# The Aster Great Northern S2 4-8-4



## main131 (Jan 3, 2008)




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## main131 (Jan 3, 2008)

I have only been able to run my S2 a few times, what with the weather closing in. 
It ran well enough, although I had a minor fire on one occasion when the spirit container was not properly located in the tender. The trouble with meths is that it keeps on flowing, unlike gas which you can flick off. 

Fortunately the watering can for boiler top ups (and putting out fires) was this side of the track which was a nice change. 
The times when you need water NOW and some guy has left the can on the other side of the foot bridge. You know, the bridge where everbody is hanging around chatting. 
Excuse me Gentlemen, would you mind awfully if I could get by. I have 1.5 seconds before my engine blows up!.....Parden? 

I expect all you old timers reading this will be tut tuting and have already made a mental note to exclude me from future invitations. 
That's why I intend to stay anonymous..


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Dear Main 131, 
I think that if you check, fire regulation 273/1 paragraph 3 states - "there should be squirt bottles located all around the track, on both sides, just in case of a fire". 
Well .... It's not a bad idea. 
Just remember to check once in a while that they still have water in them, and that they still squirt. 
Right now on the West coast here it has plummeted to well below freezing, and only just above around lunch time, so I think that the squirt bottle might not work anyway! 
Maybe squirt icicles. 
Isn't the S-2 a nice looking Northern. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By main131 on 05 Dec 2009 03:22 PM ...That's why I intend to stay anonymous..

Your secret is safe with me, never fear........









tac
www.ovgrs.org


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## bonzo1953 (Dec 27, 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kTDDOBQMIY 
The S-2 is one of the best running Asters in my round house. 
Enjoy! 
Keep 'em Steamin' 
John


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

That is an awesome picture. I would love to watch it run. 
Paul


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

I don’t think we have to worry much about your firing technique on the West Coast of Canada; that looks like an English Phone Box in the picture behind your engine. 

As John says, it is a great engine.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

I can reveal that the identity of main131 is ................AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

tac
www.ovgrs.org


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Oh good!
No more from Tac anymore!
(Terry - that's meant to be funny)
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## main131 (Jan 3, 2008)

don’t think we have to worry much about your firing technique on the West Coast of Canada; that looks like an English Phone Box in the picture behind your engine. 

Well spotted Dan. 

I also like David Leechs idea of fighting fire with an icicle. (not tried that yet)


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I will concur with Main, whoever he is. The S-2 is by far the best engine that I have. I have learned how to really let her do her thing.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By gibs035 on 06 Dec 2009 03:44 PM 
I will concur with Main, whoever he is. The S-2 is by far the best engine that I have. I have learned how to really let her do her thing.
I am curious, in comparison to what other Aster?


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Now Charles you should know that the only Aster that I have other than the S-2 is the C-62 coal fired and a Frank s and a Reno. I am sure ther may be better Aster's but in my stall that is all there is to run.
Maybe when I get the C62 to run properly it will be a different story. You may not have had me in mind when you raised your question.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

I have always used the Aster Daylight as the standard in Gauge 1. Mine will run at shay speeds and will run like lightning. It will pull huge numbers of cars, I have a film of mine pulling 25 cars on Jim Hadden’s level track, the first car was an inertia car that was equivalent to 50 regular cars and the second car was also an inertia car that was equivalent to 25 regular cars, these numbers according to the builder of them, Larry Bangham. So that makes the equivalent to 100 cars, OK not quite as you don’t have 400 axels and 800 wheels rolling on the track but it was still impressive as it started by itself with a prototypical two or three half rotation slips of the drivers and took a lap of 300 feet to reach cursing speed. I have not had the chance to fully load the S2 but it does run as well as the Daylight. I also have an Aster Big Boy and it is a great runner, very smooth at any speed. Again the S2 can run as well as the Big Boy. 

So do I think it’s the best Aster locomotive I have, no, do I think it’s one of the best, yes. The best part is, it’s still available at issue price and the others aren’t.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I think the S2 is an awesome loco. I wish I had one, however I accepted the fact way back she was too big for my lap. I live vicariously though you guys. Please keep posting pictures and videos for the rest of us.

