The Home Machinist's 3/4" Scale Locomotive Roster

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LVRR2095
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Post by LVRR2095 »

Steve,
As you know...Ed owned a LOT of locomotives!
Here's a question, do you or anyone else know where this locomotive is?
It was built by Ed Carpenter, who I think lived in Connecticut. This picture was taken in 1960 at a meet of the Eastern Live Steamers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Notice the fabricated cylinders. I haven't seen this locomotive from that day to this. There must be a lot of nice engines out there in the basements of the builder's heirs.
Keith
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tsph6500
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Re: The Home Machinist's 3/4" Scale Locomotive Roster

Post by tsph6500 »

tsph6500 wrote:Let's see the old engines waiting on the shelf for their turn of restoration, the projects underway and the beauties that are in fine running form today.
It's about time I contributed to this topic... so here goes!

This is a photo of me running the first locomotive built by Bill Leggett Sr., my grandfather on my Dad's side of the family. Bill Sr. made this boxcab electric in 1927. It is modeled after the locos that ran in the tunnel through Mount Royal. I think they began in 1917 or so. "Juicy Anna" as she was called, picked up power from a third rail between the 3-1/2" rails. it was powered by a generator in turn powered by a 5HP B&S in the garage. I forget what the voltage was but we always joked that it kept the local squirrel population under control.

This track was the sixth one he built on the last of three properties he owned through the years in St. Lambert and I guess the year is about 1965.

One day I will change the electric motor and run a battery car to power her.
Attachments
Jimmy takes a ride with "Juicy Anna"!
Jimmy takes a ride with "Juicy Anna"!
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
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tsph6500
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The Wreck of the Juicy Anna

Post by tsph6500 »

Ha, ha! I came across this neat photo of the wreck of the Juicy Anna. Just look at those faces...

(L-R) Andre Corbeil, Howard Ratcliffe (my cousin), Jim Turnbull (my grandfather), Bill Leggett Sr. (my grandfather) and the obviously innocent Laurene Ratcliffe (younger sister of Howard).

The track is again the last version of the Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow RR on Bolton Avenue in St-Lambert, Quebec. There's no date but it is a couple of years before the photo of me in the previous post. I didn't wreck it.... I swear!

I guess I inherited a level head from my two live steaming grandpas... if there's a wreck get out the old 4 X 5 Speed Graphic camera and record the aftermath, witnesses and culprits as well.

The number on the caboose is the civic address for the house where the Ratcliffe's lived just four streets away. My father helped Ed Ratcliffe build the house in 1947 and I live there now. Ed was a live steamer from Winnipeg and came East along with Jack Hewitson, a prolific builder of 3/4" scale locos including the Schools that Steve Bratina fixed up.

Howard Ratcliffe still has the caboose and lives just outside Ottawa, Ontario. He is a member of the Ottawa Valley Live Steamers & Model Engineers.
Attachments
The wreck of the Juicy Anna
The wreck of the Juicy Anna
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
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tsph6500
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T.S. & P.H. RR No. 37

Post by tsph6500 »

Here's the next oldest engine in my collection. Bill Leggett Sr. built two Pacifics between Juicy Anna and this spunky switcher named "Myrt" after his wife Myrtle. This engine was started in 1937.

She's resting in my basement waiting for some repairs on her copper boiler. I've been discussing strategies with Don Ritchie of Waushakum as he has made similar repairs before.

This loco has very flexible leaf springs and can run like the dickens on rough track. This is the only engine Bill Sr. built with a sloped tender.

A neat detail is the injector that was built by his friend LBSC and sent over with detailed instructions on how to best install with a hand drawn diagram.
Attachments
Bill Sr. shows good progress on No. 37
Bill Sr. shows good progress on No. 37
Bill Sr. shows the progress on No. 37 to his good friend Carl Purinton - Feb 1954
Bill Sr. shows the progress on No. 37 to his good friend Carl Purinton - Feb 1954
Lil' Jimmy takes his sister Louisa for a ride behind No. 37
Lil' Jimmy takes his sister Louisa for a ride behind No. 37
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
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JBodenmann
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Post by JBodenmann »

Now that little 0-6-0 is sure a fine looking engine! Ha Ha, too much fun!
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Post by JBodenmann »

Hey Jim
The stock design for the 0-6-0 has a very shallow ash pan out at the sides. Since you have experience running these engines did you ever have any problems with ash building up and cooking the grates. I really like the design of the shaking grates. Did #37 have a power reverse? And if so how did it work.
Jack
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edhume3
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Post by edhume3 »

Here is a photo of a Raritan from the NJLS Spring meet June 7th, 2008. Sorry I don't know who built it or owns it.

