from 4-8-4 to 4-8-6? please help.

Hello Robert

I think i can see where you are going and it can be done with some work.  You can use the rear 6 wheel die cast truck with the drawbar from the postwar # 681 turbine and use the Rock Island boiler.  I think it will look good.   I used to collect postwar in late 1970's and had one time Rock Island Northern # 18001.  I can see a picture in my mind in what it look like, you might try it. 

I hope it somewhat helps, if you decide to do that the post pictures ok

Tiffany

Tiffany posted:

Hello Robert

I think i can see where you are going and it can be done with some work.  You can use the rear 6 wheel die cast truck with the drawbar from the postwar # 681 turbine and use the Rock Island boiler.  I think it will look good.   I used to collect postwar in late 1970's and had one time Rock Island Northern # 18001.  I can see a picture in my mind in what it look like, you might try it. 

I hope it somewhat helps, if you decide to do that the post pictures ok

Tiffany

 

Hmm... I can see where you are coming from, but don't just want to replace the 4 wheel truck with a 6 wheel one, I want to replace the actual firebox piece and maybe elongate the boiler slightly as well. granted I still might settle for your idea if I get frustrated enough and give up on mine.

Edit: ah who am I kidding? I'm looking up Lionel turbine rear trucks on eBay even as I type this

Robert Strait posted:

Tiffany posted:

Hello Robert

I think i can see where you are going and it can be done with some work.  You can use the rear 6 wheel die cast truck with the drawbar from the postwar # 681 turbine and use the Rock Island boiler.  I think it will look good.   I used to collect postwar in late 1970's and had one time Rock Island Northern # 18001.  I can see a picture in my mind in what it look like, you might try it. 

I hope it somewhat helps, if you decide to do that the post pictures ok

Tiffany

 

Hmm... I can see where you are coming from, but don't just want to replace the 4 wheel truck with a 6 wheel one, I want to replace the actual firebox piece and maybe elongate the boiler slightly as well. granted I still might settle for your idea if I get frustrated enough and give up on mine.

 

Edit: ah who am I kidding? I'm looking up Lionel turbine rear trucks on eBay even as I type this

hello Robert

Perhaps purchase the #681 turbine 6 wheel rear truck with the drawbar and put it under the Rock Island engine and see what looks like before doing any cutting, drilling and filing and  mess up the project costing more money to be pour into.  I am not a pro in making custom like engines but sometimes i can see the picture in my mind in what it looks like.  One thing I liked about the Rock Island boiler is the large square sandbox on top and the sport style cab.  Put the #7000 on the side of the sandbox looks good too much like the S.F. 2900,5001,5011 class engines have that which of course looks good.

Tiffany

As on most steam locos, the grate on your 4-8-4 slopes upward from the last pair of drivers toward the cab.  The lead and trailing trucks for the PRR turbines have a flat profile with all six wheels the same size.  To fill the space better IMO the best trailing truck to use might be one from a RailKing, K-Line, or LionMaster Allegheny.  You've heard of Super Power?  How about Super-duper Power!

Also-- you're not the first to have this idea.  I'm pretty sure John Armstrong (one of the all-time greats) turned one of his Lima GS-4s into a 4-8-6 for his freelanced railroad.  You might be able to find pictures with a web search.

All kinds of boiler shells are available on eBay (I bought one a while back) - brand doesn't matter. Trailing trucks, too - though few steamers had 6-wheel trailing trucks (C&O/VGN 2-6-6-6, PRR 6-4-4-6 and 6-8-6, B&M 4-6-6 tank - but all have been done in 3RO, actually). A re-imagined 6-wheel passenger truck might be substituted.

Lionel's website/replacement parts is a good source of parts. 

But - this is a big project, so a smaller one might be the place to start. And - and your basic loco is not a great runner by modern standards. Things to consider.

D500 posted:

All kinds of boiler shells are available on eBay (I bought one a while back) - brand doesn't matter. Trailing trucks, too - though few steamers had 6-wheel trailing trucks (C&O/VGN 2-6-6-6, PRR 6-4-4-6 and 6-8-6, B&M 4-6-6 tank - but all have been done in 3RO, actually). A re-imagined 6-wheel passenger truck might be substituted.

Lionel's website/replacement parts is a good source of parts. 

But - this is a big project, so a smaller one might be the place to start. And - and your basic loco is not a great runner by modern standards. Things to consider.

I’ve already bought a 6-wheel passenger truck along with the 4-8-4 that I intend to upgrade, but I’m not sure if it’ll fit under the firebox as-is.

Also, this is only the 1st in a long list of planned upgrades, most of which are internal. So it’ll hopefully be at least a decent runner when I’m through.

Lastly, niether the locomotive nor the 6-wheel truck have arrived in the mail just yet, so I’m kinda planning ahead

Ted S posted:

 ...snip... I'm pretty sure John Armstrong (one of the all-time greats) turned one of his Lima GS-4s into a 4-8-6 for his freelanced railroad.  You might be able to find pictures with a web search.

This is what one of his "non-converted" GS-4s looks like:

Robert Strait posted:

I’ve already bought a 6-wheel passenger truck along with the 4-8-4 that I intend to upgrade, but I’m not sure if it’ll fit under the firebox as-is. ...snip...

I am not sure that a passenger truck would be appropriate for your application, at the very least it would look very odd.