Looking to buy large scale traction engine project

[apm]

Long shot here but thinking towards my next project I want something that doesn't run on rails. I really like some of the 4" scale British Foden wagons, maybe a traction engine, anyone have castings a project or something fun to work on available?

[gwrdriver]

There are some beautiful British traction engines, works of art, and usually cared for like art.

The Allchin happens to be my favorite, and is also perhaps the commonest and simplest, but Fowler, Avelling, Burrell, Foster, and Ransoms are others. The attached photo of an Allchin is 3" scale, and is 52" in length. I don't know what's available right now in 4" scale, big traction isn't my cuppa' tea, but at one time there were 4" castings for a Foster and a Burrell.

There are three types of traction engines, the "road" engine, which was primarily used for pulling freight wagons on the roads, the Allchin is one of these. Then there are "ploughing" (plowing) engines, such as the Burrells, which were used to drag-plow vast areas of farmland. The ploughing engines tended to be more complex machines, and heavier, than road engines. Then finally "Showman's" engines which tended to be large and very ornate and used by traveling circuses and carnivals for road haulage and generating electrical power.

[apm]

Don't forget there's even a whole slew of steam trucks from Sentinel, Foden and a few others. I am surprised how rare traction models are over here.

We had our share of steam traction here in the USA too. I think the big problem was most of it disappeared during the WW II scrap drives whereas in England they kept their steam as they were always afraid of their refineries getting bombed out and any spare gasoline needed to go to the war effort. None the less as someone who enjoys playing with steam engines, lives 2hrs from the nearest club and doesn't have enough land for my own track road steam has a lot of appeal. I am surprised how few people seem to share my sentiments. If nothing turns up I am thinking of either going freelance and building a Avery like engine around an old Locomobile steam car engine that I have or buying plans and castings for a Foden.

[Howard Gorin]

Adam, check out the Live Steam Model website also called LSM Models.
LSM is an English company.
I think they have an ad in Live Steam magazine.
They offer model up to 6 inch scale.
If you can call a half scale engine a model!
There are American manufactures of some, mostly Case tractors.
When you visit my shop you can see an English magazine called Old Glory.
There are ads for other English vendors of model traction engines.

[RThomp]

Aren't there a few firms in the US that offer a Case model in 3 inch scale, 4 inch scale, then 6 inch scale?
I also remember seeing pics of a case built to like 2/3 or 3/4 full size, can't remember which, but it was basically the size of a small full size diesel farm tractor like a Massey 135 or Ford 8n. Going beyond that you'd probably need something larger than a f350/flatbed to tow as the weight of the full size ones are very high.

For reference I think a 3 inch or 4 inch scale would have an approx 10 inch diameter boiler, they'd be like 700-1000lbs and the size of a riding mower. Probably the ideal size for "home use".

[EnidPuceflange]

Having dealt with Station Road Steam in the UK on several occasions I would have no hesitation in recommending them to ship you stuff. This might be something you would consider: https://www.stationroadsteam.com/3-inch ... ode-10846/

Reeves (again in the UK) ships stuff promptly and can supply the castings quite happily: https://www.ajreeves.com/traction-engines-wagons.html

Hope this helps - I've never had any issues buying directly from the UK, and some things (specifically boilers) are a LOT cheaper even with the shipping.

[apm]

Having dealt with Station Road Steam in the UK on several occasions I would have no hesitation in recommending them to ship you stuff. This might be something you would consider: https://www.stationroadsteam.com/3-inch ... ode-10846/

Reeves (again in the UK) ships stuff promptly and can supply the castings quite happily: https://www.ajreeves.com/traction-engines-wagons.html

Hope this helps - I've never had any issues buying directly from the UK, and some things (specifically boilers) are a LOT cheaper even with the shipping.

That's a really nice deal at station road, but I'm starting to think that this is going to be my next project, barring any surprises when I look at the plans which should be on order shortly. http://www.miniaturesteam.com/foden.html
https://youtu.be/SiKu0FoHvOs

Anyone know of anybody in the USA who has ever built one of these things? Anyone over here in the northeast want to go in on shipping with me on one, I also have access to a laser cutter if someone wants to work on one locally and share some resources.

It would be really nice to actually see one in person without having to fly to the UK. These engines just look like way too much fun! Best part about them is not needing to worry about track!

