# Coming Back



## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

It all started with the desire to introduce my two 8-9 year old grandsons to steam. Of course, in Wisconsin this time of year G scale railroads are out of the question, especially when the track isn't operational. So I bought a couple of antique Mamod tractors. They are wrapped and waiting under the tree. Of course, I had to pick up a Wilesco steam roller to practice with before they come for Christmas. 

In the process of checking out the Mamods and Wilescos, I came across some kits for building boilers (PM Research) and steam engines (PM Research and Graham). That kindled a long-term goal to set up a mini machine shop as the PM Research boiler and most of the steam engines are unmachined.

So I now have a mini lathe and mini mill on order and a whole bunch of tooling. Of course I need a project to work on so I ordered the PM Research boiler #1 unmachined kit, a vertical boiler that stands about 7" tall at the base of the chimney. It showed up yesterday. I had planned on using it as part of a stationary steam installation.

Then the book "Starting in Steam" showed up. I had ordered it as a refresher. I was paging through and came across the BAGRS loco so went out to visit the project site. It struck me that if I model in 7/8" scale, the PM Research boiler would be right for a backwoods loco in the style of a Climax A, but without the nuisance of having to deal with the drive line linkage of dual two axle trucks. Just two pairs of wheels and a chain drive.

Of course that means I need an appropriate vertical steam engine. The Graham VR1A is a single cylinder vertical steam engine with a very interesting motion and Stephenson reversing gears. It stands about 3 1/2 inches tall and comes in a pre-machined kit. I ordered it last night. With this engine and boiler, my backwoods loco should have a lot more guts than the stock BAGRS engine. 

I also ordered wheels, and a bunch of other parts stuff like gears, chain, pole pockets, couplers, and the like.

So I guess I'm going to have to add my name to the Steamaholics list. I'm going to need lots of support as I deal with this addiction. I hope you all are up to it. I'll add some photos when I reteach myself how to do it.

Tom


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

*Photos I wanted to post*

This is an image I purloined from Michael Martin's web site of a 7/8" backwoods loco. His uses the stock BAGRS steam engine. But it has the look and feel I'm looking for.










this is a completed PM Research Boiler #1.
http://www.pmmodelengines.com/shop/steam/steam-boiler-kit-1/










And finally, this an assembled Graham VR1A. This is a somewhat unflattering photo. There are better photos and specs on the Graham web site.

http://www.grahamind.com/VR1ABro.pdf


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tom,
welcome back! 
it's been awhile, glad you see you back on the forum.

Here is my "Bagrs Basic" mod, you might have seen it before:










http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/steam.html

It's quite primitive, but it has character! 
Scot


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Scotty,

It is good to connect with you again. I scanned through the thread on your BAGRS engine. I like the way up took what you had and converted it to a T boiler. But I keep saying to myself, KISS, Tom, KISS.

But your engine does raise some potential for a follow up engine. You might recall when Fletch, Keith Christensen, and I collaborated on the back head design of NPC No 21. If your memory is rusty, you will find it here.

http://oldtomstoys.com/north-pacific-coast-21-thomas-stetson/

Keith is an old steam guy who owns (or owned) the last remaining Class A Climax. I pulled out my copy of "The Climax Locomotive" last night and a bunch of pages fell out - filled with notes on a potential scratch build project of that loco. His engine is pictured on a number of pages of the book.

That's an engine with two four wheel trucks so the drive gear would be much more complicated. But once I get this one under my belt, that engine is one of my two "holy grails", the other being No 21. But for now, KISS, Tom, KISS.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome back Tom!!  The forum has changed a lot since your last visit, including changing owners, and many of the old timers (including live steam) are long gone. But enjoy yourself anyway.


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Dwight,

I was just drooling over your build thread of NPC No 21. Its good to hear from you.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Tom--

My son and I build a pair of logging engines using the Graham engines and scratch built boilers. These would be similar to what you have in mind. http://forums.mylargescale.com/18-live-steam/20730-graham-engines-project-3.html


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tom,
Welcome back, a few days ago I ran across a set of plans for the flat car you did a while back. Thinking about you and you post on MLS. Good to hear your getting back into trains again. 

Chuck


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Tom. Old news by now. LOL! Went on to building 1/8 scale live steam after that (the loco on my right-hand sig picture). Currently burned out on making chips and working on an indoor HO standard gauge layout.  Far easier to move things around. hehehe Are you on Facebook?


