Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.
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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
Pontiacguy1 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:57 pm
This scenario played out recently with some 1 1/2" scale stuff I knew about. Original builder/owner died, and his widow was wanting a mint for his equipment. She was asking about 2X what comparable stuff was going for at the time for his stuff. She would not drop the price any, and thus it all set in the garage for another 20+ years until the widow died. It was finally sold for less than half of what she was asking for to begin with.
Wasn't there a 15" or 16" gauge 2-8-8-4 or some articulated locomotive that was up for sale a few years ago? I don't think it ever sold.
Many..
Seymour's 3" NYC Hudson, The Macallister(?) 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone: that thing sat from the time I was teen (Im 57 now) until its now up at Little America, who knows what it sold for. Its a limited market, its not really even a market.
Little Amerricka is the birthplace of the ATT&NW #801 and #17, more specifically, home to Merrick Light Railway Equipment Works that built the 801. They have a 16" gauge railroad along with four operating steam engines and two operating diesels (and one dummy).
They are currently building the massive 15" gauge 4-12-2 that was originally going to be temporarily living at the ATT&NW (and operate there). Unfortunately the 4-12-2 will have to find a home elsewhere as there aren't any railroads large enough to accommodate that engine.
Pontiacguy1 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 7:35 am
That McCallister 2-8-8-4 was the one I was thinking about. Glad to hear it finally found a home. I had seen it advertised for sale for a long time.
I wouldn't say McCallister's engine has a 'home' as much as a storage place. It wouldn't run there, account of the gauge difference. Darrell also has the Sandley Hudson on the property. It was converted to 16" gauge sometime in the past. I don't know if the rebuild is going to be 15" or 16" gauge.
The R&GN Society has made a deal to get the two engines back that were at Quincy. They were down in Texas (I think) in private ownership. I understand the 'diesel' is serviceable, but I expect the Atlantic will probably need the same kind of major rebuild that the 128 is getting.
Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
The Ralph MacAllister 2-8-8-4 made its way to NE Ohio a few years ago, got a nice cosmetic restoration, then was sold to an amusement park in France maybe 2 years ago.
got a nice cosmetic restoration, then was sold to an amusement park in France
Sad to hear that it will be nothing more than a static display going forward. Man, it just seems a shame for someone to spend all that time making an operational locomotive for it to never be operated. Some of our stuff will probably end up that way too, I guess.