On a side note I see that the same company also offers plans for a 4-in case traction engine. Once again it's amazing how much more developed this hobby is in the UK vs the USA that they are more readily available to provide castings for an American prototype than we are.

[EnidPuceflange]

That's a really nice deal at station road, but I'm starting to think that this is going to be my next project, barring any surprises when I look at the plans which should be on order shortly. http://www.miniaturesteam.com/foden.html
https://youtu.be/SiKu0FoHvOs

Anyone know of anybody in the USA who has ever built one of these things? Anyone over here in the northeast want to go in on shipping with me on one, I also have access to a laser cutter if someone wants to work on one locally and share some resources.

It would be really nice to actually see one in person without having to fly to the UK. These engines just look like way too much fun! Best part about them is not needing to worry about track!

On a side note I see that the same company also offers plans for a 4-in case traction engine. Once again it's amazing how much more developed this hobby is in the UK vs the USA that they are more readily available to provide castings for an American prototype than we are.

John Rex built the boiler for my eternally progressing quarry Hunslet project - and a beautiful job it is too, and much quicker than getting one built here in the US. I found them really good to work with, although they aren't really E-mail people.....better to call them

[Soot n' Cinders]

I wonder how much it would be to get one of Johns casting sets for the Case here in the states. 4in is a pretty big engine, and if his list weights are correct the completed model would come in at over 1200lbs.

[RThomp]

Has anyone figured out who offers the 3 and 4 inch case sets in the USA? I'm almost certain there was someone, perhaps different people that offered a case casting set in the USA in both of those scale.

[apm]

John Rex built the boiler for my eternally progressing quarry Hunslet project - and a beautiful job it is too, and much quicker than getting one built here in the US. I found them really good to work with, although they aren't really E-mail people.....better to call them

I think they may have fixed that problem. I've been in contact over the email with a guy named Sam. From looking at the Facebook group it appears that he is a young guy who works for them, hopefully it's also a good sign that the company will be around for years to come, as I'm not going to be able to buy all the parts in one shot. I think this project will take me a minimum of 10 to 15 years to finish at the rate I'm allowed to work.

As far as shipping goes from the UK how did you get your boiler over here? When I was shipping my live steam locomotive I found a website called parcelcompare.com and got rates about half what everything else was, for what worked out to be next day Air delivery! I think the shipment worked out to be fully insured at about $425 on two packages at 80 kg total. I was surprised that The overnight service was essentially cheaper than anybody else, however I guess the freight companies don't want boxes piling up in the system and we're only 2 hours from JFK at my house. I gave this company's name too John Rex model engineering and they told me the rate was better there so that's what they're using now too.

I'm wondering is if there's any low cost provider who does ocean freight. In this case if it took over a month for the castings to come here it really wouldn't bother me too much, I would rather spend the money on more castings.

On a side note slightly larger scale then I'm going to build but it looks like some Americans built a 6-in version somewhere. It looks like way too much fun! https://youtu.be/z0e9r5zz3_U Anyone here building a traction world project? I wonder how much you have to set aside for shipping on those things? I'm hoping at least to be able to get most of the raw materials locally barring the castings.

[EnidPuceflange]

As far as shipping goes from the UK how did you get your boiler over here? When I was shipping my live steam locomotive I found a website called parcelcompare.com and got rates about half what everything else was, for what worked out to be next day Air delivery! I think the shipment worked out to be fully insured at about $425 on two packages at 80 kg total. I was surprised that The overnight service was essentially cheaper than anybody else, however I guess the freight companies don't want boxes piling up in the system and we're only 2 hours from JFK at my house. I gave this company's name too John Rex model engineering and they told me the rate was better there so that's what they're using now too.

I'm wondering is if there's any low cost provider who does ocean freight. In this case if it took over a month for the castings to come here it really wouldn't bother me too much, I would rather spend the money on more castings.

John Rex organized the shipping for the boiler - and it came basically 2nd day air and the shipping/crating cost wasn't unreasonable, I think I paid 300 ukp door to door

That was also about the same cost to buy a Station Road Steam "Stafford" in kit form, shipping in a crate on a pallet by air was around 400 ukp door to door, and that one was genuinely heavy.

The weight of the shipment seems to be much less important than the volume of the shipment....