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Eric,

I wish I had your machining skills. You did a wonderful job on your logging locos and to do a pair with your son had to be special. Lots of good tips in your spread. So a year later, how do you feel about the Graham?

Chuck,

Good to hear from you again.

Dwight,

The problem with getting old is that all your achievements are rolling into the past. The further back they roll the less significant they seem to be. In your case, your No 21 is your crowning achievement in my eyes, and it probably always will be. But to me, that's a very special prototype.

I have an indoor ON30 layout that is still in the formation phase. My man cave is getting close to being done. That's a glorified name for my woodworking shop. My biggest remaining hurdle is to get the dust collection system operational. Its powered by a cyclone dust collecting unit with 5 hp of 220V motor and 6 inch collection tubes running all over the cave.

I look back at 10 years ago in my history. My greatest RR achievement is the Mason Bogie archive that was built as a support resource for Fletch's MB Masterclass. Thank you for motivating me to get it back up and running.

Tom


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tom........... Welcome back.. Good to see you posting again..


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Stan,

Good to hear from you. I see from your ads you are still in the decal business. I hope things are going well. I still remember stopping by your place in AZ.

Maybe as things go along I'll throw some business your way.

Tom


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

*Sturgeons Sawmill #1*

Just outside Occidental California is a sawmill in operating condition. Twice a year they run live. A visit to that mill is on my bucket list. I have Boone Morrison's plans for the mill as well as some videos. Of course, my favorite railroad, the North Pacific Coast ran through Occidental.

Sturgeons Sawmill never had incoming track, an engine and logging cars. But we can dream can't we. 

Plans are coming together for what will become Sturgeons No 1, a backwoods loco, that interfaces between the mill and the North Pacific Coast in Occidental. Most of the parts are either in hand or on order.

If you'd like, I'll be happy to run a builders thread for that locomotive. But there is a disclamer. Some of what I need to do involves use of a mini lathe and a mini mill. I've never used either. But both are on order. And while I've assembled an Accucraft Ruby kit and bashed an Accucraft Ida, I've never scratch built a steam locomotive. So this would document a beginner stumbling around and learning along the way.

What do you think?

Tom


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom,
Welcome back! I too recently started frequenting this site. The changes may be old hat to some, I'm still figuring out the lay of the land so to speak.
I am still slowly working on my Mason Bogie. I'm on the hunt for a photo and will be looking for local newspaper articles on Friendship Railroad #1 the A.W. Minor. I purchased Rebeard's Mason Bogie Ruby kitbash and enjoy running it. I plan on re-painting it and making some detail changes to more closely resemble the A.W. Minor. 

On a separate note I now work literally a stones throw from P.M. Research. I am planning on stopping in sometime although I know they are not a retail outlet I'm hoping for a good visit. 

Chas


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Chas,

I dug through all my Mason Bogie photos. I don't think I ever had a photo of the A. W. Minor although I certainly remember the name. Here's what I do know. She was built in 1881 as Mason builder no 652. She was a four coupled loco with 10x16 cylinders and 3'6" drivers. The fact she was listed as a four coupled means we don't know about leading and trailing trucks. Given the build date and size, I suspect she was a 0-4-4T.

She was delivered to the Friendship Railroad which became the Pittsburgh Shawmut & Northern.

Records are incomplete as to gauge and weight. Sorry I can't help you with more.


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Chas,
I checked my mason book, and a little more info on A W Minor, a small 20 ton 2-4-4T bogie 10 x 16 cylinders and 42' drivers, walschaert valve gear. In many respects it was like the engines built for the Marine rr [CN 603]but was equipped with a two wheel lead truck. It also had an 1100 gal tank capacity. The 11 mile rr was chartered May 1 1881, by sept 30 the roster included the AW Minor named after the rr president Asher W Minor 10 box cars 10 coal cars and 10 platform cars The line was laid with 30# rail.
I have a photo of 603 if your interested.

Chuck


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Tom, good to see another builder posting again. Will be nice to see a build log. Its been very quiet here for years since the old MLS days. Unfortunally now the fourms and threads are littered with Ads all over.