Image

(From http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhume3/25 ... 492893116/)

Ed
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Joe Tanski
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Post by Joe Tanski »

That's Ron Henderson 3/4 Raritan he also has One In 1 1/2" to match
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tsph6500
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Post by tsph6500 »

JBodenmann wrote:Hey Jim
The stock design for the 0-6-0 has a very shallow ash pan out at the sides. Since you have experience running these engines did you ever have any problems with ash building up and cooking the grates. I really like the design of the shaking grates. Did #37 have a power reverse? And if so how did it work.
Jack
Hi Jack,

You are correct about the shallow ash pan. There is a central well with a dropdown door but you need to keep an eye on level of ash below the grates. But every good coal-firing engineer remembers to do that... right? :wink: All part of the challenges and rewards of black diamonds!

There's no power reverse I'm sorry to say, just an Armstrong brand johnson bar.

"Myrt" is a freelance and I don't have much as far as drawings. I do have a bunch of loose patterns for various "family" engines.

So who was Myrtle?
Well she was the wife of Bill Leggett Sr. and a great supporter of the hobby. At barely 5 feet tall she was just as likely to be serving the many live steamers some lunch at the early BLS meets in their backyard or helping Bill Sr. with his Speed Graphic 4 X 5 camera or 16mm Bolex movie camera. She baked us cookies, made crab apple jelly and fresh grape juice, rhubarb pies and such all from the garden. Everyone called her "Grannie".

Here she is showing off a rare thing in the T.S. & P.H. shops. A brand new tool! Most tools and machines were well used and aged when they reached us.
Attachments
Myrtle and the new bench grinder
Myrtle and the new bench grinder
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
RickBarb
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Location: Cape Cod, MA

3/4" Scale

Post by RickBarb »

Hi, This is my first attempt at building a locomotive and also my first attempt to post a photo to this list. Hope it works out for both (The photo was taken today. I did not have the correct date set on the camera). I started the locomotive in 1992 and it is now close to being steamed up to check for leaks. It runs nicely on 5-10 psi air. I plan to be at Cabin Fever next weekend, so if anyone from this list is there and would like to stop by and critique it, I would be open to comments. Rick, Cape Cod, MA
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tsph6500
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Here's another one

Post by tsph6500 »

To keep things balanced, here's a photo of Jim Turnbull, my Mom's father, with three of his 3/4" scale locos. The one on top is a 4-cylinder Princess class built in 1947. It is now owned and operated by Jim Scott a friend and fellow member of MLS.

The semi streamlined Northern in the middle was built in 1942 and was seen at many tracks from Lachine to Danvers. Jim sold it to Howard Crotty, then president of Pioneer Valley, back in the early 1950's. Crotty sold it to Sam(?) Chichinni of New Jersey and I think he sold it to somebody in Maryland. Did Sam Bassini of NJLS also own her? At this time the original boiler was cooked and replaced with another in copper but with superheaters (the elements were gone when I got the engine and I put in restriction plugs).

I had never seen the engine in person but had this and other photos and it always intrigued me. The first year I visited the Adirondack club (in 1994 with my Turnbull-built Mogul) I was introduced to Ron Chichinni of NJLS, who had spent many years running the 4-8-4 when his dad owned it. Ron had seen a photo of No. 1942 in the MLS newsletter and had news for me.

Elmer Roth had the engine but was going to keep it as he had been a friend of Jim T. I called Elmer and arranged a visit on a trip to Waushakum. There it was finally, right in front of me. Wow.

A few weeks later Elmer called and offered me the engine. We reached a fair price and I scrounged up the money and went down to bring her home. I can empathize with John K's story very much.

I ran the engine the very next weekend and for a few years making small improvements. She needs new rings and I decided to do a full rebuild with a goal of returning her to her original livery of black and CNR green with gold pinstriping. In this photo she has the CNR logo on the tender but I have also seen her lettered "Juvenile Traction Co."

My late Mom recalled turning dozens of small bolts in the shop for this engine and was seen running her at Meets. What a steam crazy family!!

The engine at the bottom is an unusual CNR Suburban 4-6-4T and yes, I know where she is... and I'd like to repatriate her one day.
Attachments
Jim Turnbull looks over some of his 3/4" locos
Jim Turnbull looks over some of his 3/4" locos
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
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LVRR2095
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Post by LVRR2095 »

Jim,
Here is a bit more history for you. Sam Cicchinni bought the 4-8-4 from Nelson Rickson of the Southwick club. The Cicchinni family sold the locomotive to Howard Clark, and Howard sold the locomotive to Elmer Roth. I believe that locomotive has more miles on it moving between owners, than it did on the rails. As a kid, I rode behind that locomotive with Ron C. at the throttle at the now long gone Eastern Live Steamers track in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Keith
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