# What a ride! From "Millie" to the "Invicta"



## Jim Schulz (Aug 10, 2009)

Why does this always happen to me? Does it happen to you?


I started in live steam about 10 years ago with a Roundhouse Millie. One thing led to another: Millie, then a SRRL #24 gas and then coal-fired 2-6-2. Before you know it, I'm riding behind a Maxitrak Pearl on 7.5 inch gauge track. A job change and life gets in the way, so after a liquidation sale 10 years go by without any live steam. Then about two years ago it happens again. An Accucraft Forney leads to a Legend 4-4-0, which gets me wanting to coal-fire again via a vertical boiler project. Coal-firing, aaaaaah, that's the ticket. But what I'd really like to do is ride behind a coal-fired steamer like I did not so many years ago. Life has smoothed out. So why not now? 

So, here I am again in 1.5 inch scale on 7.5 inch gauge track with an Invicta I picked up from Discover Live Steam. A nice transition locomotive from "G" scale live steam to ride-on scale live steam. Nice size, nice features. In the same price bracket as an Aster, but I can ride behind an Invicta (and it fits in the trunk of my VW Beetle!). Its got a 5-inch diameter boiler, 6-inch diameter driving wheels and will pull me and a passenger, which is all I want to pull. This is a project locomotive to learn the hobby of 1.5+ inch scale live steam. Check it out, there are more where mine came from.

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From Millie to the Invicta. What a ride! (Yes, the name on the side of the locomotive is the "superintendent" of the railway, if you know what I mean. She approves all railway acquisitions_._)


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## ChaoticRambo (Nov 20, 2010)

By any chance did that Invicta come from Ohio?

One of the members of the club I am in made a few of those and I believe was selling them.

There is deffinetly something unique about being able to really ride behind a steam engine and not just watching it go around in circles. Congrats on your purchase, and I hope you enjoy it!


Hopefully this year our steam engine will be done. We are getting a 2-6-0 (2.5" scale, 7.5" gauge).


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## Jim Schulz (Aug 10, 2009)

That's the one, just outside Columbus. He's got a couple left. Tell him I sent ya! It really steams well for a small 1.5" scale locomotive. The builder improved the LBSC design he based it on.


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## ChaoticRambo (Nov 20, 2010)

I am very glad you enjoy it! I will be sure to tell him next time I see him.

I got a chance to look at one of the Invictas he had at our last Public run last year at our club track.


Its funny how you got into 7.5"

I myself have been brought up with it my entire life, as my dad was into to hobby before I was born. I was the one that actually got us into G scale live steam, thought it was something fun to do in between runs for our 7.5".


May I ask where about you are located?


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## Jim Schulz (Aug 10, 2009)

I live in Indianapolis. I plan to run at the Indiana Live Steamers track in the Johnson Co. Park (I'm a member of the club). I also hang out with the Midwest Live Steamers guys ("G" scale and one HO scale vertical boiler).


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## ChaoticRambo (Nov 20, 2010)

Ah, that's cool. We used to go down their all the time. Unfortunately our schedules have not allowed us to do much traveling with our equipment as we would like lately.

We tend to stick to our club track (Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers), and the Mill Creek Central.


However, we are going to try and make more runs for other clubs, Indiana being one of the tracks we would be going to.


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## Jim Schulz (Aug 10, 2009)

You're welcome any time, but especially invited to join us for the "Dog Daze of Summer Run" August 19-21.


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## ChaoticRambo (Nov 20, 2010)

NEOLS has two open meets:


July 8-10
September 9-11 



How long have you been a member of ILS?

Some of people down there might remember my dads first engine. It is an orange box cab nick-named "the little pumpkin". Cannonball actually purchased the rights to produce the engine commercially from my dad - http://www.cannonballltd.com/locomotive_cat.html

Here are our two engines side by side at our club track. Hopefully late this year our steamer will be finished


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## Slipped Eccentric (Jan 2, 2008)

Was that "Pumpkin" on the cover of Live Steam back in the mid-ish 90's?


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## Jim Schulz (Aug 10, 2009)

I've been a member of the ILS since last fall. Ten years ago I was a member of the Milwaukee Light Engineering Society, driving this Maxitrak "Pearl":










Justin, a fellow Hoosier picked up your vertical boiler I sold on eBay. He plans to build something similar to what I had in mind. Glad to hear it will find its way on to a locomotive.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Great looking model. I remembered the LBSC design, glad to see it is still with us in a better (and bigger) form. 

I find the contact feature for "Discover" strange as it goes through their website to the seller and not directly. I have tried contacting a couple sellers on there through their site and never got a reply back.


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## ChaoticRambo (Nov 20, 2010)

Posted By Slipped Eccentric on 06 Apr 2011 09:39 PM 
Was that "Pumpkin" on the cover of Live Steam back in the mid-ish 90's? 
It sure was, it was my sister driving it at the NEOLS old club site in Copley, we have since moved the track.


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## roadranger (Jan 6, 2008)

Jim Schulz - does the Invicta run in reverse also? I don't see a reversing lever (Johnson Bar)


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

A guy in our local 7.5" gauge club has an Invicta. Runs on propane. Powerful little engine. Easily carries two people.


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