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## redbeard (Jan 2, 2008)

"Unfortunally now the fourms and threads are littered with Ads all over"
Hey Jason, see you soon! I am confused, I have not seen any ads in over a year except the few remaining sponsor ads.
Larry


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## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom,
welcome back! I have a slightly off-topic question: You mention you had some contact with Keith Christensen. As I am currently building a 12ton vertical boilered A-Climax in 1 1/2" scale:
http://forums.mylargescale.com/18-live-steam/26243-skew-bevel-gears-ride-climax-build.html
I am of course very interested in the fate of the last remaining loco of this type (however with a different boiler). The last I heard of this loco was a photo of the dismantled metal parts on a trailer. Do you have any newer information about the state and future of this Climax?
Regards


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Larry, yes sometimes I am on and there are ads in the threads and other times like now they are not. I don't know. See you in a couple weeks!


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom Farin said:


> Stan,
> 
> Good to hear from you. I see from your ads you are still in the decal business. I hope things are going well. I still remember stopping by your place in AZ.
> 
> ...


Yes, Tom... I sure remember your visit those many years ago... Since that time we've moved about 15 miles closer to PHX and have a completely different layout..


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

FYI, with the continuing saga of the new owners, and the currently inability to sign up as first class members by anyone - and thereby utilize the Classifieds - we (the mods) thought it only fair to overlook the ads on a temporary basis... at least until some hard fast rule is re-established one way or the other.


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Henner,

I haven't connected with Keith in a long time. The last I heard he was moving fro Alaska to somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I think I've seen the photo of the Climax on the trailer, probably in preparation for the move.

Somewhere I have some digital photos that may not have been published. I'll dig around and see if I can find them.

There are quite a few Class A Climax photos in "The Climax Locomotive", including three pages of photos of Keith's. But you probably are aware of those.

Tom


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## Tom Farin (Apr 3, 2008)

Henner,

I poked around a bit and came up with some bad news.

Keith A. Christenson (1942 - 2014)
Obituary
Guest Book
5 entries
The Guest Book is expired.
Restore the Guest Book

Long time Eagle River resident Keith Christenson passed away Aug. 10, 2014, while enjoying the rugged Alaskan lifestyle. Keith is best known for his love of steam powered railroad, mining equipment and industrial history. He will be missed by many in his passing. Keith was born in 1942 to Gust and Signe Christenson in Evanston, Illinois. He was raised in Park Ridge, Ill., where he developed his interest in steam and antique power from his father, an engineer in the locomotive design industry. Keith graduated from St. Olaf College in North Field, Minn. He achieved a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, after dabbling in English and Economics. After moving to Alaska in 1969, Keith was instrumental in the title project for the right of way of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Keith handled the right of way projects from Deadhorse to Valdez, and an alternate route bypassing areas around Fairbanks, Alaska. Later he became a partner in the law firm Johnson, Christenson, Schaumberg, Glass & Link and then became a sole practitioner in real property law in Anchorage, Alaska. He was a member of the Eagle River Elks Lodge, the Alaska Bar Association, Alaska Live Steam, the Antique Power Club and the National Railway Historical Society. Burial ceremonies will be at Mt. Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, Ill., on Oct. 12, 2014, with small gatherings in Illinois on Oct. 12, and in the Anchorage area on Oct. 19 at locations to be announced through family and friends. Keith is survived by his adult children, Erik, Lisa Doring, Kevin and Meagan; as well as a large extended family made up of relatives and friends spread across the country who enjoyed their shared time. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a man generous with his time, a zeal for helping the underdog against larger foes and a kind and attentive friend with a love for all things Alaskan. Memorial donations can be sent to: The Christenson Family, PO Box 770424 Eagle River, AK 99577.
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?pid=172511633#sthash.1b4xSTdA.dpuf


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## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom,
thank you for your reply, though the news is rather sad. I hope Keith's family understands the historical significance of this locomotive and will hand it over to the right person/organization.
I own the Climax book and I am in touch with one of the co-authors (John Lewis) who could give me some valuable information about the frame of the 12 ton A-Climax. William Simonton (WES) who posts here every once in a while is drawing up a 3D model of a "standard" Climax with incredible detail. He also makes the skew bevel gears and other parts available as 3D prints in stainless steel/bronze from Shapeways. These printed gears work very well down to 1:20 scale. 
If you have any more pictures of Keith's Climax, I would be very happy to get a copy. 
Regards and thanks again for your reply!


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