Trying to decide on a beginner 3/4" locomotive to build.

[shild]

Thinking about what locomotive to build. I'm not going to be the guy who bites off way more than I can chew and go for a challenger or big boy. Also don't like any of the foreign locomotives with the round windows and 3 axle tenders. I want something simple and American. Was thinking about the Raritan 2-4-0, the Virginia 4-4-0, the Pennsy A3 0-4-0 switcher or an Angus 4-4-2. Which of those engines do you think can pull the most? Are there any others like that worth considering? The Pennsy A3 is probably easiest to build of those 4 isn't it? Then the Raritan, Virginia and the Angus 4-4-2 would be hardest of the 4 to build?

[Mike Walsh]

I think from a learning perspective, the A3 would be easiest to build as you can buy the book and follow Kozo's steps fairly closely and learn a lot along the way.

If you already have machining experience, then that opens up doors to other opportunities. While the A3 will still be a high candidate as far as ease of build, the availability of the other locomotives comes into play. The Raritan seems like a simple locomotive with good function. I think the Virginia has a booklet out there, though I'm not sure if anyone is offering parts for the Virginia. The Angus is another option, but unsure of availability.

It also all comes down to personal preference. If you like the Raritan better, you can build the Raritan, and use the A3 book for a reference on methodologies etc.

Where are you located? Maybe there are other folks in your area who have an example of those locomotives you can get feedback from, and maybe you can go and see them in person.

[Joe Tanski]

Well as a first engine it’s hard to beat the Raritan,Bill Morewood designed it for the new bee.The engine builds quick on a 9” lathe,with simple castings
And runs great.it The average guy can build it in about 900 hours and the cost is probably the lowest engine on the market.
Joe

[David Powell]

Juliet, by LBSC, while a British loco can be built up as a North American switcher in outline. It is a little larger than Tich, which was promoted as a beginners engine, but is really rather too small to be useful on the track. The hints and methods described for Tich can be transferred easily to Juliet, just not the actual dimensions. There is no tender to build.
Regards David Powell.

[milwiron]

Hey Shild,
You've got a good list of four engines with comparable machining requirements. Any one will be a good experience. My humble suggestion would be to build what you want to end up with. You don't want to get half way through a build and wish you had started something else.
Denny

[Bill Shields]

Raritan is easier to fire than juliet.

Tom Thumb is dirt easy to build and easy to run

Both are proven designs. One has castings. One built from bar stock.

[shild]

Raritan is easier to fire than juliet.

Tom Thumb is dirt easy to build and easy to run

Both are proven designs. One has castings. One built from bar stock.

I thought they both had castings. On the Tom Thumb, Isn't it very difficult to get that axle with the crank aligned just right?

[milwiron]

Friends has wheel castings for the Tom Thumb.
Denny

[shild]

Whoops, sorry Bill. I must have been thinking of the Lyon. Both axles on the Tom Thumb are straight and are chain driven I guess?

[Bill Shields]

No chains on TT.

You can build TT with or without castings

Raritan casting and drawings are very reasonably priced

[Andy R]

Build the Raritan.
It is a lot simpler to build than the Virginia.
I made my Raritan even simpler by omitting all the pimply rivets in the tender. Nobody has complained in 20+ years of running it. And I built the LBSC hand pump instead of Bill Morewood's hand pump - even simpler.
And of my 6 locos (five of them 3.5-inch gauge) it is by far the most fun to run.
"Nuf-said"

[shild]

Build the Raritan.
It is a lot simpler to build than the Virginia.
I made my Raritan even simpler by omitting all the pimply rivets in the tender. Nobody has complained in 20+ years of running it. And I built the LBSC hand pump instead of Bill Morewood's hand pump - even simpler.
And of my 6 locos (five of them 3.5-inch gauge) it is by far the most fun to run.
"Nuf-said"

Thanks Andy. Speaking of hand pumps, isn't it possible to just go to Autozone or someplace and find something already finished that will work? Like a grease gun pump? Cause for the LBSC pump or Bill Morewoods pump, all you get is a casting you have to carefully machine. One mistake and you find yourself trying to get another expensive casting right?