4-6-2 Pacific Plans

[banjoart]

I would like to purchase plans for a 4-6-2 Pacific for 1 1/2 scale. I'd be interested in any related castings, advice or whatever you might have. Please contact [e-mail].
Thanks
--Art

[liamlocomotive]

Hi Art,

I'm going to sound like a broken record....Rogers Cooke has plans for Pennsy's K-4 and K-5 Pacifiics. I'm not sure about castings.

www.livesteamlocomotives.com has plans for a Southern Pacific 4-6-2 and a USRA version.

A friend of mine may still have patterns and drawings available for a B&O P-7 class pacific.

Little Engines still sells a very generic pacific, I think.

Andy Pullen

[banjoart]

Thanks Andy, you have been very helpful with advice. I've already spoken to most of the vendors who advertise and I know what they have. I'm hoping to find plans from an individual who would be willing to part with them for a reasonable price. I need to build this engine "out of pocket" and with me doing as much of the labor as possible. I have a complete machine shop so that isn't a problem. It will take some time but that is the most affordable item I have.

[Doug E]

liamlocomotive said:

Little Engines still sells a very generic pacific, I think.

Andy Pullen

Andy,

The Little Engines 1.5" pacific is an expanded SP A-6 class atlantic. Except for the larger driver size of the 4-4-2's, it is very close to the SP class P-4 pacific. Both locos are SP designed and built, and are not the same as any other like locos of the same wheel arrangement. Fwiw.

Regards,

Doug

[Doug E]

liamlocomotive said:

Little Engines still sells a very generic pacific, I think.

Andy Pullen

Andy,

The Little Engines 1.5" pacific is an expanded SP A-6 class atlantic. Except for the larger driver size of the 4-4-2's, it is very close to the SP class P-4 pacific. Both locos are SP designed and built, and are not the same as any other like locos of the same wheel arrangement. Fwiw.

Regards,

Doug

[GoldenSpike53]

Hello, Art.

I don't know where you're located, but if you have a live steam club nearby, it might be fruitful to talk to some of the members there, especially if you find someone who has a Pacific. There's a 50-50 chance the person actually built it.

However, if you find a person who actually built it, or even a new owner who got the plans with the loco, chances are they are not very willing to part with them because they are useful for servicing and parts replacement. You would wind up taking the plans to a blue print copy facility, and it would probably cost you at least what it would cost to buy them from the source company.

I would recommend buying plans only from Little Engines or Rogers Cooke, or whoever. The dimensions are usually good enough that you could make patterns for castings, etc., if that's what you plan to do.

If you're into re-engineering existing plans, you could consider something like the Allen Models Consolidation 2-8-0. You would have to extend the front a bit to accomodate a four-wheel lead truck, drop one set of drivers and add a trailing truck, and adjust the frame so you could widen the firebox, but it could certainly be done. "Kit bashing" is taken up with great enthusiasm by many builders. BTW, the Allen Consolidation has Baker gear, as opposed to Walshaert, which most of the Pacifics that I'm aware of had, but I'm sure there were some Pacifics with Baker gear as well. It's actually a simpler mechanism to build than Walshaert gear because it doesn't have the complicated swing link assembly.

Anyway, just some ideas for consideration, or for the round file, however you like to deal with them....

Good luck!

Dale Dennis

[banjoart]

Dale:
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm in Phoenix, AZ and belong to the Maricopa Live Steamers. I've put the word out with that group but nothing has come up for a couple of months. Perhaps their big fall meet coming up in October will provide some leads.

Anyway, I'll do what I have to which includes scaling down prototype drawings if it comes to that. I'm a machine design engineer with 40 years experience so CAD work is no problem. I was really taken with the one inch scale "President Washington" that is shown in JF Nelson's book. I'd like to do something of that caliber but adhere to the prototype as closely as possible. My main goal in looking for existing drawings is to cut the design time as much as I can. There have been quite a few Pacifics of this type built so parts and drawings should be around somewhere. I will probably redraw and or redesign everything anyway but having an information base is a big time saver. I'm 60 now and I'd like to do this in 5 years if possible.

Thanks again
--Art

[liamlocomotive]

Hi Art,

Go to www.calslivesteam.org/pacific.htm for some pics of Bruce Hamilton's 2 B&O P-7 President class locomotives in 1.6" scale. Bruce and Doug Alkire were friends. (I think that Doug has passed away. Not sure about it, though.)

Bruce has 4500 hours in each locomotive and built them concurrently. There is another under construction in Virginia, but I don't know the builder. They were built using Bruce's drawings which he scaled down from the original Baldwin prints and using his patterns. They both run like Swiss watches. I've got quite a few hours running the President Washington, myself. It will pull everything you can put behind it and sounds wonderful when working!

I'll see about drawing availability. I know the drawings and patterns were on ebay several months ago. They didn't make the reserve so, I don't know if he still has them. That is if you're interested.

Andy Pullen

[banjoart]

Oh yes!!! That would be a great start. Thanks for your help.
--Art

[e-mail]

[wrightroberttattnet]

Hello all; I know you are looking for a 4-6-2 however there is a fellow on E bay that list 4-6-4 plans for about $30.00 U.S.
I have to admit that I do not know the differences between the two other than wheel arrangement however you might and after doing the math (it is for 2 1/2"gauge) and useing a bit of modelers gets" A" ment, arrive at what you are looking for. the fellow is in Can and has a sweater shop along with the plans on his e store. Hope this helps!! ;D

[banjoart]

Thanks for the e-bay suggestion. I did purchase them a few weeks back. They appear to be Hudson plans or something similar although the drawings don't mention a prototype. Of course the Hudson was somewhat similar to the P5 Pacific.
--Art

[patyoung]

Hello Art,

I don't know if the following information is still valid,
but I have an old 1996 catalog that lists casting and
drawings for the B&O P-7 Pacific 4-6-2 President Class
(prototype No. 5300 President Washington) in 3/4"
scale.

The total price for the castings is shown as $1,500
(Canadian, I think) and the 25 prints drawing set at
$75.00. I got the catalog in 2000 and there is a note
saying to take 30% off if US resident (discount subject
to change based on exchange rate). This sounds like
the drawings could be doubled (with suitable
adjustments where needed) and become a good
starting point for your planned locomotive.

Here is the address:
Miniature Power Products
R.R. 1, Woodstock, Ontario
Canada N4S 7V6

Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]

If you contact them, I would be interested to see if
they are still in business and if they still have the
drawings and castings.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Pat Y.

[banjoart]

Thanks Pat and all:
Yes, Ted McJannett at Miniature Power has them in stock for $100. They are the original H J Coventry plans in 3/4 scale. I've sent my $ in and am waiting for them to arrive. I'll scale them up and redraw.
--Art

[patyoung]

Hello Art,

Glad to help. Two questions though: Is the plan set
for the B&O 4-6-2 president class for $100 in US
dollars? Secondly, how good would you rate the
plans for the 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive that you got
off of ebay?

Pat Y.

[JohnH]

Art, Sometime ago (10-20 years?) Village Press put out two plan books, one was for a Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4, and the other was for a Southern Railway Crescent 4-6-2 Pacific ( I don't remember the class number for that one) They were prototype prints that were scaled down to fit in a book form, with many fold-out pages. I think Bill Fitt put these out? Anyway, that might be very helpful for your project. I don't know where to find one of those myself, but if no-one here can help you, post a question about it on the Chaski board. I'll bet someone there can help.....Good luck with your project. John Hudak