# Climax Whimsy in 7/8ths



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I have been slowly getting into live steam and really like 7/8" to the foot scale (1:13.7) 2ft gauge.
My models are mainly 1:20.3 electric but the 7/8ths scale in live steam is a lot of fun outdoors with everything being a bit chunkier.
The scale lends itself to hand made rolling stock made from wood etc. being a bit more robust and scales well to a miniature garden setting.
I have the Fairymead on order but would also like a logger so I was thinking of modifying an Accucraft Climax with a larger wooden cab, stack and light to suite 7/8ths scale.
There is no prototype for such but it is more of a whimsical railroad just for fun.








Preferably, I wish to make a non destructible modification to the Climax so I can always replace the original parts when/if I come to my senses. 

Here is an image mock-up of roughly what I wish to do and the unmodified version below that.
Any thoughts, suggestions, dismay, grief, etc?
What is the Accucraft Climax like as a live steamer? Run time? any issues?



















Andrew


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Any thoughts 
Boosting the cab height usually makes the loco visually look like it is in a larger scale.


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I was dubious about doing it to an Accucraft 2 cylinder class A shay.
I thought with the already low T boiler it would look too strange with an over sized cab but since I have found the image below of Ephraim Shay's 'Baby'.
It looks as though the entire locomotive is held together on a single beam. 
I have now seen a few 7/8ths T-boiler shay conversions but I tend to like the look of the Climax better. 










Andrew


----------



## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Garratt, 
I like your wood cab mockup, but it looks a bit small for 7/8n2 scale.. 
what is the length of the Accucraft climax? 

Scot


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Scot, it was only a quicky in a paint program to get an initial feel for what it might look like. I had not considered any true measurements at that stage. I have probably drawn for it's look avoiding issues of true scale measurements. The cab probably is a bit small but I don't want to make any drastic modifications. It would be preferable to leave the rear bunker as it is. I may put it back to 1:20.3 later. 
I can get a Climax tomorrow, Very tempting. I better get this sussed before I lash out. 

When sizing from the image, the cab side works out to be about 92mm high and 70mm in length. 
As I have drawn it, in 1:13.7 the wooden cab would only be about 5'6" high in the center but I can curve the roof a little more to get extra height while keeping the cab sides not looking too high. 
The cab side in 1:13.7 works out to be only 3'2". All seems to be within scope for skinny short engineers!

Length: 18.72 in. (475.54 mm)
Width: 4.5 in. (1114.3 mm)
Height: 7.14 in (181.3 mm)


Andrew


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I now have less money and a stack on order...


----------



## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Extending the cab over the bunker changes the look drastically, and for the better. I look forward to seeing how this one turns out.


----------



## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

A new huge steam dome would finish the look, and then move the existing steam dome to the front and put a sand cap on it. That would give it much better 7/8 proportions. 

David.


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Backwoods Miniatures makes a small 20 ton Climax kit in On30. Maybe the proportions used will give you some ideas.


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions guys. 

Yes it is looking a lot better with the bigger cab. It was a pillarbox and the cab was too short as it was. At that stage the concept was fresh but Scot prompted me to refine the idea.
Dave, that sounds like a good idea although I'm not sure if these parts come off easily. That may be something I do later if I really want to keep it that way. 
Dwight, I also saw a smaller 15 ton model too that had even smaller proportions but none being as squat for a 2ft model with 'mini' trucks. 
I'm hoping Accucraft will supply the stack as a spare part from the new Fairymead. It maybe a little bigger than what is around at the moment for 1:20.3

23 ton Climax



















Andrew


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Just go for it, I think a taller stack would be the only other thing to do, once you get that done you can always do the more intricate things like a larger steam dome.


----------



## Amber (Jul 29, 2011)

That prototype picture is interesting, that's a small engine! Those trucks can't be very big, when you compare them to the size of the guy in the cab. I think the journal boxes are actually fixed in those trucks, not sprung like on the larger engines.


----------