However, my burning question is; who will be the first to create a 1:32 high stepping Atlantc? Accucraft or Aster, and how much time to I have to raise the funds to obtain one? Please give me year heads up, ok? 4-4-0 or 4-4-2, I don't care, as long as it fits on my lap. I take that back, I do care. I'd rather have a 4-4-2, if nothing else, I can tell people it is an Oldsmobile. Choo choo.


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## zephyra (Jan 2, 2008)

There is an Aster Schools (4-4-0) on ebay right now - http://cgi.ebay.com/ASTER-FULGUREX-...2ea9770f45

Robert


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## RP3 (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Cape Cod, 

Just a thought. Because of a number of factors, Aster is unlikely to ever do an Atlantic. But here's something to consider. Aster did make a wonderful compact engine that is still available. It is the JNR 9600 and looks relatively Western despite its Japanese ancestory. More importantly, it has features not available on other Asters. It is alcohol-fired, has drain cocks, rear fire door, and is very lap friendly! And the price is probably around half of an S2. I built one and am very impressed with it. Check it out. 

Ross Schlabach


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Ross,

Larry Herget built an Atlantic from a Mikado so why can't Aster. If I remember correctly he eliminated two drivers (obviously), cut the boiler and frame down to fit and changed the lead truck. 

Maybe that's what Kent should do to get the Aster Atlantic he wants so bad OR maybe he should look at what Larry did and copy his efforts using an Aristo Craft Mikado.


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## RP3 (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Bruce, 

Larry does outstanding work and as someone who likes to do conversions myself, I applaud him. But not many folks are that talented -- oh, and BTW, Aster worldwide is down to only one more Mikado kit and Hans has it!! 

Yes, Aster can do just about anything else they put their mind to. It's a question of $$. First a distributor, like Hans, has to be convinced that he can sell enough of them to warrant commissioning (and funding) Aster to create the engine. Then Aster has a say in the matter because they will be producing that engine to be sold worldwide. Finally, after it's designed, there's the issue of the final price. In today's market, the value of the dollar against the Yen has fallen into the mid-to-high 80's. Two + years ago, one dollar would get you 110 or more Yen, so the value of the dollar has fallen by approximately 20%. So, while Aster UK is enjoying appreciation against the Yen, we here in the US are in the toilet so to speak. The net result is that an Atlantic kit could easily cost somewhere close to $7,000. How many are you ready to buy at that price? 

Since I have dragged this thread off track to talk of exchange rates and Aster engines, be aware that anyone who wants an Aster engine here in the US will benefit if they buy something NOW from AsterUSA stock -- because when Hans runs out of stock on an engine, any further purchases of that same model will be with depreciated dollars -- so the US $ price will probably have to rise. So get your S2s and JNR 9600s now and benefit from past higher US-Yen exchange rates. 

Since I sound like Scrooge, I'll just sign off with...............Bah, Humbug. 

Ross Schlabach


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By RP3 on 07 Dec 2009 06:10 AM 
Hi Cape Cod, 

Just a thought. Because of a number of factors, Aster is unlikely to ever do an Atlantic. But here's something to consider. Aster did make a wonderful compact engine that is still available. It is the JNR 9600 and looks relatively Western despite its Japanese ancestory. More importantly, it has features not available on other Asters. It is alcohol-fired, has drain cocks, rear fire door, and is very lap friendly! And the price is probably around half of an S2. I built one and am very impressed with it. Check it out. 

Ross Schlabach 
Sir - the 9600 is an almost rivet-for-rivet replication the British Railways Stanier Class 8F freight locomotive - so much so that i was very tempted to get one on my last trip over to Tokyo. The six-wheel tender and hefty-looking outline of the basic main-siland version are VERY reminiscent of one of the most-used connies on British lines - they even went to Turkey and the other parts of the middle east. One that was brought back from Turkey is being fully refurbished as I write this. 

Here is the class standard loco - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_8F

Zubi and I have often seen the Aster model performing as well as you might expect - in all kinds of weather.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


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