# Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I’ve kind of been out of the Gauge 1 construction business for a while and am working on some 7.5” gauge stuff. A friend of mine out in Pahrump Nevada has a 7.5” gauge track on his ranch and over the past couple of years our little group has added about 2000 feet of track and 25 or so switches. It’s quite an operation now. I built a couple of scale buildings, a switch tower and water tank. Plan to add a freight station and some others in the future. Our group has migrated to live steam with 4 engines operational.

The group has motivated me to begin construction of a 7.5” gauge live steamer of my own. The engine I am doing is called “Marie Estelle”. It is a Don Young designed 0-4-0 Porter that appeared in a Live Steam Magazine series in the mid 80’s. Here is the Marie Estelle:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/xo18thfa/2662-h.jpg

I decided to do the tender first. The tender wheels turned from round bar slabs and pressed onto the axles. The axle ends are hardened, polished steel dowels pressed into the axles. They ride on needle bearings in the journal boxes.

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/xo18thfa/Driver.JPG

Here’s the tender rolling chassis. The frame is straight maple. The brake system is a copy from Kozo’s Pennsy switcher.

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/xo18thfa/Tender%20Frame%20A.JPG

Here’s a close up of a journal box. The springs are light die springs with easy compression at the start then get really stiff.

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/xo18thfa/Tender%20Frame%20B.JPG

And with the maple decking and brake column. Too bad the water tank will cover that nice maple planking.

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/xo18thfa/Tender%20Frame%20C.JPG

Went to the steel yard this week and got a sheet of 11 gauge (.117"). The boys sheared it up for me so I can start welding up the tender tank soon.

So far, I’ve been able to fabricate everything on my little Atlas 6” lathe and Chinese mill drill. My wife has given me the green light to buy another lathe, a Grizzly 9 x 20. So I can turn the drivers and cylinders at home too.

After the tender come the drivers. A machinist buddy has talked me into hacking them out solid round bar. Oh boy, that the will be fun.

Castings for this engine are available, but the prices are insane. So this engine is an all bar stock project.


----------



## deWintonDave (Jan 5, 2008)

Good work Bob!

I've started a new steam project, can't say too much - it's top secret, but it'll blow away the guys!

When a loco is travelling along nicely the spokes cannot be seen, I've been thinking "why not use solid discs?" sure saves a lot over those over priced castings!


All the best,

Dave.


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer*

It's looking terrific Bob!!A friend of mine out in Pahrump Nevada has a 7.5” gauge track on his ranch and over the past couple of years our little group has added about 2000 feet of track and 25 or so switches. It’s quite an operation now. I built a couple of scale buildings, a switch tower and water tank. Plan to add a freight station and some others in the future. Our group has migrated to live steam with 4 engines operational.
I find this particularly interesting as we perhaps will retire in Vegas.  BTW, the guy who's making my boiler is also going to be moving there and is looking to get a job and then set up his own loco and boiler building business part time.


----------



## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer*

Very nice work so far, Bob. Don Young designed engines are excellent, and I'm surprised he hasn't had a larger following here in the states. 

What are you going to use for fuel? While I cannot remember the name, there is at least one club in a desert area that only allows propane for steamers, due to extreme fire hazard from sparks. 

Larry


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer*

Wow. The tender bits alone are a work of art.... 

From its apperance, I assume a narrow gauge prototype, so while 7.5 inch gauge, it is a larger than 1.5" scale? 

If so, that is the direction I hope to go someday, with a small Porter, O&K, Hunslet, etc....


----------



## rangerjoel (Jan 4, 2008)

That is going to be one beautiful locomotive when you are done. I have the 9X20 lathe from grizzly and I like it a lot. Thanks for sharing your project. Maybe it will inspire some other garden railroaders to try their hand at the big stuff.
Joel


----------



## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

*RE: Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer*

Beautiful work. You folks are bad influence on me!


----------



## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Start of a 7.5" gauge live steamer*

Bob, 
this looks really excellent! Now my next job will be refurbishing my 4 3/4" Heisler. It looks as if migrating to larger scales is part of our steam disease. 
Regards


----------



## Ora Banda (Jan 2, 2008)

Superb craftsmanship, Bob ! Looking foward to the progress updates, using bar stock in place of castings is going to be interesting.


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Men: Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement. 

Dave: Good to see you again. You must have about 10,000 miles on your oscillators by now. Looking forward to your next.


Dwight: Some in our group used to hang out at LALS, Riverside and Sacramento. Pretty much all at Maricopa Arizona now. The track in Pahrump (privately owned) would be perfect for your CP and Falk. My project kind of reminds me of a photo you posted once showing your Ga 1 portable layout, engines and cars all fitting in your RAV4. My stuff has to fit in a Ford Ranger pick-up. 


Larry: Always been a fan of the UK designers. LBSC for smaller stuff and Don Young for bigger. I'd love to have one of his "Lanky" engines. I am going to use propane for fuel. Coal is kind of hard to come by around Las Vegas, there is no demand. There is a "brown coal" mine in Utah. Heard a rumor that the California EPA shut down LALS once for using that stuff.


Garrett: In 7.5" gauge (7.25" in Eastern US and Europe) 1.5" scale is standard gauge. 2.5" scale is 36" narrow gauge and 3.75" scale is 24" narrow gauge. 


Joel: I think the 9 x 20 Grizzly will work great. I finally got the hang of the small Grizzly mill-drill, it works just fine.

Richard: Way too many project and way too little time.


Henner: You are right on. This bigger stuff is very addictive. How about some pics of your 1" Heilser.

John: So far, barstock is working out fine. It is a lot of hack sawing, fitting up and silver soldering. My little lathe handled the 3.75" tender wheels very well. The big machine job are the drivers (new lathe!!!!). The big fabrication job is the smoke box saddle. A friend gave me 100 pounds of clean "Petrobond" foundry sand and some foundry equipment. There may be a foundry operation in the backyard someday as well.


Thanks again to all. Bob


----------

