passion of modeling. Please write the book.

Ken When I was a kid here in n.c.There was a man who built trains from scratch.It was on the local tv news station.I do not recall which scale it was.But he had double headers pulling 100 boxcars.He had towns and even telephone poles with wires.People like your grand father had talent for building machines.And not far where I lived.I man built a train you could ride.He had 2 steam locomotives and one diesel locomotive.

As promised.. a few pics of a Vic Shattock  4-6-4 in 3 1/2" Gauge which was built for a fellow club member. The Boiler is 5" ...tapers back to 6" to join the Crown Sheet. These pics show at least forty years of dust but the surface rust is light. Extremely well built and finely fitted. There is superficial damage to cow catcher some some other small details.

Anyone know anything or history on this particular Locomotive ?

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Continuing onward with the boiler. Steel construction. Steel Fire tubes. Fire box stays fitted but not nutted and sealed. Not all the expertly applied "lugs" where various fittings and mounts attach. Beautifully built. I haven't had the Smoke Box off..it is stuck. I have just acquired this locomotive from my Mother's Estate which was left to me. Dad bought it oh..probably fifteen years ago.   

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