# Pacific Face Brick #1/Kersey



## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

A gentleman from another board recently sent me an Aristocraft Eggliner/Lil Critter motor block with the simple instructions, "Build something interesting from it." 









So, I dug through my 'someday' files and came across this picture.... Pacific Face Brick #1. Pacific Face Brick was in Newburg Or from 1893-1907 when the works were renamed and moved to Willamina. Whether the critter also worked at the new plant, I simply don't know. 









It certainly was 'interesting', but I wasn't quite sure what the OTHER side looked like. Then last night on feebay I came across this picture of a homebrewed quarry loco from Cincinnati.









Yes it's a different locomotive (one was in Oregon, the other Ohio) but close enough for government work - or the AV's Skunkworks, anyway. -- Unless someone has more pix of either, I'll combine the neatest features of both, and fudge the rest. Both were apparently built from similar 1890's vintage 10HP Russell traction engines. 

A dig through my parts bins produced most of a Kester's Old-Time Collectibles Russell, and a junk 'flat car'....









This will be fun!


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

And fun for us to follow you build! 
Very nice project Mik. Those chain driven engines are something different fur sure.


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Can't wait to see how you fit a steam sound system into that Critter. Looking forward to your progress. 

Larry


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm....neat Critter....spare Stomper...what to do, what to do......


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Last night I mounted a Wilesco spring belt pulley to one wheel - Simpler than a ladder chain or gear train, and most people will be busy watching the crankshaft turn, not worrying about how I did it. Then I stuffed 12oz of fishing sinkers in the boiler and glued it in place. Like the originals, the boiler is slightly offset to the right to make stuff line up. pix later


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

As I said in the previous post, the originals were built from 1890's vintage 10HP engines - something like this: 









The Kester engine is a later, larger, engine with a cast smokebox, like this one: 









Rather than do a lot of grinding, my model will have the cast smokebox. 









I 'borrowed' the headlight from another unfinished project, and found a LGB coal bin. You can also see the belt drive. It has a half twist in it so that the crankshaft will turn the proper direction. 









That big toolbox is a small block of wood covered with coffee stirrers. Whistle and pop valve are Ozark. Adding a crosshead and piston rod is more re-working than I'm willing to do right now... maybe eventually. 









I'm needing to find a large wood barrel or square steel water tank, yet. And I'll forgo air brakes until I find a cheapy pump.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Almost finished -- just some detailing and weathering yet. It was a lot of fun building something that's SUPPOSED to look kludged together. 
I decided to use Lehmann car steps on the pilots because they were here. 









The B'mann brakeman got a promotion, of sorts. And there is a GoW bulb in the lantern... 









Almost ready for work, but I'm still working on a backstory for it.


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## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Mik: 

The railroad had purchased the tractor for MoW purposes before the war. Of course it was soon replaced by the new-fangled internal combustion truck and relegated to the same storage building as the orphaned mallet. With the onset of the war, the railroad needed a new switch engine to move one of the bigger engines back to road service... but because of AV's size the War Production Board refused to allocate the materials to build a engine.. even a tiny 0-4-0. 

So, the backshop decided to kitbash their own, using the boiler from the old steam tractor. And this was the cute, soon to be re-orphaned result.


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## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Mik, by the way, I have been meaning to ask you... do you have any specs for the Allegheny Valley's rolling stock? Something I could post-date and turn into a modern car for interchange service on my Freedom Central?


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By jgallaway81 on 02 Aug 2010 07:30 AM 
Mik, by the way, I have been meaning to ask you... do you have any specs for the Allegheny Valley's rolling stock? Something I could post-date and turn into a modern car for interchange service on my Freedom Central? 



Backchannel me your address, and I'll send you a set of decals. Just a simple white 'AVRR' and a 3 digit road number left, I'm afraid.


Story works... or perhaps a variation on it. Definitely a WWI theme.... Probably will include something about a nearly new traction engine falling through a rotted county bridge (happened entirely too often)... Whether it was built for MoW, or privately for a quarry, factory, or logging I haven't quite settled upon. If logging, the carbody could have been salvaged from an outfit car that ran away and overturned. Otherwise, the 'skirting' is harder to explain.... Rotted old dynamite car? Boxcar that was in a wreck? 

I really need to find 4 Bachmann stirrups, yet. The Delton ones I have won't fit the slots


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Lightly weathered and out in the sunshine


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Very Nice, very nice indeed. 

The Borracho Iron Works cannot let this fine model go by without attempting to rise to the challenge. We are preparing our own little bash. Maybe we can start a little Critter arms race here or there. Muhaahahahaha


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

The complete Russell (or Case, or Baker, or even Port Huron) off George Kester is $65. If you ask nice, he may sell you just the parts you need for a bit less, IF he has any on hand that haven't been assembled, yet.


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## degill2 (Jun 7, 2009)

found on gn15.info topic this cute little loco 
http://www.susan-parker.co.uk/susan-byers-industrial-locomotive-project.html 

has potential too


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## degill2 (Jun 7, 2009)

sorry lastlink didnt work try this one 

http://forum.gn15.info/viewtopic.php?t=6836


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Very nice!!! Looks great in "the sunshine!"


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