# ques about aster live steam locos



## casey wilmunder (Jan 2, 2008)

im new to the hobby and looking at differnt locos first accucraft and now aster.i was wondering if aster produced any butane fired locos except achol
can you switch them to coal/or add a butane burner.

sincerly

casey wilmunder


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## Steve S. (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, the: Big Boy- Gas & Coal,   K.B.St.B. S 2/6- Gas,   C & N Climax- Gas,   NYC Hudson- Gas,   Western Maryland / G.C. & E. Shays- Gas,   PRR K-4- Gas,   Frank S- Gas,   C&S Mogul- Gas,   JNR B20- Gas,   JNR C62/2- Gas & Coal,   B20 (2nd.)- Gas.

I have seen the NYC Hudsons and PRR K-4's converted to coal firing.

You might want to consider alcohol firing.  You still get the realism of using a blower without all the mess and time it takes to run a coal  burning engine.  I hope that the coal crowd does not take offense to this last statement...................I love coal fired engines, but sometimes you just dont have the time to devote to running one. Alcohol is then the next best alternative.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

What fuss and muss....it will warm  the heart of any hobbyists:


Aster K4


















I am sure that the many Mikados, Hudsons and a few shots of a Big Boy and U1 coal fired wil show up


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## steam8hack (Feb 11, 2008)

Stick with gas.


I've tried coal and for all its nostalgia and romantic appeal it has its shortcomings.  If I have a few hours to steam or it's a special occasion I might pull out the coal fired, it happens 2 maybe 3 time a year now.  I simply want to steam most .  Just to steam I'll take a gas locos most times.  I popped for a coal loco, ran it a lot but it got old fairly quickly.  Took lots of work and overhead what with setup, running, maintenance and cleanup (which is a lot if you want your locos to stay clean and sharp looking).  Coal take a certain person and dedication. Hats off 'em but my thing is steaming and lots of it which I get with gas fired. 


Besides, coal is not green at all, too polluting. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sick.gif I just can't handle the guilt. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/ermm.gif


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

And gas is green living when it comes to our hobby....not

As with most procedures and requirements each fuel requires a set routine in accordance to it's limitations.

Though we do not coal fire every meet, I do not find it any more difficult to get up to steam than other fuel based engines.

The bottomline, now that can blister one's hobby funds.

With that said, nothing like it in getting a nearly true live steam experience:


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## Dave -- Use Coal (Feb 19, 2008)

Sorry I have no pictures.  But I have an Aster Flying Scotsman and and Aster Mike that have been converted to coal by John Shaw and both are a pleasure to operate.  I also have an Aster P08 that is alcohol fired.  Also in the stable are three Roundhouse butane fired locomotives.  All are great live steamers and the different types of fuel offer different types of operational pleasure.

When first seeing a coal fired locomotive I said I would never have one of those things.  They are too hard to operate and too much trouble to clean.  I now have three, the two mentioned above and a Roundhouse Sandy River also converted by John Shawe.

The point here is that you can get engines using any of the classic gauge 1 fuel factory built or converted by one of the hobbie's expert machinests.  All are a pleasure to operate.  My "taste in fuel" has evolved over the years.  Yours may do the same.

Go to Diamondhead, Mississippi http://www.diamondhead.org/ in January and you will see many people like myself with several locomotives using the different fuels.  

DAYoung


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## Steve S. (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Dave, sure was fun steaming today.  You had your "alkie" running as good as your coal fired engines today.  Who ever said Asters can't run slow?? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif

Charles, I think that we can all agree that in most cases coal firing takes longer then gas or alcohol.  There are exceptions..............I have seen Dave fire up his coal fired Sandy River almost as fast as a alkie burner, but gas is lite and go.


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## casey wilmunder (Jan 2, 2008)

thanks to all that responed i have a coal fired steam loco fullsize but smallscale is very differnt i know how to fire coal but the smallscale locos 
look a lot differnt and if no one know but im only 13 years old .My dad said i could probaly go to diamond miss in jan of 2009. i should have a very
nice collection of trains right now on order from accucraft 1 chama parlor/buffet car,1 drg&w jordon spreader,1 4 pack of jackson an sharp coaches
,1 drg&w peaked caboose,1 live steam climax,and some kind of loco from aster does anyone know wat locos there making in 1:20:3 right now
and cars i have seen there log cars on ebay and would like to get a couple.

i have dial soon i will have high speed and have pics of every thing

sincerly
casey wilmunder


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve 
Depending on the locomotive, type of coal and the operator: 10-15 minutes.   I would say a bit longer but not enough to discourage one from the enjoyment of really being involved with the skills necessary to get an engine up to steam.

Coal fired Hudson:









If only I could get the Berk done...


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Casey 

Aster does not produce any american narrow gauge stuff anymore. The did make a 3 truck Climax, 2 truck Alisan Shay and a CS Mogul. The moguls are still available in electric and gas. Al of the engines were built in a range of scales from 1:22 and 1:23 Hans has no plans to ever make a narrowgauge loco again and will only do large mainline stg gauge. Reasoning is sales wouldnt match what the stg gauge stuff does. How many people would buy a $8,000 K28 when you can get one for $4,500 from Accucraft Of course the thinks you done get are batter boilers, fittings, pumps details. And for the most part all the locomotives will run the same....Thats just a few things that you get for the Aster price along with a true scale locomotive. 

Tha log cars you see are from 1977 I think and were made with the Alisan Shay. The price is way out there and they normally sel on ebay for about 100.00 each when sold by a normal seller. With hartford and Accucraft there are many better options for log cars unless you want to model Jananese railways logging operarions witht he Alisan Shay. 

You have quite a bit on order for a 13 year old. Wish I had that kind of support and funds back then. Im 28 and still cant get everything I want.


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## Steve S. (Jan 2, 2008)

Hello Charles, believe me, I love coal fired engines.  I am not trying to knock em'.  I am trying to decide if I want to run the BB on coal.  Caleb is looking forward to running his on the "real stuff".  I guess Im a little lazy. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif Seems like lots of clean up after the fun. Those glowing embers sure look cool though.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Kovacjr on 02/26/2008 8:10 PM....unless you want to model Jananese railways logging operarions witht he Alisan Shay....
 
Dear Mr Kovacjr - Alishan is not in Japan,  It is on the Chinese island of Taiwan. 

tac
www.ovgrs.org


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tacfoley on 02/27/2008 3:13 AM
Posted By Kovacjr on 02/26/2008 8:10 PM....unless you want to model Jananese railways logging operarions witht he Alisan Shay....
 
Dear Mr Kovacjr - Alishan is not in Japan,  It is on the Chinese island of Taiwan. 

tac
www.ovgrs.org



......    and we have one of their Shays at the Puffing Billy Museum awaiting restoration.


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