# TRIPLEX LOCO I HOPE



## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

I can't afford a G scale Big Boy, and although I own an Aristo-Craft 2-8-8-2 Mallet, and love it, I'd like to have another impressive loco to keep it company. I'd also like to have a loco project and with that in mind, as I looked over my pile of G scale locos, I noticed I have 3 Buddy L 2-6-2's in pieces, plus several more in boxes and have planned to build a 2-6-6-2 but now would like to expand it and perhaps make it a 4-6-6-6-4 instead. That's three 6's and a pair of 4's. Someone here recommended I use ABS pipe for this project so I shall do so. With that in mind, if I make the center set of 6 wheels rigid and articulate the outer pair, or the front and back 6's, then use Bachmann wheels for the front 4 from one of their 4-6-0's, which I also have an abundance of, will that go around my mainline of mostly 15' curves with a couple of 8' curves thrown in? I'll have to figure out where to get the rear 4. I really don't care how this loco looks on the 8' curves but hope it will look fine on the 15' curves. Has anyone seen such a beast before?
The other question is, rather that use three Buddy L 2-6-2's, would it be better to use three Bachmann 4-6-0's instead? I also have an abundance of those and wouldn't miss three basket cases if they'd end up being part of a masterpiece. I plan to call my 4-6-6-6-4 a Chapmann, after my good friend Bill Chapmann, in Zion, Illinois, but that sounds familiar. is there already a Chapmann loco in the history books?
If you have seen a scratch built 4-6-6-6-4 loco, or anything close, and have suggestions and/or photos, please respond. I need all the help I can get. 
I plan to make all three 6's powered and will add as much weight as possible to make sure it can pull my Ford Ranger truck if necessary (just kidding). FESTUS 



P.S. Here's what they may resemble:


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

jerry barnes made a 4-6-6-4 challenger out of two aristo pacifics. Impressive as **** and based on a real loco: http://thescrr.com/projects1.html 

If I were to go to the trouble of making a triplex I'd want it to have a lot of pulling power. I'd use more durable/robust motor blocks, like the ones from an aristo pacific/consol or an lgb mogul. Some of the big hauler drives are good, some are terrible. Generally the newer the better.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

For starters, I think you're asking for trouble having three sets of drivers under the boiler. The swing-out will be enormous, even on fairly broad curves. That, and you'd have nothing giving any weight to the forward-most set of drivers. Another option would be to pivot the 1st and 3rd sets of drivers under the boiler, and have the middle set float between them--again, hard to get any kind of weight on it in that instance. You could fix the middle set under the boiler and have the front and rear swing out--that's probably the best option of the three from a mechanical standpoint, but weight on the 1st and 3rd sets would be difficult. The Erie Triplexes moved the third set of drivers back under the tender. If I were to freelance something like that, I'd take a page from their playbook. 

It'll be interesting to see how well the 4-6-0 (or 2-6-2) frames adapt to this. It ain't gonna be easy, but I wouldn't call it impractical. Lots of cutting unneeded plastic and moving the cylinders closer to the drivers (on the 4-6-0 chassis). If I recall, someone here was working on an articulated from a B'mann chassis, and ended up scrapping everything and building a new frame from scratch. I can't remember who that was, or if he scrapped the notion for purely aesthetic reasons or if there was a mechanical one which warranted the change. 

Later, 

K


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I would recommend NOT using Big Haulers for this project..
years ago I started to build a 2-6-6-2 articulated from two Big Haulers..
I put a LOT of effort into it! but I eventually gave it up, only half-completed..
mainly because the big hauler drivers are spaced too far apart, and it just looks all wrong..



















I was attempting to build this, or a close approximation:
Caspar Lumber - Sampson

I simply could not make it "look good" with the Big Hauler parts..took about 2 years to reach that conclusion! 
(and it wasn't only the drivers..the boiler and cab were also a hassle, all related to the drivers being spaced much too far apart..
to be fair, I was warned!  several people tried to tell me the big hauler might not be a good choice to start with..but I didn't listen!  
but finally I saw it..it started out bad, and I couldn't make it better, the whole project was just an aesthetic nightmare..)

Eventually, in a fit of frustration, I ended up cutting down the 6-wheel blocks to 4-wheel blocks, and plan to eventually build a 2-4-4-2 out of them:
Skookum 2-4-4-2 

which should look MUCH nicer..(the Skookum has been modeled several times in Large Scale..it always looks good! 
and the 4-wheel Big hauler block is perfect for that..
its a project on the "future to-do" list..

