Post by GoldenSpike53 on May 22, 2006 10:40:10 GMT -5
Greetings, everyone.
I remember quite some time back (and not sure which forum it was posted in) a question being posted about building a model of the SP Cab Forward. I took an interest in this question because I had seen pictures of such a model on our club website (www.svls.org). However, I had never seen the model in person, so couldn't answer questions about how the controls were rigged.
Well...this past Saturday, on the first day of our Spring Meet, I got to see the model up close and personal for the first time! It was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, they were have some throttle problems early on, but fortunately, they got them taken care of and were up and running early in the afternoon.
And what a sight that was to watch this cab forward steaming around the track!
Now to the control questions...
The fire is obviously lit from the same location as on any other locomotive, in the firebox in the cab, and the cab is removable for that purpose. It was diesel fired, but seemed to keep going just fine once started.
The engineer actually sat on a riding car behind the tender, as opposed to sitting on the tender as on most other models I have seen. Since the cab is forward, you couldn't reach any controls from there anyway....
The rear of the tender has a couple of levers and some other controls and gauges. The levers are connected to a smoke box throttle and a mocked up hydraulic reversing system via cables similar to those used on motorcycles and lawn mowers, although they were a fairly heavy gauge, probably what would be used on a large motorcycle, but a bit longer. The cables go from the rear of the tender over to the locomotive, and operate cams that work the throttle on the side of the smoke box and the forward/reverse linkage at the forward cylinders. The rear cylinders are, of course, controlled with a connecting linkage that is modeled on the original.
Watching that beauty cruise around the track...that was a sight to behold! It is the first time I have had the opportunity to see an articulated locomotive in operation, and was it ever cool!
Sorry if I make anyone drool, or go green with envy, but my original intention was to describe the operating controls as I saw them. But I couldn't help getting carried away about the sight of this thing running, because it was just totally awesome!
Dale Dennis
I remember quite some time back (and not sure which forum it was posted in) a question being posted about building a model of the SP Cab Forward. I took an interest in this question because I had seen pictures of such a model on our club website (www.svls.org). However, I had never seen the model in person, so couldn't answer questions about how the controls were rigged.
Well...this past Saturday, on the first day of our Spring Meet, I got to see the model up close and personal for the first time! It was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, they were have some throttle problems early on, but fortunately, they got them taken care of and were up and running early in the afternoon.
And what a sight that was to watch this cab forward steaming around the track!
Now to the control questions...
The fire is obviously lit from the same location as on any other locomotive, in the firebox in the cab, and the cab is removable for that purpose. It was diesel fired, but seemed to keep going just fine once started.
The engineer actually sat on a riding car behind the tender, as opposed to sitting on the tender as on most other models I have seen. Since the cab is forward, you couldn't reach any controls from there anyway....
The rear of the tender has a couple of levers and some other controls and gauges. The levers are connected to a smoke box throttle and a mocked up hydraulic reversing system via cables similar to those used on motorcycles and lawn mowers, although they were a fairly heavy gauge, probably what would be used on a large motorcycle, but a bit longer. The cables go from the rear of the tender over to the locomotive, and operate cams that work the throttle on the side of the smoke box and the forward/reverse linkage at the forward cylinders. The rear cylinders are, of course, controlled with a connecting linkage that is modeled on the original.
Watching that beauty cruise around the track...that was a sight to behold! It is the first time I have had the opportunity to see an articulated locomotive in operation, and was it ever cool!
Sorry if I make anyone drool, or go green with envy, but my original intention was to describe the operating controls as I saw them. But I couldn't help getting carried away about the sight of this thing running, because it was just totally awesome!
Dale Dennis
It is definitely worth a look-see. Next time I see that crew out at the club track, I'll mention to them that you'd like them to take it on the road down under....