IMO, Big Haulers 6-wheel blocks are a bad choice for an articulated..I dont think you would be happy with the result.
LGB mogul blocks would be much better. (used to be able to buy LGB blocks alone, just the block..not sure if you still can)
Scot


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks. You've all saved me lots of time and pain by narrowing my choices. No idea what I'll do with all these Bachmann 4-6-0's though. It sounds like I'll go with my Buddy L's then. If it looks wrong, or too long, then the 3rd 6 will go in the tender.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Seems to me the actual tripples had the third set of drivers under the tender, so they were essentially a standard articulated mallet with an added set of drivers under the tender. that would probably be more do-able using any mechanism.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The Big Haulers can make nice 0-6-0s. This was a fairly simple kitbash aiming for the look of a PRR B06 switcher. The stock tender is all wrong, and it's a pretty crude model. But it looked good from a distance. It could have been a 2-6-0 or a 2-6-2












A lot of people have made Big Haulers into camelbacks.


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## Amber (Jul 29, 2011)

Well Festus, if you have extra Bachmann metal drivers that you don't need, I need a couple of sets of them for 2 projects that I'm working on that need drivers. If you're willing to part with a few of them, send me a message!  
I don't know Scott, I find your project interesting looking! You could always do a Garret type engine with the cylinders facing each other, double articulated.  
Lownote, I like the way that 0-6-0 looks.


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## ralphbrades (Jan 3, 2008)

OK -Class will pay attention! 

As some of you will know my late father worked as "outreach" for Messrs Beyer Peacock... I thus have a lot of literature on the subject of articulated locos(!) 

Festus: 

The only workable designs for "triplexes" require the boiler to be supported by two steam bogies and the tender by the third. This is very much a fudge despite the fact that the traction is spread across the loco the cornering is DIRE. The Garret design of 4-6-4+4-6-4 is however simply SUPERB. But if you would like a challenge -could I suggest that you try a GOLWE. You will probably never have heard of this configuration -but it is a very advanced form of steam locomotive articulation. The main problem with it is getting to grips with HOW it works. My Golwe is a "Super Golwe" of 2-6-0+0-6-4. the tractive effort and cornering ability of a Golwe is simply amazing. 

http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/super golwe pic1.jpg 

I know the explanation in the text is a bit opaque -but the more the loco corners the longer it gets. Thus the centre of gravity moves back between the rails. 

Miss Amber: 

The configuration you are describing is not a Garret. It is a design normally called the "Bohemian Monster" and was designed by Klose. AFAIK only two were built and they did have the Klose linkage allowing them to vary the length of the conrods -thus providing "Ackerman steering" to all axles. 

http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/klosepic5.jpg 
http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/klosepic6.jpg 

The locos above have Stephenson's linkage and interior cylinders -the "Bohemian Monster" had external cylinders and Walshaert's valve gear. Needless to say they were not popular with the maintenance crews. 

regards 

ralph


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## Amber (Jul 29, 2011)

Actually, Ralph, I was thinking of the Meyer and Kitson Meyer types.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Scottychaos on 21 Jun 2012 09:04 AM 
I would recommend NOT using Big Haulers for this project..
years ago I started to build a 2-6-6-2 articulated from two Big Haulers..
I put a LOT of effort into it! but I eventually gave it up, only half-completed..
mainly because the big hauler drivers are spaced too far apart, and it just looks all wrong..



















I was attempting to build this, or a close approximation:
Caspar Lumber - Sampson

I simply could not make it "look good" with the Big Hauler parts..took about 2 years to reach that conclusion! 
(and it wasn't only the drivers..the boiler and cab were also a hassle, all related to the drivers being spaced much too far apart..
to be fair, I was warned!  several people tried to tell me the big hauler might not be a good choice to start with..but I didn't listen!  
but finally I saw it..it started out bad, and I couldn't make it better, the whole project was just an aesthetic nightmare..)

Eventually, in a fit of frustration, I ended up cutting down the 6-wheel blocks to 4-wheel blocks, and plan to eventually build a 2-4-4-2 out of them:
Skookum 2-4-4-2 

which should look MUCH nicer..(the Skookum has been modeled several times in Large Scale..it always looks good! 
and the 4-wheel Big hauler block is perfect for that..
its a project on the "future to-do" list..

IMO, Big Haulers 6-wheel blocks are a bad choice for an articulated..I dont think you would be happy with the result.
LGB mogul blocks would be much better. (used to be able to buy LGB blocks alone, just the block..not sure if you still can)
Scot If you put brakes between the drivers it would pass...take a look at this mallett, your work looks great, hate to see it go to waste...look at this pic and see just how it would look if you took up space with the brakes that are used on the Aristo Pascific.


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...mp;dur=327

Don't give up looks close enough to work. If the link doesn't wotk in Google search pics of steam Mallett...goes right to these pics.

Bubba


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